In a system far, far away from Shyr, a small group of Ghashyr explorers under the

leadership of Captain Erixen is searching for a mythic Dragon called Xefr after
being given information regarding his whereabouts by a rather impolite Dragonlord
named Dervis.
The search for this peculiar reptile is of utmost importance to the Ghashyr crew
that hopes to return bringing proof to the Talmyr that Dragons still exist.

...As the small frigate arrives at Dentibus Hydri, a powerful force shakes it and
draws it out of its course, the captain slams his hand in the podium "Maximum power
to all engines! We will not let this rift take us in and away from our objective!"
soon the frigate stabilizes and heads for the nearest life signals. All of the crew
awaits in excitement what will appear as they grow nearer...

� Reply #1 on: May 21, 2016, 09:12:48 pm �

The Vortex was a large, sprawling mess of blue psionic energy, with yet more energy
flowing in to join the mass. Its pull was violent, but weak, and the Ghashyr were
easily able to stabilize themselves.
Spoiler: Dentibus Hydri (hover to show)

The nearest, and only, life signs were in a very large craft orbiting the vortex.
The light of the vortex made the words across its side possible to read, "The
Soul's Eclipse". It was easily ten times the size of the ship Captain Erixen had
met Dervis upon, but it appeared dormant. The life signs were clearly active, but
the weapons, shields, and even engines seemed to be offline. Its communications
systems however were online, but no attempt has yet been made to hail the Ghashyr,
or really any sort of reaction.

� Reply #2 on: May 21, 2016, 09:23:36 pm �

The Ghashyr freeze upon seeing the size of that ship ..it was about as large as an
Azgorlanor-class dreadnaught, perhaps even larger. The small war frigate seemed
miniscule in comparisson. Soon though many officers started admiring the beautiful
patterns of the void...
Captain Erixen having his eyes stuck on the alien vessels suddenly makes a hand
signal to the communications officer to open a hailing frequency, he clears his
cape a bit and re-adjusts his hat accordingly "Ehem, Greetings Lord Xefr! We are
hoping we're not mistaken ...I'm Captain Erixen, in service of her greatness the
Talmyr and I wish to speak with you ..we were told that we could find you here by
your friend Lord Dervis."
Ysylsen starts nervously munching her claws, while all await a response ...or at
least any sign.

� Reply #3 on: May 21, 2016, 09:41:51 pm �

There is no clear response. The line has clearly been received, but the other side
is silent. But then, the massive frontal hanger of Soul's Eclipse opens up, as if
inviting the Ghashyr ship to come in. Besides that, the ship is still eerily quiet
and inactive, though the life signs inside seem to be moving around a bit more.

� Reply #4 on: May 21, 2016, 09:49:46 pm �

Some weird thoughts, about the legend of the Ghost Ship that eats up spacers, cross
Erixen's mind at this sight ...he seems rather frightened by the imposing silence.
He quickly turns to Ysylsen "You have command of the ship, I and paladin Myntorel
will go in there alone ..Azgor Tal protect us!" Ysylsen nods and the Captain along
with the paladin dress up in full armour and enter a two-seater fighter. They
slowly navigate the fighter within the seemingly empty behemoth and land on its
hangar. Erixen jumps out of the cockpit and in a loud, worried voice he shouts "IS
ANYONE HOME?"

� Reply #5 on: May 21, 2016, 10:15:10 pm �

The Hanger itself is mostly empty, though hundreds of inactive automated fighter-
craft adorn the walls and hang on the ceiling. But in a sudden flash of blinding
light, the Black Dragon appears in the center of the room.
Spoiler: Xefr Omegan (hover to show)

But then, another two flashes of light, and two more dragons stand on either side
behind the first. These two however, are different. Their bodies are not black or
gold, but a transparent blue, just like the color of the vortex. The left is
covered in full medieval armor, with spikes all along it and a mace at the tail.
The right one wears a set of GD-Champion Power Armor, but it lacks weapons. The
corporeal Dragon looks down upon the armored Captain. His deep, yet somewhat
depressed, voice booms within the minds of Ghashyr. "I am called Xefr, but I am no
lord. Welcome aboard this vessel. Have you come to gaze upon the rift, young one?

� Reply #6 on: May 21, 2016, 10:32:22 pm �

The two Ghashyr cover their eyes to avoid the strong light, what appears before
their eyes leaves them in a state of admiration and joy, especially Erixen who
nearly drools. The captain shakes his head a bit after hearing the peculiar-
sounding Dragon-voice and kneels before the majestic reptiles "Anyone old and wise
as you is a Lord in our eyes." he then rises, smiles and half-jokingly continues
"I've not come to gaze upon the rift, though I admit it is nice to look at, well,
from up here at least! Anyway, I actually was seeking you.. ....I didn't expect
you would be a black-scaled Royal Dragon, this changes a lot!"
Myntorel backs down a little, he seems to be intimidated by these creatures he only
heard in stories ..his eyes are hooked upon that one dragon on the left, as he
seems to remind him of something ...he gathers up some courage and speaks silently
to Erixen: "Pardon me my lord, but that one looks like Saint Itz'Ian the Warrior!"
Erixen looks at him, evidently annoyed "Hush!"

� Reply #7 on: May 21, 2016, 10:48:42 pm �

Xefr just sighs, and the sadness in his eyes remains. "I have been called that
before, once, in a far off place whose history has long been devoured by the
destructive winds of time. If only I was truely royal, it would mean that I would
have power, the ability create change... Alas, that is not me. But, you said you
were seeking for me, why? What could this old dragon possibly do for you?"
The left dragon snorts, and a another voice booms out. This one, is far louder than
the last, and has a hint of pride. "I am a Warrior yes, but I am no Saint! I am
Xefr, guardian of this vessel and protector of its crew!" The right dragon sighs
and rolls his eyes. A third voice, calm and sophisticated, speaks out. "Calm down,
you oaf. He merely said there was a resemblance, no reason to get agitated. Now be
quiet and let them speak." In response, the warrior dragon turns to snarl at the
other, but quickly calms down and returns his attention to the main conversation.

� Reply #8 on: May 22, 2016, 05:26:53 pm �

Paladin Myntorel avoids eye contact with the warrior spirit and tries not to
irritate him any more.
Meanwhile, Erixen's pulse starts beating faster from excitement as he hears to what
this old Dragon says... In a far off place! Could that perhaps mean an actual
connection to the Valxes? He comes closer to the great black drake and continues
talking in a rather joyful tone.. "You were called a 'royal' before you said? I'd
like to hear more about this far off place, truly interesting! Anyhow, I seek you,
great Xefr, for I'm an explorer and the realisation that Dragons exist must come
along with proof ...furthermore, I think you could also discuss regarding Ghashyr-
Excave relations with our Talmyr - And may I add, I'd prefer a civilised Dragon
like yourself, over someone like Lord Dervis - So, I ask of you to come with me in
Shyr, as a guest!"
The captain awaits the dragons responses while smiling like a child about to be
given a present and nervously playing with his hands.
� Reply #9 on: May 22, 2016, 07:29:26 pm �
Xefr sighs again, as if the mention of the so called far off place depressed him.
He does again when Dervis's name is brought up. His voice remains saddened, "Don't
blame Dervis for his attitude... After all, the one you should be blaming stands
before you. If only I wasn't so much a fool... Regardless, I do not represent
Excave, or really any of Iammelon. I am a wanderer, an explorer like you, but the
knowledge I seek is something very specific. However, if you still wish to bring me
before your Talmyr, as you called it, I suppose I could. This ship is fully
operational, and I suppose some new knowledge wouldn't be too harmful... Though I'm
sure I would be a disappointment. An old Dragon like me has no such worth, I don't
deserve to be anybody's guest." The Dragon's head looks down a bit, contemplating
the floor.
The two energy dragons remain quiet, though the warrior seems like he wants to say
something is holding himself back.

� Reply #10 on: May 23, 2016, 01:31:20 pm �

Erixen is feeling really perplexed by the dragon's self-deprecating behaviour, he
almost feels sad for him ..almost, as he is too happy that Xefr accepted the
invitation to think much of anything else. He comes closer to Xefr and opens his
hands in a friendly gesture "Oh, great Xefr, I do not understand if you say these
out of extreme politeness or other causes, but rest assured that you would not
disappoint our Talmyr ...She would be thrilled to meet an old wise dragon! ...and
while most of us don't believe that the ancient dragons were divine, as no one is
divine but Azgor Tal, you would be welcome in Shyr!"
Myntorel leans to Erixen "I don't know, we perhaps should be more careful" he then
turns to the warrior-spirit "You say you are a warrior? Well, then, learn that us
Ghashyr are great warriors and anyone who is not afraid to face death for honour
would be welcome as well!" ..The captain looks at his paladin in a disapproving
way.

� Reply #11 on: May 23, 2016, 02:51:01 pm �

The Dragon raises his head to look at Erixen, seeming to study him. While the
sadness remains in his eyes, Xefr doesn't sigh this time. His voice has a bit more
confidence in it, "Do not worry yourself, I could not consider myself divine. After
all, a god would not have made the many mistakes I have in my time. I'll visit your
Shyr, one way or another I need to get out more and this seems like a worthy enough
reason. I'll try not and disappoint your Talmyr. And who knows, perhaps I can find
what I seek..." His gaze then returns to the floor, and the depression seeps back
into his tone, "Though I doubt it even exists... But enough of that for now, care
to tell me where this Shyr is?"
The Warrior Dragon grunts, and his voice seems to be lined with amusement. "Hah!
That is good, any who disregard combat are fools doomed to failure. And I would
gladly face death, if it did not flee in terror at my presence!" The other energy
dragon rolls his eyes, but doesn't comment.

� Reply #12 on: May 23, 2016, 06:50:11 pm �

The paladin smiles, satisfied at the warrior Dragon's respond and bumps his armour,
in the meanwhile Erixen looks at Xefr with an investigative look "I do not know
what you seek Xefr, but I wish you may find it ...in Shyr, it is a place of
miracles after all!" he then turns looking at the open hangar "Well, if it is
decided, we will return to our ship and transfer you Shyr's location, then we will
travel together ..to avoid any misunderstandings with the Imperial authorities."
Erixen and Myntorel bow to the black dragon and enter the fighter to return to the
Ghashyr frigate ...the Captain orders the Cartographer officer "Transfer a trip
plan for Shyr and any necessary information to the Dragon's ship."

� Reply #13 on: May 23, 2016, 07:44:16 pm �

Watching the fighter leave, the second energy dragon spoke to the others. "I shall
get the ship moving. We shall leave for Shyr in a few minutes." With that, he left
in another flash, leaving Xefr and the Warrior in the hanger. Turning to Xefr, the
shard spoke for himself, using his voice rather than telepathy, "So, do you really
think we'll figure it out? ". With a sigh, an answer was given, "Not at all,
Guardian. That time is not now. But our answer is out there, it will merely show
itself when the time is right. For now, we shall wait until the Technology shard
gets this vessel moving. For now, we are having another adventure..." The two then
disappeared from the hanger, allowing it to return to its silence.

From the bridge, the Technology Shard appeared before the Blood Moon soldiers
acting as the Soul's Eclipse's crew. As the information came through, it was
translated into their own language. It only took one order, "Set course for Shyr!
We leave immediately!" The crew went into action, and the entire vessel threw off
its facade of lifelessness. The entire ship lit up, as systems came online,
including the engines. Soul's Eclipse flew a distance away from the vortex, and
once out of Dentibus Hydri's gravitational pull, it entered Warp Speed.

� Reply #14 on: May 24, 2016, 06:25:14 pm �

Once the captain arrived at the frigate he gave orders to set course for Shyr, he
then dressed in finery and opened a hologram channel to Gal. An old Ghashyr lord
with a crown adorned with crescents appeared, slightly interested to view the
explorer so early "What is it that you wish Captain Erixen?"
The Captain kneeled and rised his head to look at the old lord "Glad to see you
Lord Ogradax! I've made the discovery of the millenium, my Lord!"
Ogradax leaned towards the hologram of Captain Erixen "And what is that my good
captain? Could it benefit House Galgatyen?"
Erixen rises and full of pride exclaims.. "Dragons my lord! Living. Fire-Breathing.
Dragons! ...I'm bringing a specimen called Xefr to Shyr as a guest, to enact
negotiations."
The old moon-king gets up, his eyes and look make clear that he didn't expect that
discovery ..he clears his throat "Dragons? That is indeed a great discovery
Captain ...if you say the truth this could have tremendous implications for our
faiths, but I'm sure Talmyr Myrsa as a Draconian would show great satisfaction at
these news ...if you're just hallucinating though, you'll end your days in
Marga!"
Erixen places his hand upon his chest "I swear to Azgor Tal and all that are
enlightened! Dragons live. You shall see with your own eyes my lord."
Ogradax sits back in his throne "Very well, I'll inform the Imperial authorities of
your coming to Shyr ..the Talmyr is currently unavailable, but I'm sure my son
would handle the situation as it should be handled ..you shall be greatly rewarded
for your service Captain!" The hologram ends and Captain Erixen satisfied and sure
of himself orders the ship to engage Warp seven, course: Shyr.
..
....
At a later time...
The two ships arrive in the Taurghan system, there await them around forty
Azgorlanor Dreadnaughts, an admiral opens a hailing frequency towards Xefr and
Erixen, in the meanwhile her crew scans the lifeforms within the alien vessel "I am
Grand Admiral Rymera of House Tamorlyn, I WelcoOH MY TAL! It is true! ...ehem,
Welcome Captain Erixen and welcome Lord Xefr, I must ask you to follow me towards
the Stardrome. Are there any requests visitors?"

� Reply #15 on: May 24, 2016, 07:33:56 pm �

The Soul's Eclipse accepted the hail, but was silent for a moment. Aboard its
bridge, Xefr had closed his eyes, for they were not needed now. He gazed outwards
with his powers instead, seeing all the lifeforms before him, and zeroing in on the
Admiral's mind. With this, he could use telepathy to speak to her directly. Xefr's
tone was dull and average, "Greeting Grand Admiral Rymera. I suppose I do have one
request as of now, could you not refer to me as a lord? I have not earned such a
title, just Xefr will do. But otherwise, there are no problems. Lead on to your
Stardome Admiral, I will have my vessel follow."

Beside him, the Guardian Shard leaned into his Technology counterpart. "Is he
actually in a good mood? He doesn't usually go this long without a sigh or
something." Rolling his eyes, the other energy dragon responded, "Of course not you
dunce, but the essentials shard has always been polite. The prospect of new
knowledge probably has him distracted from the normal thought processes. Now shut
up fool, I want to listen." This prompted a growl from the warrior of course, but
it fell on deaf ears.

� Reply #16 on: May 24, 2016, 07:55:00 pm �

The Admiral responded in a reluctant tone, quite estranged by the psionic voice
"Erm, as you wish L- ...Xefr. We will land in eastern Urva; Lord Rysannox thought
it would be fitting if the meeting was conveyed in an ancient Valx Sanctuary."
The convoy descents into Shyr's atmosphere and flies above the great Urvan desert,
soon appear the Eastern mountains and a large ancient structure, a group of Ghashyr
stands near the entrance...
Spoiler: The Valx Sanctuary of Saint Mo'Tze'Khan (hover to show)
The Ships land near the old sanctuary and a dune of sand covers everything, only
some figures appear inside the dune walking towards the spaceships. At the center
of the group, Rysannox is yet again responsible to meet a different species
..though this time is different, as this species is not new to Ghashyr. Captain
Erixen gets out of his spaceship followed by his paladin and first-mate "An honour
to meet you my lord." he kneels before Rysannox and takes his hat off. Rysannox
however is turned towards the alien vessel... "I hope that what you say is true
Captain Erixen, my father does not forgive and never forgets."

� Reply #17 on: May 24, 2016, 08:17:00 pm �

Soul's Eclipse parked itself over the Sanctuary, and stood still. It made no
visible intent of landing, as it did not need to. On the ground, another brilliant,
and blinding, flash of light appeared a little away from the structure's entrance.
After it cleared, there stood Xefr, as well as the two energy dragons in their
normal garb, though his gaze was fixated on the ancient building. He studies it for
a few seconds, before turning his eyes to the Ghashyr. His voice has more energy in
it this time, lined with curiosity, "Hello there young ones. What exactly is this
place? Your Admiral said it was a Sanctuary, but is that its only purpose?" Behind
him, the Guardian Shard suppresses his groan of boredom.

� Reply #18 on: May 24, 2016, 08:54:41 pm �

The Ghashyr gasp at the presence of a dragon, Rysannox quickly comes closer to the
giant reptile, his mind filled with questions...
He reaches his hands in a welcoming gesture "It is true then! Dragons have
returned! I am Echopalad of her Greatness the Talmyr, Rysannox of House Galgatyen;
I welcome you, dear Xefr, and I shall answer your question; ...this was a
sanctuary, it is only a pilgrimage sight for Fire-Worshipers nowadays. You see
Xefr, this building housed one of the greatest and wisest dragons of Shyr
..nothing like the late Dragons." ...now standing only a few meters away from
Xefr, the middle-aged Ghashyr politician adopts a more relaxed, yet curious tone..
"You claim you do not know anything about this place?"

� Reply #19 on: May 25, 2016, 09:34:51 pm �

As Rysannox drew closer, Xefr's head turned downwards maintain eye contact. He has
a curious tone of his own, "Can't say I do, never seen such a structure. I've seen
many sanctuaries before, of all designs and shapes, but this is one I do not
recognize. And you say it was once a residence, but now it is a place of
pilgrimage? Interesting, maybe I can speak with one of the pilgrims some time.
Though if this place was for a wise dragon... Perhaps I do not belong here... But
enough of that, go back to what you said before, there is something I wanted
clarified. What exactly do you mean by 'return' and 'late' dragons?" The yellow
eyes are brimming with anticipation. The two energy dragons seem interested as
well, leaning over so that they may stare directly at Rysannox.

� Reply #20 on: May 26, 2016, 05:22:23 pm �

A few Ghashyr of the welcoming committee mutter "Saints forgive us!" as Xefr makes
his question. Rysannox doesn't seem to share their guilt, he sighs and continues
"Well, as a Light-Believer it is hard for me to describe the events with clarity,
before a Dragon nonetheless. At least I shall try... You see Xefr, Shyr was home to
two species once ...the kin of Shyr and the kin of Paer, Ghashyr and Valx. The
first Valxes, or dragons as they're widely called, were wise, benevolent and
peaceful, but after the revalation of the Eternal Fire their power grew and their
thirst for power and madness followed suit...
Soon however my primogenitors, the Taggarens, through guidance by the God of
Light's hand, led a 'Purge of Darkness' that would liberate the masses from evil
and bring balance between the Forces of Darkness and the Holy Light. Sadly the
crusade caused feelings of hatred and zealotry on both sides, leading to a battle-
to-the-death of which I believe you can guess who survived." ...he turns for a
moment to a man wearing red robes and a crown shaped as flames, but before Rysannox
could talk, the old Ghashyr in robes started preaching... "Eternal shall be the
Fire that burns in every soul! The kin of saints has returned!" he bows before Xefr
"Perhaps you do not know why an old Ghashyr bows before you Valx, but accept my
apology in behalf of all Ghashyr ...all souls are sacred" he then turns with a
vile look towards Rysannox and his guards "...even if some do not regret the
crimes of their pre-incarnations."

� Reply #21 on: May 26, 2016, 08:58:09 pm �

Xefr looks up to the sky, and closes his eyes. His tone is lined with sadness, but
not a hint surprise, "I suppose I should have expected it. They would be far from
the first to perish at the hands of conflict over religion. It is a standard of
life, sentience begets violence, and violence is soon followed by tragedy. I have
seen such patterns occur far too many times in my travels. But..." Xefr's gaze
turns down to the bowing Ghashyr, and his tone softens, "...if it is my forgiveness
you seek, I give it to you and all your kind freely. Even this horrid event could
have been far worse, I know that well. At least some life still blooms here, which
means mistakes can still be corrected, and the cataclysmal pattern averted. Now
then, you were right robed one, I do not know why you bow before me. Could you tell
me?"
Next to Xefr, the energy dragons reacted as well. The Warrior Dragon was staring
upwards into space, unsure of how to respond. There are look anger in his eyes, as
well as guilt. The other however, was clearly perplexed by the robed preacher. He
was looking at the bowing Ghashyr with a gaze of curiosity and confusion.

� Reply #22 on: May 27, 2016, 05:01:39 pm �

The robed Ghashyr smiled and responded in a calm friendly voice, while looking at
all spirits and finally at Xefr "Thank you! I was sure that a Saint would not seek
revenge and would forgive... ...as for your query-" Rysannox starts feeling quite
uncomfortable with how the conversation develops and before the old Ghashyr could
respond, he interrupted in a rather cold voice "Ehem, yes ..the past is the past,
and I think we should put religion aside. The important think here is that Dragons,
a normal species, exist ...and I would like to know more about the relations
modern Dragons could have with the Empire. How would they influence our society and
how their society would be influenced by ours."
The old Ghashyr enraged raises his hand in protest "Even by your standards as a
Light-Believer, this is outrageous! Knoweledge is your faith's greatest tenet and
you scorn it for politics... ..our guest asked a question and I shall answer"
Rysannox seems rather aggravated by the old coot but decides to remain silent...
for some reason showing portions of respect to someone who is just a heathen. The
robed Ghashyr then turns back to Xefr.. "A simple bow is nothing but a symbol of
accepting one's own mortality in front of someone who has been wronged, it is not
about being respectful, or inferior -as most Ghashyr would claim- ..but a symbol
of tranquility and accepting your divine, yet equal stature with the universe
...you may have not been yourself wronged by us, but you are a Valx, and even if
you were not related to the Valxes in Shyr, you bear their name, their stature and
soul within. I can feel it, as all souls are divine and connected in varying
degrees, being torn and reborn together through the Eternal Fire."
Rysannox rolls his eyes and continues in a rather snarky tone "Thank your for
explaining what bending your back means to fire-worshipers, Grand Priest Ezhensayn
..now if we're done with the reincarnation mumbo-jumbo and proselytizing our guest,
could we perhaps focus on our situation? It is imperative that we do..."

� Reply #23 on: May 27, 2016, 10:41:57 pm �

Xefr grins, and seems amused. "Yes, thank you Grand Priest. Knowledge is
important..." The dragon's voice trails off, as it becomes more distant. It is like
he now speaks to himself more than anybody else, "...yet with too much, it becomes
a heavy burden, never to be lifted..." Xefr then snaps back to the actual
conversation, and his voice goes back to normal as he redresses Ezheansayn, "And
while I would like to know more about your religion and its beliefs some other
time, right now Rysannox is right. Politics are an annoying matter, but they do
exist for a reason, like all other things. Now then..."
The golden eyes turn to Rysannox, "I'm sure your explorer already told you this,
but I do not represent anybody besides myself. I am a wanderer, not a Lord, but I
believe I can provide advice. The Dragons from my native land prefer to keep to the
areas of space they already own, so no reason to worry about Conquest and
Expansionism, even with your troubling history towards my kind. But, one thing I
can assure you is that they would be very interested in trade, both that of
physical goods and information. That would most likely prove to be the extent of
their influence. Of course, I know little of your society, so maybe there could be
more, and I have little idea what effects yours could have on ours, as I know
little of your nation."
The Warrior Dragon seemed like he wanted to speak, but decided against it. His
other energy counterpart glances at him, as if warning him to stay quiet, but loses
interest quickly and returns to the conversation.

� Reply #24 on: May 28, 2016, 08:04:43 pm �

Both Ghashyr appear to be satisfied by the old Drake's response for their own
reasons. Rysannox claps his hands a bit and in a gleeful tone he addresses the
giant reptile "Ah, this is most delightful! Where there is trade, peace
follows! ...I can trust that when you return you will notify the good Dragons of
your land that we are interested in a mercantile association with them. No?
...However, before we start discussing trade terms, we should discuss and
understand our situation. You see Xefr, the news that Dragons exist could have
tremendous repercussions, positive-or-negative, for both of our species. As I was
saying..."
Ezhensayn jumps once again in the conversation - this time Rysannox did not made
any attempt to interrupt him... "Precisely! This is why I ask of you Xefr, in
behalf of her greatness the Talmyr, to stay with us here in Shyr; assume protection
of this sanctuary that by right of blood belongs to you, begin your journey of
becoming a Saint of the Eternal Fire and unveil the mysteries of the divine cosmic
powers that are entrusted within every soul. ...It is your destiny to correct the
wrongs of both my people and yours, bury the hatchet deep and restart a New Age of
Dragons with you as our guide!"

Rysannox starts worrying and deeply regretting that he let Ezhensayn come along.
While he discreetly facepalms, a fair Ghashyr lady wearing a simple white hooded
robe who was listening to the discussion, emerges from the welcoming committee. She
looks at Xefr with a serene smile, her voice being quiet and fragile.. "Wisdom
means not repeating the mistakes of the past. What the Grand Priest suggests is
sure to bring yet more violence ...I think it would be tamer and wiser to refuse
the temptation and admit that your species is not predestined to rule over others,
or in any way more close to divinity. Since regardless of species, we're all born
as unique individuals whose actions will be judged whether worthy of divinity -or
not- upon death ...divinity is earned through deeds, it is not freely given upon
birth!"
Rysannox turns to the two Ghashyr "And I suggest not to be interrupted again..."

� Reply #25 on: May 30, 2016, 10:40:34 pm �

Xefr's smile fades, and his gaze turns to the stars. His voice is tinted with
regret, "So, you two ask me to make a decision? Alas, that is not my choice to
make. I am not the one who may decide such things, as I am merely a visitor here
and I cannot stay for any reason. I already know too much of the cosmos, and it is
for that reason my own journey is made. The answers I seek are not here, and will
forever be beyond my reach, until I repent for sins of my own. Ask another Dragon
to become your Saint, Grand Priest, for I am not able nor worthy of it. That
destiny can never be mine. But do not be discouraged, it is a grand offer, and I am
sure others of my kind will gladly learn your ways and follow you on your journeys.
And for you, madam, I say the same. A wanderer does not speak for his kind, and I
am not one to decide whether or not my race is divine or built to rule. Speak your
words to any who come after me, for they shall choose whether or not my kind will
be your saints. My fate lies elsewhere."
The Dragon returns his eyes, which now seem less lively than before, to Rysannox.
His voice has mostly returned to a calm and normal tone, but not entirely. "Now
then, please continue. I want to know everything you can tell me, this way the
Dragons of my land with positions of power can make informed decisions and choices,
so we may both benefit and refrain from harming your society or our own.
Specifically, I want to hear about these repercussions you mentioned."
Behind him, the warrior spirit seems to be squirming, while the other energy dragon
stares at him with a look of concern.

� Reply #26 on: May 31, 2016, 02:50:20 pm �

The two religious authority figures remain silent, with Ezhensayn being shocked
that his offer was turned off ...and the Light priestess shrugging and going back
with the rest. As the old priest realises, he just bows and talks in a slightly
disappointed tone "If you so wish Xefr, you will always have our respect, loyalty
and love too, if you so wish." He smiles and moves to the side.
Rysannox assumes again his rather joyful smile "Ah, I'm beginning to like you even
more Xefr! It was wise of you to reject both of them ...this was just a small test
with two minor Imperial priests in service of House Galgatyen to see how an actual
dragon would deal with our religious dichotomy ...the real High priests of the
Eternal Fire and the Church of Light would never accept to stand beside each
other ...and I dared not inform them."
The middle-aged Ghashyr clears his throat and slightly ashamed continues "I think
you can forgive this rude deception I set up, but it was the only way I could get a
minor idea of what kind of Dragon I have in front of me. Now about the
repercussions ..this is why I set up this small play in the first place ..you
see the Church of Light has already lost its political domination as House
Valxaryen rose to power, if Dragons suddenly made a comeback and claimed Sainthood
they would also lose spiritual domination. ....And we don't want to make the Church
of Light feel threatened, if you catch my drift!"
Captain Erixen who stand nearby and watches the warrior dragon suddenly speaks up
"Ehm, may ask what are you searching for Xefr? I'm an explorer I've come along
quite a lot peculiar sight!"

� Reply #27 on: May 31, 2016, 09:15:56 pm �

Xefr's expression softens, and a tinge of relief can be heard in his voice. "Ah, it
was merely a jest? That's good. Do not worry, I forgive you, as it would be foolish
to simply trust me on my word alone. And I understand your position. You are of
course worried that I may cause a uproar and disrupt the social order. Rest
assured, that is far from my goal, and I do not wish to witness another civil war
in my lifetime. But I believe I have made my stance on your religious matters
clear, and I hope that is enough to maintain the peace. That is all I can do to
satisfy your people and ruler."
Xefr's gaze then turns to Erixen, and a tinge of regret replaces the relief, "I'm
sorry Captain, but I already know you lack the information I seek. In my lifetime
of searching, thousands of years, I have not found it. The knowledge I need to end
all the problems of this universe. I have seen so much suffering, so much pain, so
much horror, and far too much death for little reason. The horrid things I have
seen are legion and will never stop, until I figure out how to end it all. No more
pain, no more terror, no more war, no more killing... That is what I seek. The
means to rid this universe of all its problems."
The Warrior Spirit continues struggling against nothing, now with his head down,
eyes closed, and muttering something in his draconic language. His counterpart
seems conflicted, as if unsure on what to do. Xefr doesn't make any visible
reaction, but by the sigh it is clear he noticed what goes on behind him.

� Reply #28 on: June 01, 2016, 09:24:50 am �

The weathered Ghashyr politician, satisfied that the drake didn't take this the
wrong way, is ready to give a response, but as his captain makes his intriguing
question and Xefr immediately responds to it, he remains silent and worried...
Erixen and Rysannox look at each other for a while, slightly confused, only for the
Echopalad of the Empire to get out a short awkward laugh "Heh! I'm indeed glad on
your decision regarding our religions ..but this quest of yours reminds me of my
ancestors ...you see, they were similarly dissatisfied with the darkness existing
in the world, so they went on a quest similar to yours; to rid the cosmos of
darkness and illuminate all of existence! The problem was that their interpretation
of illumination.. well.." Rysannox, feeling uncomfortable, suddenly stops "..err,
I think we should change the subject, it is a rather macabre one."

� Reply #29 on: June 01, 2016, 04:00:42 pm �

Xefr's demeanor remains unchanged, and his voice is calm as he redresses Rysannox.
"I agree, this is a subject I'd rather avoid myself, but first allow me to ease
your mind. I do not intend to make the same mistakes I have seen so many make. I
will accomplish my goals without the use of violence. I will not inflict what I
wish to stop. Now then, let's move on, such things are not good to speak of. Tell
me about your society or culture. I want to make sure I can converse with your
peoples properly without causing offense by accident. Oh, and I believe your
captain here and others mentioned a Talmyr, yes that's what it was. Is that your
ruler?"
The Warrior Dragon has mostly returned to normal by this point, though he is
visibly uncomfortable.

� Reply #30 on: June 01, 2016, 06:28:27 pm �

Rysannox continues talking about his mysterious ancestors nevertheless, as if he
wants to intrigue the dragon "Oh they did not use violence ...well, they initially
experimented a lot, but it wasn't violence the key. Anyway, I digress... your
assumption is correct; the Talmyr is our leader, she leads and guides our
species ..though our species not always follows, and this is the problem. We're a
rather populous society of individuals, that is separated by class, religion,
nation and tons of other parameters ...the best approach would be not to converse
with my species at all, but given that it is too late to suggest that ..I suggest
modesty, remaining silent and generally being mysticist. Don't tell much, don't ask
much and everyone will be happy."
Rysannox still seems skeptical and he now continues, but in a far more inquisitive
tone "How would you have it? ..the perfect world, I mean."
Erixen sarcasticaly raises his eybrow and voice.. "t�ts n' wine for me, please!"

� Reply #31 on: June 03, 2016, 05:17:27 pm �

Xefr didn't seem perturbed, his eyes and voice remained calm and neutral. "Be
modest, silent, and mysticist you say? Hm, the Mystic Shard would do wonderfully
here then, as this culture seems built for him. And while not telling should be
easy enough, not asking questions will prove more of a challenge. But I will
endure. Your society doesn't sound much different from many of the multi-species
ones I have encountered over the years, yet it is interesting how one species
spread so far and changed so much on its own. And while I would prefer we move on
from the subject, I will answer your question. My idea of a perfect world, as you
put it, would be a world in which all sapient species can go about their lives
without conflict or violence against one-another. It wouldn't matter what
government was in place, what species anybody was, or what they all did with their
lives, I would just want a place where nobody would suffer. Alas, such a place is
not possible, for conflict can only be slowed, never halted forever. That is why my
task shall be difficult, and it may take another millennia to even begin laying the
foundation. An unrealistic goal indeed, but it is mine. I hope that satisfies you,
and we may move the conversation onward."
The Technological Spirit behind Xefr rolled his eyes at the Black Dragon's
explanation of a "perfect world", visibly irritated by it. The Warrior wasn't
paying attention, and his eyes were fixated on the ground, constantly moving from
side-to-side in panic towards an unseen thing.

� Reply #32 on: June 03, 2016, 08:14:36 pm �

Rysannox smiled at the naive and inconceivable quest of this good-hearted dragon,
but refrained from mocking him in any way.. "Ah, this is an age-old quest that many
have tried accomplishing and failed! I hope you succeed ..just let me give you a
small advice; better enjoy life as it is, than live to change it. It never ends
well if you insist." He then scratches his chin as if trying to remember something
"..you said it seems peculiar that we have so many variations and differences while
still of one species, and perhaps it is to you ...but I frankly could not imagine
Ghashyr not being divided. I mean, which species of individuals has a single
culture, language and creed? Seems absurd. But I digress yet more, we indeed should
talk about trade ...what would the Dragons back home say if presented with a
bilateral non-aggression treaty and single trade-route linking our capitals?"
Erixen who watches the warrior spirit notices his peculiar behaviour "Sir
Xefr ...your friend, erm ...the hologram ...he doesn't seem allright."

� Reply #33 on: June 04, 2016, 09:48:41 pm �

Xefr turned his head and looked at his trembling companion. With a concerned voice,
he speaks to the Warrior's counterpart. "Take the Guardian Shard to the ship and
check on the Forbidden one. If it has made a resurgence, knock it down. Go." The
Dragon in Power-Armor nodded, and his eyes flashed white. Then, he and the warrior
were gone, with only a few dissipating blue particles where they stood.
The Black Dragon sighed, and turned back to the Ghashyr. There was a still a hint
of concern in his voice, but it had mostly returned to usual calm, "I apologize for
that, my life is quite the complicated mess. Don't worry about him, he will be
fine. And Captain, the Guardian Shard is not a hologram. He is a being of pure
Psionic Energy. Though by his appearance, I don't blame you for thinking that. Now
then, my kind would certainly be open to a mutual non-aggression pact and trade,
though you'd have to be more specific about the capital. The Golden-Dragon home-
world is not the same as the capital planet of Iammelon, though I believe either
one would be fine with them. I can also tell you that they would be especially
interested in any special metals your civilization has come across."

� Reply #34 on: June 05, 2016, 06:29:21 pm �

The captain and his Lord where immensely confused by Xefr's explanation of what
that poor dragon hologram was, Rysannox raised his eybrows and tried to appease
some of the questions circling around his mind by asking the black drake... "A
being of pure psionic Energy you say! Only the mighty Taggarens where cabable of
such feets, amusing! Was he destined to become like that, or it was some form of
accident?" ..the captain being more sympathetic to the poor dragon since it
reminded him of his war veteran friend, interrupted Rysannox "I hope he's allright,
it seems as if something troubled his soul immensely, perhaps a bad memory..."
Rysannox looked at Erixen in a strict way, making him a signal with his hand to cut
the chit chat and then tried to continue the conversation from where it was left
off... "Ehm, Anyway ...I'll let you know that our empire is quite rich in metals
and extremelly advanced in metallurgy. The most rare and useful metal to us Ghashyr
is Arsaz with wich we produce Arsazezyn ...a metal of great capabilities and
strength. Our many Worlds possess many other important metals though, like Titanium
and of course; iron! As for the trade-routes ...let's begin with the Dragon
homeworld, considering it is dragons that we encountered first and it is a dragon
standing before me as of now."

� Reply #35 on: June 06, 2016, 06:24:12 pm �

Xefr remained calm, until Rysannox mentioned memories, and then visibly became more
uncomfortable. "I will answer that question and any others you may have later
captain, but I will say Rysannox was actually quite close with his mention of a bad
memory... But let's move on. It is quite you are skillful with metal, as that will
interest the Dragons of my land greatly. And if your Arsaz proves valuable to them,
they will certainly pay well for it. And that does make sense, and it will
certainly be a more simple process than with the true capital, considering the mess
that place is. I have strings to pull in Excave, and Tyfrondor is both tolerant and
sensible, so convincing him of accepting shall not prove too difficult."
At this moment, the second of the Energy Dragons returned in another flash of
light, alone. His clearly content voice rang out in the minds of all around him,
though it was clearly targeted at Xefr. "The Guardian Shard rests for now, and the
forbidden one's shackles have been tightened. There won't be anymore problems." At
the end of his declaration, he flashed a smug draconic smile.

� Reply #36 on: June 06, 2016, 07:33:38 pm �

(Captain Erixen mentioned the memory ...Rysannox is more of a cold technocrat
caring for trade.)
Rysannox full of pride and with a deep aristocratic tone in his voice responded to
the Drake as soon as the second Energy dragon stopped talking "...I hope everything
is good now. Anyway, Arsaz is a very usefull metal ...some think its only use is
its beauty, but they couldn't be more wrong; Arsaz has extreme sustainability in
temperature changes and after we temper with it, it can even withstand laser blasts
and plasma ...the main problem is that it is available in a far smaller frequency
than other metals, which also makes it quite expensive. Do tell Lord Terfyndor that
we would gladly trade Arsaz with him ..however he must understand that our
supplies are limited, due to being used extensively by our army and technology
industries..."
Captain Erixen seems still haunted by the look in that poor Dragon's eyes ..being
a war veteran himself he has seen a similar look many times, so he approaches Xefr
"Are you sure that energy friend of yours is ok? I had a friend once that, well...
nevermind." ...Rysannox once again made it clear through his body language that
Erixen was talking more than he was supposed to.

� Reply #37 on: June 07, 2016, 07:53:50 pm �

Xefr almost began to speak, but was cut off by the Energy Dragon as stepped foward
to gladly answer Erixen's question. "He's fine! I can assure of you of that! This
has happened before, we know how to handle it. He will make a full recovery within
a few hours, just needs some rest now that the Forbidden one has been thrown deeper
into his cell!" Throughout the entirety of his little speech, the smug grin never
falters. However, it does once Xefr coughs audibly. The Shard, taking the hint,
shuts up and steps back.
The Black Dragon then continues in his normal tone, "Yes, the Guardian will be
fine. He has endured far worse in his time. Anyways, this Arsaz sounds like a
wonderful metal. But don't worry, Tyfrondor won't ask for too much, as he
understands the value and importance of having the best for one's militaries, and
he'll likely only request a small amount at first anyways. He isn't one for
stressing trade partners."

� Reply #38 on: June 08, 2016, 10:11:18 am �

Caprain Erixen smiles at the reassurance of the energy Dragon, bows and backs down
a bit ...standing next to Rysannox he leans and mutters something in his ear, to
which Rysannox responds with a subtle nod.
In the meanwhile Rysannox felt a tad bit embarrased that he mistaked the Dragon-
Talmyr's name.. "Tyfrondor, yes. I apologise to have mistaken your Lord's name.
Let's hope that our trade routes will flourish and perhaps some day Dragons may
make an appearance before the Ghashyr as a whole ..not just in secret meetings."
He suddenly stares at Xefr and sporting a curious look, continues.. "All is well,
but your Energy ..colleague, referred a 'Forbidden one', so, may I learn what this
'Forbidden one' is? Does it pose a threat for Shyr?"

� Reply #39 on: June 08, 2016, 02:40:08 pm �

The Energy Dragon almost steps up once more, but is stopped by a smack from Xefr's
tail, which somehow lands on the incorporeal form.
Xefr speaks instead, calm and with an air of certainty as he explains, "The
Forbidden one is similar to the Shard right here, as well as the Guardian in
recovery. It was even created in the same fashion, though unlike my comrades it is
not to be trusted, and is dangerous to be around. However, it is in custody, and
won't escape for another thousand years. It will pose no threat to your people,
especially not if I still live. And I also hope that your people will get along
well with mine, cooperation is a wonderful thing. Now then, may I see the inside of
this sanctuary? We have been outside for quite a while now."

� Reply #40 on: June 09, 2016, 03:25:15 pm �

Rysannox bows his head satisfied by the drake's response.. "Ah, Good, for a moment
there I thought you were carrying an unstable demonic monster along with you
...and you couldn't be more right, I got carried away! Of course and we shall go
inside the sanctuary ..I think you'll find the frescos fascinating. Follow me -
and no need to keep your head down either, it was made by a dragon after all!"

As they enter the massive dome, they view a large stone statue of a dragon sitting
on a rock with his tail forming a small fountain. He holds a a big pitcher with his
right claw that purs water into the fountain, and a palm branch on his left. His
face bears an awfully happy smile and his eyes seem to be closed due to this
expression.
Rysannox approaches and drinks some of the water, then turns to Xefr.. "This is
Saint Mo'Tze'Khan the Kind, Saint of the Red Mountains ...one of the old Saints.
This was his cave.."
The walls of the sanctuary appear to be covered in ancient and somewhat mistreated
frescos, mostly bearing a brown Dragon and Ghashyr, as well as forgotten clawmark
writing.

� Reply #41 on: June 09, 2016, 06:02:09 pm �

Xefr walks up to the statue, looking it over with an appraising gaze. After a few
seconds, his eyes turn back to Rysannox, "Well, he certainly looks happy, and
judging from his title it seems that he was a good person. By the history lessons
you gave earlier, he must of been one of the old dragons, before your war broke
out. Must have been liked, since this place doesn't seem to have fallen into
complete disrepair. Can you tell me more about him? Oh, and are you sure that water
is healthy? This place seems to be fairly old."
The Energy Dragon seemed more interested in the frescoes, and instead approached
those. While looking them over, he spoke but it seemed that he was speaking to
himself more than anybody else. "Well, it seems you were right, these paintings are
very interesting. Shame I don't understand the writing, would probably help add
context to this picture."

� Reply #42 on: June 10, 2016, 10:10:53 am �

Rysannox laughs a bit and walks near the frescos besides Xefr, gazing at them full
of glee.. "Ah, a history lover like me, good; I'll translate to you the history of
the Saint, it is already depicted in this room and I happen to have studied the
Clawmark Writing! As for the water; it comes from a natural spring, it can't be
cleaner than that."
Rysannox points at a Fresco depicting the Brown Dragon flying over the desert and
talks in a narrative voice "Mo'Tze'Khan Dragon Was Sad and Great. Water Sold At
Travellers in Expensive Rate" ..he moves to the next fresco depicting the Brown
Dragon and a Ghashyr woman begging "One Day Poor Soul Water and Shelter Did Ask.
Mo'Tze'Khan did Frown and Bask: No Water For Poor Soul - My Water awaits
Gold!" ...Rysannox continues to another fresco depicting the dragon alone in his
cave "Mo'Tze'Khan did Count his Gold. But Alone Dragon and Soul Cold." ..the next
fresco depicts the Dragon smelting gold in his rage and searching his hoard
"Mo'Tze'Khan did Burn his Wealth. Searched for Pincher to Amend Mistakes, But
Pincher had melt." ..This fresco seems to have a fire figure above that enightens
the Saint, it shows the Dragon sad above the Spring.. "Brave Decision Mo'Tze'Khan
had to Make; For Water Not Long In Mouth Could Bear - For Fire of Lungs Turned It
Into Thin Air"
..the next fresco is one of three giant ones, depicting the dragon putting his head
inside the spring and half-drowning "Fire of Lungs good Mo'Tze'Khan did end - The
Thirst of Other Soul to End" ..the second of the three depicts the dragon
travelling at night and reaching the poor Ghashyr woman from later and bringing her
water with his mouth as she was dying, and her standing up and hugging him
"Mo'Tze'Khan Thirst of Poor Soul Erased. Though Fire of Langs lacked. Fire of Soul
now Had." the final of all the frescos depicts the Ghashyr turning into a Flame
"Kind Dragon Mo'Tze'Khan. Now Know That Gold Is Cold and Fiery is Only Soul. For
Every Soul is Eternal but Matter is not." in the end the dragon is depicted smiling
with his eyes closed and the flame figure transforming into a small pincher full of
water.
Rysannox wipes the sweat off his head and turns to the Black Drake.. "Phew! And
that, Xefr, is the story of how Saint Mo'Tze'Khan claimed his sainthood and became
the savior of all travellers with his small pincher - always bringing water to lost
souls."

� Reply #43 on: June 10, 2016, 06:39:08 pm �

As Rysannox read out the writing, the two Dragons listened intently. As he
finished, Xefr smiled. "What a lovely story. From greed to kindness, and if I heard
right he also sacrificed his fire breath. He certainly earned his title, if that
story is true. And I suppose that's also why this place was built, to both honor
him and provide shelter or water to travelers. Thank you for telling me that tale,
I hope I can use it to inspire the others of my race to perform such acts of good
more often. For his sake, I hope Mo'Tze'Khan died of natural causes. Now then, is
there anything else of interest here? Or shall we continue our previous
discussion?"
The Energy Dragon's attention was lost once the story was over, and he decided to
explore the Sanctuary, looking for anything that stuck out.

� Reply #44 on: June 11, 2016, 03:21:58 pm �

Rysannox smiles and nods "It is indeed true, since there are records describing his
lack of a fire-breath, as well as his minor health problems regarding that matter.
He died of old age with a smile on his face and many loved ones around him. After
his spiritual transformation he moved to the High Chantry of Gardax where he
learned more about the Eternal Fire; the priesthood sent him on to preach words of
kindness ..but wherever he went, instead of preaching he just helped people
...including teaching two enemy desert tribes to cultivate in the mountains instead
of fighting for an oasis! This is pretty much what the rest of the frescos
describe." he then looks around a bit "There is a catacomb where Fire-Worshippers
hid during the 'Ascend of the Light', though there aren't many things of interest
there ...I guess we can continue our previous discussion, yes."

The Energy Dragon notices a carving in the wall in the shape of a Dragon paw
...roughly his owns' size.

� Reply #45 on: June 11, 2016, 04:24:58 pm �

Xefr smiles, "That's good to hear, and perhaps I may see this catacomb sometime
later, but I wanted to discuss a few more subjects with you. In particular, I wish
to know if there is anything specific you want from my kind in this trade
agreement. And I'd like to know what you meant by Dragons appearing in front of
your kind as a whole. Do you mean to say you wish to keep this agreement a secret
at first? Or do you simply wish to avoid any possible upheaval the existence of
Dragons may cause? If it is the latter, I'm sure your explorer informed you that
there are other species in Iammelon besides Dragons which can facilitate the
accords. Humans in particular look quite similar to your kind."

With a curious expression, the Shard held up his paw to the carving, trying to
confirm the similarities. He also looked around it, looking for any other features
that stuck out.

� Reply #46 on: June 12, 2016, 03:04:56 pm �

Rysannox sighs and crosses his claw-fingers "Yes. I wish to avoid any possible
upheaval the existence of Dragons may cause; ...most educated lords consider both
the ancient dragons, and the new, as just another species -a gifted one for sure-
but a simple species nonetheless ...not all lords share that opinion though, and
most certainly not their subjects; they consider Dragons to be either holy, or
demons, which could cause religious tensions." he then adopts a serene smile "But
if we take this gradually, I believe we will able to make everyone understand and
move on."
He thinks a bit and then makes a disapproving expression "Ah, yes, Humans.. ...no!
While they indeed are fair to our eyes and we at theirs, so far all Humans we have
met were uptight plebeians with a big idea of themselves - I mean, what is it with
their 'Galactic' Empires and Republics and all? ..besides, you may not understand
it, but for many Ghashyr, you Dragons represent our lost planetary brethren ..and I
believe you agree that we all must at some point come into peace with our dark
past."

As he closes his paw towards the carving, it seems as if some form of energy makes
it glow. Near the paw-carving is a small, forgotten fresco, depicting a
tremendously graphic battle between white Ghashyr and red Ghashyr and Dragons.
Beneath the violent battle a vast pile of dragon skeletons and Ghashyr is depicted.
Next to that fesco, a flame figure burning everyone but the dragons is depicted.
Beneath both frescos is a phrase written in the Clawmark writing ..though its
letters seem vastly different from the ones seen before ...and it is actually
clawed on the wall.

� Reply #47 on: June 12, 2016, 05:03:51 pm �

Xefr's expression goes dark, "You're right, I agree with that more then you could
possibly believe..." But then his demeanor returns to normal. "Anyways, I do hope
you're right. If we do it slow, understanding should ease its way into your
society. And while I partially agree with you on humans, you'll find that
Iammelon's humans are of a different nature. Humanity is a varied people, and they
serve under many different banners. Some groups are ambitious, some have
inferiority complexes, and there are some in-between. One way or another however,
you'll have to get used to them. Humans are surprisingly commonplace in this
universe, so if you intend to expand you shall keep meeting more. But, I suppose
that if you do not wish to have humans be involved, there are others. Such as
Watrike or Psions. But either way, I can understand why you would be most
comfortable with Dragons, as unlike humans or others, you have a shared history.
They are less foreign and are a more familiar sight, even if the dragons before you
are of no relation to yours."

The Shard looked at the Frescos with interest, and at the phrase with confusion. He
still couldn't understand this writing, but he got an idea from the pictures. The
Shard's eyes then flashed, and a copy of the phrase was inscribed into his arm, so
he would not forget it. With that done, he moved on, looking back to the paw mark.
The Energy being's paw then materialized, and pressed against the mark.

� Reply #48 on: June 13, 2016, 10:20:01 am �

Rysannox looks at the black drake before him, wishing inside him that their species
could once again co-exist ..he speaks to Xefr ina calm friendly voice "More than
you can imagine, Xefr.. ..Dragons are as much a part of as, as Shyr is. I'm glad
that one of the new dragons, like you, can understand." He immediately shakes his
head, considering he was lost in thoughts and ignored the more earthly duties of
his.. "Anyway, you asked if we require something in particular of our trade
agreement as an Empire. I must say that what we require the most is assistance in
our mining facilities ...as well as new cultivations for our farms, and machinery
for our factories. ...As for common goods, like in example; spice, I suggest we let
them flow freely through the trade route."

As the energy dragon presses the carving with his paw, the wall starts illuminating
various symbols in a luminescent blue light. A second paw appears in the wall, this
time composed of energy ..probably similar technology to a hologram.

� Reply #49 on: June 13, 2016, 08:18:26 pm �

Xefr smiles, his own tone becoming friendly, "Those wouldn't a problem at all.
There are many groups in Iammelon, and some specialize in exactly what you need.
And have no worries, free trade is one of Iammelon's core principles. My land would
buy anything you could sell to us, provided that it is of good quality of course,
though I doubt that such a technicality will be a concern for your nation. Though,
as with all markets, make sure you limit purchasing from Iammelon until you get a
good picture of everything. We wouldn't want you to accidentally get swindled.
Then again, I shouldn't be talking, I know incredibly little of commerce. That is
handled by another of my comrades, the Gatherer Shard."

The Shard stepped back, surprised by the symbols. But after taking in the sights
for a short while, his gaze fell upon the new paw. He was confident, and curious,
so he materialized his other paw. With his new physical appendage, he thrust
against the hologram-like image.

� Reply #50 on: June 14, 2016, 06:45:11 am �

Rysannox seems joyful to the bone, and he makes a slight bow with his head to the
big black drake "This is wonderful! I see a bright future between our lands, and
you are always welcome to suggest anything that crosses your mind ...especially
regarding the relations of our species." He then grasps the opportunity to ask Xefr
soemthing that had been on his mind quite a while now.. "But, before you do, I have
something to ask of you Xefr ...you're kind, soft-spoken and friendly. Would it
be too much to ask of you Xefr, when the time comes, to be the one that the Ghashyr
masses meet first? We will of course inform the people about the fact that you are
not related to the old Dragons and that it just so happens -as with Ghashyroids,
like humans- that dragons developed elsewhere as well."

As he pressed the second paw the giant tiles beneath him started to descent fast
inside a clear cut rectangle, while new tiles immediately closed the entrance on
the top ..the only light came from the various symbols on his left-and right. The
'elevator' suddenly stops; infront of him there is a big room (big for a dragon),
the tiles of the room compose a giant painting depicting two dragons, a male and
female, holding a black egg - on the egg's tile there is a dragon size helmet, made
from dragon-bones ...the walls of the room have white dragons in a snow
environment on the left, red dragons in a volcanic environment on the right, and
black dragons in space in the front wall.

� Reply #51 on: June 14, 2016, 02:50:33 pm �

Xefr seems surprised at first, and then closes his eyes. After a moment of thought,
his yellow eyes open once more. His voice is fairly neutral, though there is a hint
of joy, "Well, I thank you for the compliments. And... I suppose that when the time
comes and I am available, I can be the one to meet your people. If my own people
agree that is, but I doubt they will mind too much. It would be an honor, and I
simply hope I will not disappoint. Let's hope that understanding will bloom, and
our peoples can both get along. I'm certain both of our leaders will agree."

The Shard was stunned at first, as he was not expecting the sudden trip. But then,
he took in his surroundings, and curiosity took over. He stepped forward, and
picked up the bone helmet with his two paws. He then materialized the top of his
head, and held the helmet over. But before put it on, he moved it in front of his
eyes so he could look more closely at it, and even glanced behind him to see if
there any more pictures on the back-wall.

� Reply #52 on: June 16, 2016, 05:32:49 pm �

Rysannox would squee if his stature allowed him to do so, instead he extends his
hand towards the old dragon.. "From your mouth to Azgor Tal's ear, Xefr! And I'm
sure you will not dissapoint. ...to a peaceful coexistence!" Captain Erixen seems
rather apathetic on the other hand, as he drinks some liquid from his military
flask.

As the shard touches the helmet a ghostly voice rings in his mind {{"K'tzah
Xa'Comal Sshir?"}} and a strong headache soon follows. The helmet seems to be
enchanted with some form of azure energy from the inside ...a mechanism perhaps
from the ancient days.
As he turns back to view the back-wall he can see one of the most macabre and gory
depictions of art on Shyr; Dragons maiming other dragons, Ghashyr ripping other
Ghashyrs' body-parts, Dragons devouring Ghashyr and Ghashyr eating live dragons
like pack animals. Skeletons and devoured corpses of both species. All covered in
flames while a dark half-Ghashyr and half-dragon figure standing in distance
watching with four dark guardians, two dragons and two Ghashyr of each sex
...another Clawmark writing, similar to the one before appears above the wall-
painting.
The voice asks again {{"K'tzah Xa'Comal Sshir?"}} and an even more painful headache
follows.

� Reply #53 on: June 16, 2016, 09:56:19 pm �

Xefr seems a bit confused at first by the Ghashyr's actions, but then snaps back to
reality and extends a claw for Rysannox to shake. When he does, Xefr responds, "To
a peaceful coexistence!" The Black Dragon has a beaming smile on his face now, but
he notices Erixen in the corner of his eye, somewhat perplexed by his seeming
apathy.

Unfortunately, the Shard couldn't appreciate the art behind him due to the
headache, which consumed his attention. He hastily put the helmet back down and
took a step back. Then, he became angry. Overcoming his pain, he targets the bone
helmet with his telepathy. His voice is furious, but strained due to the headache,
"H... Hey! Stop that you pile of old bones! It hurts... I don't understand what
you're saying, but I haven't done anything to you yet!"

� Reply #54 on: June 18, 2016, 05:19:39 am �

Erixen notices the two happy negotiators shaking hand-claw and paw, Rysannox
bearing the most satisfied smile he could bear. The captain, being interested to
learn what happened he closes up to them, bowing his head a little to Rysannox..
"Ehm, have you my Lords finished talking about the frescos? Pardon me, but I see
you both seem glad ..so if you want, we could share this fine Achjaal!"
Rysannox sighed and responded calmly, yet in a dissapointed tone, to his captain
"Lord Erixen, I'd expect an explorer like you would show more interest when a
living-breathing Dragon stand only a few meters away.. ..nevertheless, it seems
like a good idea, but I shall have only a little; I'm not that much of a drinker."
..he turns to Xefr, in amore respectful tone "Shall we drink an unch to celebrate
this outcome?"

As the shard uses his telepathic powers. His eyes black out and a blurry dragon
figure made of stardust, fire and ice appears in the darkness, his voice is near-
deafening.. {{"KHA? ATZ QO'SS? RAGA'SSAN!"}} the poor shard then regains his
vision, the helmet remains on the ground, as if he never touched it.

� Reply #55 on: June 18, 2016, 11:48:56 am �

Xefr's tone is reluctant, "Hm, I'm not a drinker myself, but I suppose that if you
insist I can have a bit. Not too much though, my mind must remain clear. Then
again, I doubt you have enough of this Achjaal on-hand to intoxicate a Dragon,
because that would be a cause for worry... But enough of that, I suppose it's time
we all celebrated." The Dragon looks around a bit, and suddenly seems both confused
and worried. "Wait, where has the technology Shard gotten off to?"

--

After regaining his eyesight, he stood stunned for a few seconds. But then, the
Shard's eyes light up in fury, and the headaches didn't seem to matter anymore. He
had to restrain himself from smashing the helmet of bones to bits, and instead just
walked around it, mumbling. "Damn spirits, always acting like this... Never giving
a me a break..." Now ignoring the hated helmet, he searched for any other notable
features in the large room.

� Reply #56 on: June 20, 2016, 01:16:08 pm �

Rysannox was about to sip some Achjaal from the flask when Xefr asked about his
shard "Your shard? I haven't seen your friend, good Xefr. I'm sure he is in no
danger. There's only old rocks and ancient art in this place ...and lots of sand!"
Erixen lights what seems to be shredded leaves of a plant rolled in a paper and
inhales the smoke "Hmmm *cough-cough* I wouldn't be so sure my Lord. There's so
much about the ancient Fire sanctuaries we don't know. The Church of Light erased a
lot of the mentions to darkness and its importance in the ancient fire religion
from our society."
Rysannox seems confused by his captain's knoweledge.. "And where would you know
that Lord Erixen?"
The captain extends his hands and adopts a satisfied smile "My wife's folks are
Avalvalxes, cousins to the Valxaryens ...they're Draconians."

The room doesn't appear to bear anything other than the artwork in the walls and
the helmet. Someone could perhaps notice how well-cut the stonework is, as if cut
by laser, completely unlike the rest of the temple ..it also seems that the stones
of the wall depicting the space dragons are floatin one cm from each other ...held
by some kind of force.
In the space background depicting the dragons one can notice six stars standing out
...one is close to where Shyr is, the other seems to be peculiarly close to Heord.
In the center of the Galaxy stands a star bigger than all other five, covered in
flames - all five dragons seem to fly from there to the rest of the stars.
� Reply #57 on: June 20, 2016, 04:10:30 pm �
Xefr's head turns to face Erixen. With his curious voice, he speaks, "Really now?
You must know some interesting things about this place then, which makes me the
only one here who knows nothing. I welcome that, for such a thing has not happened
in so very long. Ignorance truly does carry a sense of bliss, but I don't intend to
stay that way." He closes his eyes, and lets out a sigh of relief, "Thankfully, I
can feel no disturbance, and the Shard hasn't called out, so I doubt anything bad
has happened. Besides, he is no archaeologist, and your kind have been around these
parts for much longer. I'm certain that if there was any sort of big discovery to
be made, your own people would have made it long ago... Now then, is there anymore
you can share with us captain? I'm interested in these Avalvalxes fellows."

--

The Shard wasn't really sure, but he felt that he had made a big discovery. The
stars in particular interested him, especially the one so close to his home-world.
The similarities between these Ghashyr Valxes and Golden Dragons were strange
indeed, yet this art somehow offered an explanation of sorts. He wondered, "Is
there some sort of connection here? And what about that star in the center?" He
shook his head a bit. Those were questions for another time. His eyes flashed, and
a mental copy of the art was imprinted into his memories, so that he could project
it anywhere he pleased. The Shard then turned around, and with a snort made another
quick check of the room. He was anxious to return to the Essentials shard, for he
would be interested. And maybe the Ghashyr too. Yet, that central, larger star was
the biggest thing on his mind. Perhaps... It held the answer. The answer the
entirety of Xefr had been searching for... If so, he would finally get the
recognition he deserved!

� Reply #58 on: June 21, 2016, 04:33:12 pm �

Erixen laughs and he adopts a humorous suggestive tone "Of course... Heh, I was
interested as well in Avalvaxes, but for different reasons!" he then gets into a
more serious mood and continues, dedicated to the narration "My wife's uncle got
really drunk one night and he started talking about how the old priests preached
about the necessity of Darkness. But after the Ascend of Light the Light Church
erased all mentions to the 'Darkness' and portrayed it as demonic and evil, even
forced the priesthood to reform having the Light-Believers morals in mind ...it
just so happened though that the High Priesthood never abandoned the old dogmas and
guess who the High Priesthood had as temple guardians? ...the distant, minor
relatives of House Valxaryen; the Avalvalxes, my wife's kin! Anyway, my wife's
uncle then said something about the dark relics, which were supposedly divine,
older than Ghashyr and Valxes, and contained unknown powers. No one really knew
what their purpose was, but some say they drove people mad and that they were
hidden in places of divinity." Erixen continues smoking while looking at one of the
the frescos depicting the brown Dragon Saint "To be honest though, it sounds like a
myth to me..."

--

As the shard looked upon the large star in the middle, it seemed to him as if it
drew him closer. For the split of a second a young female black dragon appeared
followed by Ghashyr, wearing the helmet while screeching in agony in that very
room. Ghosts perhaps? This place certainly isn't normal.

� Reply #59 on: June 21, 2016, 10:40:44 pm �

Xefr's expression turns serious, and his tone mirrors that, "But be careful, myths
always are rooted in truth, for how else would they form than from simple
misinterpretations, or fact?" The Black Drake then resumes his joyful demeanor, and
his tone returns to the normal calm, "Anyways, these artifacts intrigue me. If they
are real, then I would love to see one. Yet, I must agree with you captain, they do
sound somewhat out there. But, are you trying to say that some of these dangerous,
dark artifacts may be hidden in this sanctuary somewhere? It would make sense, as
your priests out there mentioned something about Dragon divinity, and that could
connect to these dragon saints of old... Regardless, I believe it best not to
worry. The Shard can handle himself, and he'll make sure to call for help if he
needs it. I have more experience than you may believe in pacifying things of
darkness."

--

The Shard jumped back at the phantom image. He did not do well around ghosts, and
that scene in particular disturbed him. That was something he would not mention to
the Essentials Shard, it could bring back some... unwanted memories. With a final
look of contempt at the helmet on the floor, he walked back over to the elevator-
like area, and tried to see if he could make it go back up. He needed to share his
discoveries, because they made little sense to him.

� Reply #60 on: June 22, 2016, 07:43:34 am �

The captain nods in agreement, with a slightly ambitious gleampse in his eyes
worthy of a true explorer.. "Perhaps ...all of it could be true! And while old
Saint Dragons were not considered divine back then, they were venerated as Gods
later. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a hidden crypt somewhere in here even!"
Rysannox interrupts him and talks to Xefr "That would be a magnificent
discovery ..but wouldn't thousands of generations already found such relics?"

Back in the crypt...

In the elevator he could see the illuminating paw from before, perhaps if he
pressed it, he could(he can) make it move back up. Suddenly he felt a slight chill
behind him, as if someone was standing behind him watching, suddenly mixed ghostly
voices could be heard in the darkness "She can't" - "The only way" - "No, she's
very young" - "She's the last" as if from a memory..
Spoiler: Inside the shard's mind the form of the young female dragon formed again

� Reply #61 on: June 22, 2016, 01:24:21 pm �

Xefr tilts his head to the side a bit, with an uncertain look in his eyes. His
voice is contemplative, "I'm not so sure about that, considering what the captain
said. I believe that since these artifacts were hidden because they were dangerous,
they would be hidden well. And since that Church censored the knowledge of the
Darkness, it's unlikely the exact method for finding them would still be known.
Only those Avalvaxes fellows and any like them could really know, and I doubt the
Guardians would reveal that kind of information easily. Or perhaps, they don't
know, but may be some of the only ones who can find the artifacts, if they are
protected by any sort of strange mechanism. That's all I can think of really, and
it's still possible that these artifacts simply do not exist."

--

Turning around in panic at the voices and image, the Shard forgot about escape and
simply yelled out into the tomb, scared and confused. "Alright, you damnable
phantoms! Who is that!? What do you want from me?! What is going on!?" In his
panic, the Shard had completely dematerialized, and his fully energetic form
shivered as it waited for a response.

� Reply #62 on: June 24, 2016, 05:13:17 pm �

The captain laughs a bit.. "Hehehe! My wife Edvhyna loves me, but her kin that
would know of such things think of me as the infidel that stole their flower
...besides, thousands of years have passed ever since the Avalvalxes were temple
guardians; Edvhy's uncle only mentioned it as some form of secret ancient legend of
the family."
Rysannox strokes his beard, looking skeptical while trying to think .. "Also,
perhaps such artifacts were not supposed to be found ..probably so many
generations of priests deemed the world not ready for them to be found. I doubt
they were wrong, and I doubt they would be wrong now, or ever ..but I will
organise some search parties in the few remaining ancient fire-temples and
sanctuaries like this one. Even if they don't find the artifacts, they could at
least clean up such places and revitalise them."

--

After the poor shard panicked, absolute silence overwhelmed the dark room; no
voices, no visions, nothing. For a few seconds not even the smallest breeze could
be heard.
Suddenly in the pitch-black veil of darkness two yellow reptilian eyes opened from
affar, looking directly at the shard... "I. AM. THE PASSHT.." The shard's eyes
blackened and fast visions of a world in flames appeared in his mind, then small
and large winged figures battling each other in the center of the universe. A
tremendous explosion and then absolute darkness.
The shard regains his vision, the eyes disappear and the small breeze can be heard
again.

� Reply #63 on: June 24, 2016, 06:49:07 pm �

Xefr sighs, "Well, that's a shame. I suppose it has been quite some time, so I
shouldn't have expected anything. But I do hope you hear more eventually, I find
this subject quite interesting. And that is probably the best course of action.
Better to know for certain, than to let it dwell in the back of our minds. If these
artifacts are as dangerous as they sound, it's better they do not fall into the
hands of reckless explorers who stumble upon them by accident or those with clear,
devious intent. Besides, that cleaning up does sound nice. It's important to
respect the past whenever possible."

--

Upon regaining his vision, the Shard was certain of his next course of action;
panic and get as far from this "past" as possible within the next few minutes. He
leaped back onto the elevator and mashed the illumination with his materialized paw
repeatedly, his eyes focused on it and determined to not look back into the dark
room. He wanted out, damn it!

� Reply #64 on: June 25, 2016, 07:47:34 pm �

Rysannox bows while smiling "Wise words, Xefr my friend! The past should always be
respected, for it is part of what makes us what we are now. It is a petty though
that you will leave ..you could stay here; with your enthusiasm and ideals you
would make a fine archeologist if you studied the ancient cultures a bit.."
The captain, slightly more down-to-earth than his liege, rolls his eyes and just
nods.

--

The mechanism seemed to take its time after all those years of neglect. The voices
started being heard again in the shard's head, as if two childish dragons wanted to
play with him {{why leave so soon?}} *ghostly giggles* {{we can have FUN!
hahahAHAHA}} ...a black dragon materialised right behind him, his giant head about
to bite the shard, when suddenly the elevators doors closed and it started rising
up, leaving him on the main floor of the temple where Xefr and Rysannox were.

� Reply #65 on: June 25, 2016, 09:39:58 pm �

Xefr grinned, though his voice hinted regret, "Ah, I would like to stay as well,
your culture is certainly quite interesting. And I'm sure that after spending some
time here, I could learn much. But alas, my purpose lies beyond here, and I must
pursue it, as unrealistic as it may be. Now then..." The Black Dragon was then cut
off by the sound of running and yelling.

--

The Shard jumped right out of the elevator as soon it stopped moving. He then just
ran, trying to put as much distance between himself and that chamber as possible.
As he did this, he just screamed in terror. He ran straight back into the main
room, ramming into Xefr as he went. With that, it seemed that he finally thought
himself safe, and started bashing his tail against the ground in rage. His voice
rang out, aimed at nobody in particular, "Every single time! Every single ghost,
apparition, and phantom always finds me!! Why!?! Why do they always pick on me!? Is
it because of my scales? Because I'm not good enough!? I never asked for any of
this!" The material Black Dragon merely looked on in his own state of panic, unsure
of what to do.

� Reply #66 on: June 25, 2016, 10:57:18 pm �

Both Rysannox and Erixen seem confused and uncertain of what happened. Lord
Rysannox approached the shard and he tried talking to him in a soft voice to calm
him down a bit.. "You're safe here. Whatever you saw was probably mind tricks
...What do you mean ghosts?" he then turns to Xefr "He seems to be in shock.."
Erixen approaches the shard as well "Just like the warrior guy.. seems Shyr isn't
good for dragon shards" he tries to pat the shard, unaware of the fact that he
isn't materialised.

� Reply #67 on: June 26, 2016, 12:00:48 am �

Xefr regained his composure, "Yes... It does seem that way. I'm not sure what could
have done that however..." The Black Dragon's head then turned to look on the
Shard, eyes filled with concern, "Don't worry Tech, you're safe. Just tell us what
you saw... Then we can send you back to the ship and everything will be fine... Put
yourself back together, like you always do, and tell us."

The Shard had calmed down a bit, and while Erixen's pat phased straight through him
it still seemed to help comfort him. He was still quivering, but he had stopped
smashing the floor by now. Then, he regained his confidence, stopped shivering, and
spoke up. "Al... Alright... I was exploring, and I found some... panel? I don't
know, there was a paw, I touched it and it did some stuff... Like it showed this
writing..." Using the copied version on his arm, he projected a almost holographic
version of the clawmark writing onto a nearby wall. "And then, it was an
elevator... Before I knew it, I was down in a dark room, filled with a paintings
and a helmet made of bones... I don't want to talk about it, but there was also
this art..." With that, he also projected a copy of the Artwork concerning the 6
stars and the dragons. He then stopped speaking, going back to quivering at the
thought of what happened next. "Bloody Visions... Spirits telling me what to do...
Why... Me...?"

Xefr then began to pat the Shard's back, somehow making contact, "No more worries,
Shard. We have enough of that already... The spirits won't be giving you any more
orders. They'll have to go through me first."

� Reply #68 on: June 27, 2016, 06:34:25 pm �

Erixen brought his sword out and walked towards were the shard came from to see if
anything was still there, finding nothing, but still standing guard "It's clear
Lord Shard, you may relax, I'll stand guard!".
Rysannox, already perplexed by the new information, stood in shock as soon as the
shard spoke of the "Bone Helmet" and showed him the image of the "Six Dragonstars".
He gulped and in a shaky voice he tried to explain what was just revealed to him..
"What you saw, the place in which you have been ...is greater than any dark relic.
Greater than anything discovered so far. You stood before the mythic "Great Recall"
and the "Helm of Memory" ...I've only heard of it as a child in Urvan folklore
songs. It is as if you just found Ayra's wings and Bow ..amazing, just..
unbelievable." He then noticed the clawmarks and looked at Xefr in confusion..
"These clawmarks are not standard clawmark writing.. ..no, they're older than the
Gardax Dynasty, older even than the Saint that this sanctuary was build for.. ..I
can recognise a few old Draconic words; 'ATZ' means 'time' ..hmmm, yes.. 'RATI'
means 'am' though it could mean 'were' as well.. 'JOQHAN' it means 'lived' and
'KHA' must mean 'who'" he looks at the shar then back at Xefr "...perhaps a Dragon
could be more successful. This is unbelievable ...madness!"

Xefr after seeing the clawmarks can hear a very soft dragon's voice, softer than a
feather touching velvet, ringing once inside his head.. "kha rati qoal tlass atz
qoal joqhan?"

� Reply #69 on: June 27, 2016, 07:43:13 pm �

The Shard seemed reassured by Erixen's actions, and stopped quivering. However, he
remained silent, thinking more on what happened. In particular, he placed his
thoughts on the image of the female dragon, trying to figure out what it meant.

Xefr walked closer to the images, looking carefully at them. "Hm, this star in
particular is somewhat close to Heord... Strange." Xefr pointed a claw at the star
in question, and then turned back to Rysannox. "Are you saying we found ancient
artifacts of your draconian religion? Interesting... This begs the question, if the
shard was able to find these, does that mean more is hidden here?" The Dragon
pauses for a second, then continues in a more curious voice, "I wonder... Maybe if
I look at this text as I would ancient Heord writing..." Xefr then looked down the
writing, trying to use his knowledge of ancient Heordal transcript to see if he
could make any sense of it himself.

Xefr was somewhat confused by the voice, but attempted to use psionics to respond,
"I'm afraid that I cannot fully understand you, but my name is Xefr. If you can, I
would like help in understanding both you and this writing."

� Reply #70 on: June 29, 2016, 06:49:15 pm �

Rysannox's eyes are filled with curiosity and ambition for this new turn of events,
his tone is extremelly joyful and somewhat in contrast with the shocked shard
standing next to him. "It seems like an ancient star map ..look at the various
constellations! ...this star definitely is Taurgha! ..even though a tad bit to the
left. I bet my position as echopalad that the other star is Heord's!" knowing that
he overdid it a little, he cleared his throat and continued in a more serious
manner.. "Yes, perhaps there are more ...things that only dragons could discover."
Erixen still looks worried about the shard and what he saw, he extends his hand to
give him a cigar "Smoke?"

As Xefr focuses on the clawmarks, he can notice similarities ..perhaps the

remaining unknown words could mean something - no; they definitely mean something
even in ancient Heord writing! However they seem quite different in many ways ..as
if they were older and alien. As he focuses psionically into what he heard, the
clawmarks start shaping, forming patterns in his mind, revealing a small peculiar
question in a language belonging to the Draconic linguistic family; "kha rati qoal
tlass atz qoal joqhan?"/"Who were you last time you lived?"

� Reply #71 on: June 29, 2016, 09:51:06 pm �

Xefr's gaze remained on the writing, but he responded to Rysannox regardless,
"Perhaps... I suppose that if your Talmyr allows it, other dragons could
investigate other sanctuaries and similar sites, in an attempt to discover the
secrets they may hold. This mystery in particular would certainly interest my kind,
and I would lying if I said that I don't want to learn more. And this text... It's
surprisingly familiar. It bears similarites to ancient Heordal transcript."

The Shard gave a weak smile, and shakes his head. "Thank you for the kind offer,
but I don't smoke. This old mind and body don't exactly react positively to such
things, you know? Well, I suppose body is the wrong word..."

Despite now understanding the question, the Black Drake was still perplexed. It
didn't make any sense to him, but now that he saw some similarities, he wanted to
try something. He reached out to the voice psionically once more, this time
speaking in the ancient Heordal dialect, "I am Xefr, I know no life before that. Or
perhaps I once did, but such knowledge or memories are lost to me." Xefr then
waited, to see if his words triggered any sort of response.

� Reply #72 on: July 01, 2016, 02:42:45 pm �

Rysannox made a small clap with his hands, his facial expression being dominated by
a wide smile.. "Oh, I'm sure she would, her Greatness is a Draconian after
all ...and as you can see, even some Light-Believers are interested and would like
to know more about our..." his head bows a little and the middle-aged steward of
the empire loses his smile.. "...our lost planetary brothers. Perhaps there is a
connection we have overlooked between Heord and Shyr and the other stars..."

Erixen laughs a bit and smokes the cigar himself.. "Aetherial or not, I'd never
stop smoking, or drinking my achjaal! Speaking of.. what are you exactly?"

The black drake's answer triggered no response. However Xefr can feel an unatural
and cold breeze running over his scales; He can sense a heavy psionic trail from
where his shard came.. uncomprehensible voices trying to lure him there.

� Reply #73 on: July 01, 2016, 08:10:20 pm �

Xefr turns back to Rysannox, with a smile on his face, "I would certainly like to
meet her, if it ever becomes possible of course. But you are not alone. I too am
interested in pursuing this connection, and I know at least a few of my kind shall
think the same. I would suggest a joint effort, to investigate these other stars,
once we're finished here."

The Shard's smile stabilizes, as his thoughts focus less on his recent experience,
"Heh, that's simple. I am a Xefr Shard, but to be more specific, I am a collection
of psionic energy and scattered memories brought together and given life. Like a
piece of a soul, I suppose."

Xefr snorted at the feeling, and spoke to Rysannox, "And I believe the best way to
continue is to take a look at the real deal. I want to see this Helm of Memory for
myself, and see if these spirits are open to talking. Though I don't believe it
would be best to bring the Shard along..." The Dragon then makes a quick glance
back at the Shard.

� Reply #74 on: July 02, 2016, 07:36:15 pm �

Rysannox nods joyfuly as he grabs the arsaz sword hanging from his belt.. "I agree
Xefr, 'Drax, nur Lax' as our ancestors said! I will come with you in there and
whatever this place hids we will uncover for knoweledge and the safety of future
generations.." he suddenly turns to Erixen, speaking in am ore strict tone "Lord
Erixen, take care of the Shard as we uncover this mystery". Erixen bumps his fist
on his chest and bows his head in agreement...

As the Ghashyr steward and the black drake go forth, the captain brings back in his
mind the Shard's words; he seems perplexed by the shard's earlier explanation, yet
he doesn't seem to be shocked... "So you're part of that black living-and-breathing
dragon's self? I won't even ask how that came to be ..but you sure seem to
approach things differently, even though you're, ehm ..supposedly the same
person."

� Reply #75 on: July 02, 2016, 09:21:35 pm �

The Black Dragon, with Rysannox in tow, follows the Psionic trail back to where the
Shard found the illuminated paw. And remembering what was said, Xefr pressed his
own paw against it, attempting to activate the elevator and bring it down to the
chamber below.

The Shard chuckled, "Well, there's another logical reason for that. That living-
and-breathing dragon you see... he's also a shard, like me. The real Xefr doesn't
exist anymore, all the pieces of his mind and soul scattered in a great event,
culminating in the creation of seven shards. That Shard, named Essentials, was
merely chosen as the one to inhabit the body, for he possesses the knowledge to eat
and breathe. For the body was not affected and is still in full order, so it's
quite important that he is in control of it for it to stay that way. We just call
him Xefr for simplicity's sake, and to avoid early confusion."
The Energy Dragon then paused for a moment, and looked upon his incorporeal claw.
With a sigh, he continued. "Though sometimes, I wish I could be part of that body
again, even if the results were disastrous... Anyways, it makes sense that all of
us Shards are quite different, as we are all made up of different memories. Each of
our conceived experiences made us different in personality, but we are all still
Xefr, albeit pieces of him. That's why the Guardian Shard introduced himself as
such, back aboard our ship. Well, my ship, since I was the one who built it... Or
at least I remember doing that..."

� Reply #76 on: July 03, 2016, 06:43:19 pm �

As Xefr presses the pawmark he can feel a strongpsionic aura surrounding him, an
aura stronger than any other he had felt in recent years. The elevator descents and
the two reach the dark chamber covered in the peculiar and macabre artwork
..Rysannox gasps at the sight and nearly loses his balance "It ..it can't be
...all censors indicated that there was nothing but solid ground beneath the
sanctuary! This is the archeological discovery of the millenium!" The psionic aura
is now stronger than ever, Xefr can hear a dragon ghost laughing and cheering at
his presence, though the sounds turn quickly into threatening roars and hisses;
mixed with the cheering they produce a rather scary outcome ..even for an ancient
black dragon like Xefr.
For a few seconds he can see past occurences that happened in this room, a young
black female dragon in agony wearing the helm and being held down by Ghashyr, then
shortly a group of dragons in different colours in a circle and lastly five white
balls.
A more clear voice seems to come from the giant dragonbone helmet in an an ancient
incomprehensible draconic language that however translates within the drake's
mind.. "APPROACH CHILD!"

Back in the surface Erixen seems to be drooling and looking at the shard clueless,
not really understanding what the shard just said.. "Are you sure you didn't drink
my achjaal while I wasn't looking? Anyway ..all this seems too stretched, but I've
seen a lot of things that beat imagination ..I guess this is one of them." he sits
down on the floor and places his back on the fresco "You said you're all parts of
the same drake, yet you're different dragon-person-shards. Say, what if you wanted
to live alone, on your own as the person you are? ...could that happen? And what
would happen if you were given the chance to unite into a single body alltogether
again?"

� Reply #77 on: July 03, 2016, 11:22:12 pm �

Unlike the Shard, Xefr felt no fear. The aura brought him no sense of dismay, only
anticipation. He made a quick glance around the room, and while the artwork
interested him, his attention quickly became focused on the helmet of bones. He saw
it simply sitting there on the floor, the source of the Shard's fear, the source of
the voice, and possibly the final piece to the puzzle. He snorted, and then stepped
forward towards the helm.
But then, only a few feet from the ghastly helmet, he hesitated, and his head
turned back to Rysannox, "You called this object a Helm of Memory... Do your
stories mention what kind of memories it holds? And do you know what would
happen... if I were to don it?" But while the Black Dragon awaited a response, he
knew whatever Rysannox said didn't matter in the end; as his mind was already made
up.

The Shard was all too happy to talk more about himself and things he understood,
beginning to forget what had recently transpired. "That's an interesting idea, and
the answer is yes. Not the stealing of your achjaal I mean, but what comes next.
Yes, I could live alone, go off and make a new life, become somebody other than
Xefr. But, I do not wish that. Not only would it be awkward, as there is much of
normal life which I simply do not have knowledge of, but I couldn't abandon the
rest of Xefr. The Shards are practically my family, I need them as much as they
need me. They understand me, for good reason of course, and I would simply feel
incomplete without their presence. But in regards to your second question..." He
sighed, and then joined Erixen on the floor.
"In truth, the Shards could unite into a single body once more. All we would need
is to gather in the same place at the same time, and slowly the pieces of the
puzzle would naturally come together. But the real problem, is in staying together.
The Xefr that would be created wouldn't be in any better condition than the one
which shattered in the first place, and it would simply happen again. We got lucky
last time, with this generation of Shards coming together quite neatly. After-all,
I was made made this time around!" The Shard's voice then breaks into a mumble,
"And this time only one corrupted was forged..."

� Reply #78 on: July 04, 2016, 09:45:08 am �

Rysannox remained stunned, looking at the gigantic -for a Ghashyr- painting of the
space dragons. He soon turned back and responded to Xefr in an uncertain tone "I
sencerely do not know ...this is beyond anything I've studied. The only legends
mentioning the Helm of Memory, describe it as a relic of dragons that was part of a
mysticist Draconic ritual ..long before Dragons met and lived among Ghashyr. It
was hinted in the Tablet of Shyncor that the knoweledge it contains turned many
weak-minded dragons mad, and only chosen ones could grasp its power."
The helm produces a strong vibing noise that increases as Xefr comes closer to it..
the voice returns, again speaking in the ancient Draconic language that translates
itself.. "CHILD, WHY DO YOU HESITATE?"
Two young dragons' ghostly voices can suddenly be heard talking to each other
around Xefr.. "Perhaps he's less of a lizard and more of a chicken!" - "And he
talks to his food too!", "Perhaps he prefers to play with us!" - "Ooooh! A Black
Royal playing with a lowly red and green drake? Hah!" - "The last Black one
played!" - "Yes! The last one was a cheater!" - "YESSS, she got what she deserved.
HATE CHEATERSSS! *HISS*"

Erixen smiles and nods "I understand why you don't want to leave the other
shards ..we don't choose our family and they aren't always the best, but we cannot
do without them. I know I couldn't. ...Anyhow this thing you said, 'Corrupted',
what do you mean? ..and why was Xefr shattered in the first place?" he smokes his
cigar intensely, being intrigued to listen to the shard's answer.

� Reply #79 on: July 04, 2016, 01:39:08 pm �

Xefr's gaze returned to the helmet, and then he snorted. "Knowledge with the chance
of insanity? Well... I've been called mad before, and I doubt any would grieve over
my passing. No more waiting, let's see how this Helm fares with a Golden Dragon!"
The Dragon's eyes then flashed, picking up the helmet with his mind. In a swift
movement, he placed it atop his head, and braced himself for the worst.
The Shard sighed, "To understand the Forbidden, you must understand why Xefr
shattered. You see, Xefr, the true Xefr I mean, was quite old. Little more than a
quarter of a million years. He traveled across Galaxies, and with his lifespan he
saw much. But let me tell you, immortality may sound nice, but it causes nothing
but trouble. For without the burden of age, eventually you see too much. In time,
Xefr acquired knowledge of all kinds, memories of so many events and people, yet
not all of it was good. Xefr went through tragedy after tragedy, slowly but surely
becoming traumatized by what he saw happen to himself and others, to people he made
met and befriended. Every miracle was overshadowed by a dozen displays of grief,
every memory of joy had to compete with memories of fear and pain. That weighed
heavily upon him, and eventually his mind simply couldn't bear it any longer. So,
in an attempt to remain sane, it shattered. It broke into smaller, more manageable
pieces, the Shards. Until it becomes possible to reunite and create a Xefr who
could handle his past, the Shards shall remain separate. That is why Dragons are
not gods, but our minds are as vulnerable and fragile as any other mortal." Then
the Shard paused, hesitating to continue.
"...But I suppose that system still isn't perfect. For, there is the Forbidden
Shard. Ever heard the phrase, 'We all have our inner demons'? Well, Xefr's demons
have found a way to express themselves... In the form of a corrupted shard. That
Shard may be similar to me, but he is not my brother. I do not wish to speak of
him, but I will tell you this... He is deceptive. He is greedy. He is evil. He is a
perfect example of how all creatures must control their dark-side, lest it
transform them into something horrible."

� Reply #80 on: July 04, 2016, 04:57:48 pm �

As soon as Xefr places the helm on his head everything blacks out and now he floats
in space, beneath him he can see the entire galaxy, while infront of him a gigantic
luminescent dragon stands holding a white sphere that seems to be the galactic
core. He directs his white eyes towards Xefr and talks to him in an imposing
otherworldy voice {{"A DARK QOATL OF ZHE'ORAT IN SSI'HAR! So our cause continues.
So our hope remains. ...I am the Scion; raise your querry child."}}
Spoiler: The Scion (hover to show)
The words he show earlier in the clawmarks repeat inside Xefr's head as if
triggered by the aetherial dragon's presence.

Erixen remains stunned with his mouth wide open and his eyes even more wide,
somewhat shocked by all these information. He shakes his head and tries to mumble a
few words "I ..I really didn't know of the powers of dragons. Yet you are right,
we all are mortals and have our inner demons. I hope that one day Xefr, all of him,
may find peace and unite. ...I know about traumas first-hand."

� Reply #81 on: July 04, 2016, 05:39:57 pm �

Xefr was stunned, he didn't understand what was happening or what to say. But he
was not afraid. He was sure the voices had some purpose. After a moment of silence,
the Black Dragon confidently spoke up, "Alright then Scion, tell me who Xefr was
the last time he lived."

The Shard seemed content, "Thank you, that's my hope as well. It won't be easy, yet
I'm sure it will come to be. But... Are you willing to tell me what you know of
trauma?"

� Reply #82 on: July 04, 2016, 05:51:06 pm �

"You were Qoatl as I was. You were V'oss as I was."

The luminescent dragon breathes millions of tiny stars and suddenly the galaxy
transforms into another one, similar to the known galaxy but different.
"You may wonder why your kind is so powerful in mind and body, blessed by powers
and longevity that many would crave. It is no mere chance, but our collective
legacy that we entrusted on you, so you, our sons and daughters, may succeed were
we failed. You are the scion of an ancient civilisation and species, older than the
dimension we created and you were born in."

Ancient dragons flying in the galaxy and bearing various relics can be seen. Then a
gigantic planet, with cities and many dragons on it.
"The species you in your native tongue may call Dragons, were once called the
Qoatl, a species old as the stars fron a Galaxy and dimension that no longer
exists. You may not understand it now, but you contain within your very soul and
mind the evolutionary process of billions of years."

Suddenly blurry winged humanoid figures can be seen in the distance flying in
millions and approaching for battle. Soon a tremendous epic battle between these
figures and dragons takes place in the background. Dragons breathing fire, as the
vile creatures breathe a black wind.
"The last 100 thousand years of our existence our species came upon evil. An evil
greater and stronger than all we had encountered before, for it wanted to erase
existence itself. All of V'oss fought this evil together in lasting battles for
millenia and failed to defeat it."

Images are shown of the dragon-planet being covered in flames, forming a black hole
and then exploding in a gigantic beam of light, forming the core of the known
Galaxy. Then five eggs appear in the center, each one being placed in five places
in the new galaxy ..one being Heord and one being Shyr.
"V'oss was to be no more, so we created a new V'oss and burried the last five eggs
in it. Hoping that our species could survive, if not in memory, then in flesh.
Thousand other species had not that chance and we regret our treason to not stand
besides them and die along with them and our universe, but we were only mortals; a
curse and a blessing. So we distorted the mortal realm in hope that we could evade
death; this distortion is your new home, the species you have encountered and even
yourself. However, being a distortion, it had side-effects -one of them being your
own species- and it only prolonged the waiting until the forces of the dark angels
reemerge and destroy life, once and for all."

Spoiler: The image of a giant harpy sleeping in the distance appears (hover to
show)
..it seems more real than the rest of the images, as if it is a window to
reality.
"It is up to you and others you may gather to defend this new home, so it may gain
a natural death in contrast to its unnatural birth, as V'oss had a natural birth,
yet an unnatural death ...thus completing the circle and bringing balance to the
cosmos, so that we may rest and you may live and die as a mortal.
I am certain that you may have answers child, and I will be pleased to help you
understand."

---

Back in reality...
Erixen seems reluctant to answer, he grabs the cigar that had fallen from his mouth
and dries to smoke, but decides against it and throws it away.. "I saw a lot of
death ..I saw my friends maimed as I was lying down ready to die. I saw my first
love being crushed by enemy boots. ...I failed to die and I'm cursed with living
bearing their images forever." The ambitious and proud explorer now seems to look
in the distant, his eyes seemingly soulless.

� Reply #83 on: July 05, 2016, 10:55:08 am �

Xefr just stood there, dumbfounded, for about a minute. It took awhile for it all
to process in his head, but once it did, questions and ideas started to appear in
his head. Eventually, the black drake was able to stammer out some words, "I.... I
suppose I have only two questions of prominence. How do you expect me to stop what
you couldn't? And how do I return to my reality?"

The Shard's eyes filled with sympathy, "Ah... Captain, I understand you perfectly."
The Shards own eyes turn to the skies, "I've felt it a hundred times, and thousands
more times forgotten. That feeling of helplessness, and the following guilt of it
all... I know. Every part of me and every Shard knows. But we march on. For the
only way to venerate those who have fallen is to live the lives that they couldn't,
to stand up and pick up the pieces. Those lost to death must never be forgotten,
but hope must never die. For we are not alone in our grief, and not all have the
courage or strength to go on. Thus, we must give it to them, and work towards a
universe where it will never happen again..."

� Reply #84 on: July 05, 2016, 04:22:58 pm �

The aetherial dragon extends his wings that seem to be endless.. "And I shall
answer. You will succeed by not repeating the same mistakes our selfish species did
in the past. We fought for ourselves and ourselves only, this led us to make hasty
decisions and not see the wider picture. We defended our lives with all of our
strength, psionic and mundane alike, when we had to attack merely with our wit;
when we understood this it was already too late, as the Sky Warriors of the Dark
Ilai were even more persuaded to accomplish their cause due to our actions.
...in order to defeat the harbringers you have to make them understand by attacking
the one who influences all, their only weak spot of their being; their Wingless'
Mind! To do so though, you will have to master your mental strength and make
certain within you the will to accomplish this mission. However, rest assured that
we will not let you defenceless in the oncoming battle, for this we trust on you
our last great weapon that we never managed to use ..the "pacifier of soul'" the
scion bring out of his body a white orb and places it with his paw within the black
drake's lungs. "This is the greatest weapon of all, for it destroys the need for
all other weapons ..however to use it, you'll have to learn serenity and pacify
your own troubled soul first. It may work against only the Wingless."
The scion lowers his head and talks in a less imposing voice "...I know we ask too
much from a mere mortal, my child. But this cause and conflict must reach a
conclusion, for even if we do not care yet for our own lives we must give the
sentient peoples of the universe what was once taken away from them, and may be
taken from many more ..the ability to choose for their own lives' course without
interference."
He suddenly changes tone "As for your second querry.. ..you only have to close
your eyes, realise where you truly are and return."

Erixen shows a small smile and looks at the shard while talking with a calm voice..
"You're right Shard... Memories make one forget the present ..and the present is
more alive and true than any memory; I have a loving wife, annoying relatives and a
beautiful daughter. Perhaps, as I am lost in the past I forgot to cherish what I
have now over what I've lost ...thanks Zhohax Valx." he closes up to the shard and
places his hand-claw on the shard's chest.

� Reply #85 on: July 05, 2016, 05:03:31 pm �

Xefr's head was filled with conflicting thoughts and flat out confusion. One
sentence in particular stood out to him, "...you'll have to learn serenity and
pacify your own troubled soul first." His mind didn't know what to think about
that, as Xefr abandoned the idea of achieving such a thing long ago. He didn't know
what to do, and had no words. And so, he closed his eyes, and saw himself back in
the room, wearing the skull-helmet.

-
The Shard's chest materialized just in time for Erixen's hand-claw. Looking down at
the Ghashyr, the energy dragon made a smile of his own, "Heh, you're welcome little
Ghashyr. You are welcome." The Shard suddenly yawned, very loudly. "I'm quite
tired... Haven't slept in ages."

� Reply #86 on: July 05, 2016, 07:10:58 pm �

Xefr is now back on the room, the psionic aura seems to have disappeared as have
the voices. Rysannox is in the exact same position as he was when Xefr put the
helmet on, he approaches the black drake with an anxious smile on his face "So,
does it work? Do you see anything?"

Erixen smiled "Well, I guess you deserve it then ...I'll be sitting right here
next to you if you need anything."

� Reply #87 on: July 05, 2016, 09:27:48 pm �

Xefr calmly placed the Helmet back on the ground, and turned back towards Rysannox,
"It works, and there certainly was something. Saw a bit of a vision, but I couldn't
really make it out. Nothing too important in itself, but I believe we should
certainly take a look at sites similar to this one, and perhaps all will become
clear. And then... I will have to investigate those 5 stars, I suspect they have a
much greater meaning. But, I think I'm quite exhausted for now, it's been a long
day and the work of investigating this room should be left to the archaeologists.
If it isn't too much trouble, I wish to take a rest. I can do it right here, so you
could wake me up if I'm needed."

The Shard yawned again, and laid down, "Yeah... I do deserve a bit of sle..." The
Shard cut off as his eyes closed, and his spectral wings curled up. He became
notably more transparent as he slept.

� Reply #88 on: July 06, 2016, 05:38:29 am �

Rysannox bows his head "Of course! You may rest. I will take care of everything
from here. This discovery will be helpful in the bonding of our species ..I think"
Xefr can feel a soothing aura around him, and a small vibe within him as if he
really had the orb within his lungs...
In his dreams the aetherial dragon re-appears {"I did not manage to ask you child,
so I have to before you leave ...do you require guidance?"}

As the shard sleeps the image of the young black drake from earlier re-appears,
only now she seems older and not in agony, but sleeping happily in a peculiar place
with big Ants around her, the surroundings fade away and everything turns a bright
white. She wakes up, tilting her head to the right and standing up she asks
slightly annoyed and confused the shard, whom seems to be materialised in his
dreams "Who is black lizard? Why disturb Re'Ni sleep? You are not memory!"

� Reply #89 on: July 06, 2016, 09:13:10 am �

Dream Xefr responded calmly, "What do you mean by guidance? But... I suppose any
help would be nice." However, as he spoke, he rose one claw to his neck, unsure
about the orb.

The Shard dozily lifted his head, "Whaa...?" As he stood up, he noticed his
material body, causing him to be just as confused as Re'Ni. After taking note of
his surroundings, he registered the other dragon's presence, "Who are you...?" But
then, the Shard's expression changed to that of fear. Suddenly he shielded his eyes
with his wings, and started yelling, "I remember you! From that damn... tomb! What
do you want!? Why can't you ghosts leave me alone?! I haven't done anything to you,
just let me sleep!"

� Reply #90 on: July 06, 2016, 09:29:12 am �

Suddenly a tiny blue female dragon appears flying infront of him and smiles, only
Xefr can hear her and see her "Wake up! Greetings mortal Qoatl Xer.. Xfe.. DAMN IT!
I'll call you Xery! My name's Cui'Hoamal, I am a psionic artificial intelligence,
but I still look hot, don't I? *giggles* Anyway, I was chosen not for my good
looks, but for my good heart and annoying voice to serve as your spirit
guardian ..If I annoy you a lot, just say 'Scram Cui' and I'll scram. Now if you
need my physical form, just say 'Cui stand beside me' and I'll materialise and
fight alongside you ..or you know, we could do better things, if you catch my
drift *winks*. I also loooove watching the stars so please bring me out when you
travel space, or need advice by saying 'Cui get your tail over here'. Now where was
I, oh right, you look nice! ..even though a little old. Can I shine your scales?
Carry your things? I'll do anything for you ..if you be good to me! I hope you
aren't one of those pr�cks that get me out to fight and never let me finish my
sentences. No! I sense you're kind and loving and caring and wise and *sigh* so
clueless. And I'm very real, not some kind of projection! So treat me as you would
others!"
Spoiler: Cui the Spirit Guardian (hover to show)
-

Re'Ni seems even more confused and just joins the frustration of the shard "Ghost?
What Ghost? Re'Ni just wants sleep, but stupid fake vision of black dragon insist
on mind!! This stupid. Mind playing tricks again. No other lizard, Re'Ni is last
lizard. Go away!" She just lays down and starts whimpering.

� Reply #91 on: July 06, 2016, 09:58:40 am �

Xefr lightly chuckles, and addresses Cui, "Heh, you remind me of another...
Regardless, I know you are real, and I suppose you are similar to us Shards, so
I'll treat you like one. Right now I have no need for you, unless you happen to
know anything about this place and our mission that you could tell me. That would
be much appreciated. One way or the other however, I look forward to working with
you."

The Shard seems to be less afraid, and more annoyed. His wings curl back up onto
his back and he points at Re'Ni with one of his claws, "It's You! You're the ghost!
You're not real! That's why when I went to sleep inside that weird sanctuary, you
started trying to mess with my head! Agh!!" The Shard begins slamming his tail in
rage against what he perceives as the ground. His yelling doesn't seem to be
directed at anybody in particular, "This planet has been nothing but trouble! And
it's all the fault of that damn tomb, with its stupid helmet of bones and it's art!
Why can't I just have a normal day!?"

� Reply #92 on: July 06, 2016, 10:09:08 am �

Cui seems confused and points her claw on her head "Hmmmmmmmmm. Ah! Of course! You
will have to go to a forgotten world called Zuan'Lotl, there you will find
something that may help against the damn harpies! You will have to search within
you to find the location though..." She smiles, feeling somewhat proud that she
helped a little.

Re'Ni stops whimering and gives out a loud roar in frustration and anger "No! You
are illusion ..ghost ..whatever! Re'Ni is real! And frankly had much trouble
throughout life for stupid black dream lizard confuse and turn crazy!" ..she
suddenly stops "Wait! Said tomb? Big one? In desert? Black Lizard sleep there?"

� Reply #93 on: July 06, 2016, 11:11:13 am �

Xefr nodded, "Then I suppose finding this lost world shall be our next course of
action, once we're done on this planet. I'll handle that looking inside myself on
the ship. Thank you for the advice, Cui. Now then, unless you wish to say more, I
will wake and continue action in the physical realm."

The Shard stopped raging and looked to Re'Ni, confused. "Um... Yeah, that sounds
about right. Don't you even know where you are haunting...?" The fear in his eyes
was gone, replaced with confusion and curiosity.

� Reply #94 on: July 06, 2016, 11:32:17 am �

Cuin nods happily, she covers her body with her wings and is lost amidst a bright
light. As Xefr awakes he can notice Ryssanox taking notes of the five stars
depicted in the painting while talking to a tad bit shorter female Ghashyr standing
next to him. The female Ghashyr though seems to have fixed her eyes on the black
drake, looking at him as he's some form of miracle.
"You.. You are awake?"

Re'Ni's eyes are feeled with rage, she flaps her wings and taps her feet, feeling
overwhelmed.. "Haunting? HAUNTING? Re'Ni sleeps in Ant-spaceship and sees stupid
black lizard. Then wakes up. Then sleeps again and Black lizard calls Re'Ni ghost!
Madness! Why not leave Re'Ni alone? Because left Shyr? Hate stupid lizard dream-
ghost! ...place lizard said is real. feared! So is Re'Ni, stupid lizard! Only thing
not real; Black male lizard from dream!" she remains pointing with her claw at the
shard..

� Reply #95 on: July 06, 2016, 11:55:58 am �

Xefr quickly got to his feet, and looked to the new Ghashyr. He shakes his head a
bit to wake up, and then makes a friendly smile at the female. His voice is calm,
as the drake was quite happy to get away from the craziness of his new situation.
"Ah, greetings! Yes, I'm awake, just had a bit of a rest. Let me introduce myself.
My name is Xefr, pleased to meet you."

The Shard puffed up in rage once more, "What the hell are you talking about!? Of
course this place is real! I'm sleeping in it! You're the one who isn't real! You
can't have left Shyr, because that would mean you weren't haunting this damn place!
But here you are, in my dreams as I just try and sleep! What do you want!? It's the
helmet, isn't it... You want me to wear your stupid, damned helmet!" The Shard tail
returns to smashing the floor, "Well, it's not happening! Never again! I'm in
control, and nobody will possess me ever again!" The Shard then just stopped, and
wrapped himself in his wings. As he shivered in fear and confusion, he stammered
out a few more words, "Never... No more... No more killing..."

� Reply #96 on: July 06, 2016, 12:08:29 pm �

Xefr could notice something peculiar about her, she had a rather strange white scar
and seemed awfuly tired, even though tremendously glad and interested..
The female Ghashyr moves her head extremely close to Xefr's left eye, inspecting
the giant dragon while a wide smile was on her face.. "I'm Talmyr Talmyroxen Ghaen
Shyryen, Lady of All Ghashyr, Unburnt One and Head of House Valxaryen ...but a
dragon can call me Myrsa! If the legends are right we could even be relatives!" she
then turns to Rysannox "This is a magnificient turn of events! Isn't it Rysannox?"
..Rysannox bows his head gently and responds graceously "Indeed It is, unburnt one,
my Talmyr!"

-~-

Once the shard referred the damned helmet and his unwillingness to wear it, Re'Ni
didn't know if these were her thoughts or this illusion's. She started screaming
and pouncing her front feet on the ground "AHHHHH. WAKE. WAKE. WAKE" her image
dissapears from the shard's dream.

� Reply #97 on: July 06, 2016, 12:20:04 pm �

Xefr noted her strange features, and was slightly uncomfortable at how close she
got. "Ah, so you're the Talmyr that your kind has so fervently spoken of! It is a
honor to meet you at last, Myrsa. Though I must say, I'm not so sure about the
relatives part, I think I would remember having you in my family tree. But I must
ask, what brings someone of your position to such a place? I doubt you would come
all the way out here just to meet an old dragon."

The Shard seemed annoyed by this, and yelled out in the void, "Trying to run!?
Well, two can play at that game!" He then begins digging his front claws into the
ground, screaming "WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

� Reply #98 on: July 06, 2016, 06:07:32 pm �

Myrsa, seeing she was causing the dragon to feel awkward, backed a little. She
immediatelly laughed as the black dragon finished his sentence, her tone being
curious and surprised.. "Just an old Dragon? Yes, I'm here to meet just an old
dragon. In fact this may be one of the most memorable meetings of my life;
Discussing with the species that even my name contains. My House is Valxaryen -
House of the Great Dragons; Lords of Datha-en-Valxes - the Nest of dragons. So yes,
I assure you I'm here to meet an old Dragon ...a member of a species that my kin
grew with, loved and betrayed - A lost brethren that is present in our crest, name
and memory ...and even blood."
Rysannox rolls his eyes very discreetly at the last remark.

As the shard wakes, Erixen leans towards him and speaks in a friendly tone "Bad
dream? You were clawing the floor and your face had that expression.." Erixen
mimics a comically exaggerated annoyed frown.

� Reply #99 on: July 06, 2016, 06:38:54 pm �

Xefrwas more comfortable now, with some space to himself, and calmly responded,
"Ah... Interesting. It a nice name for a house, and I'm sure many of my kind would
say it is befitting a leader. Regardless, here I am, the old dragon you wished to
meet. I apologize in advance if I disappoint, I've never really had much speaking
skill and I don't believe I'm that interesting a person. But ask any question you
wish, but before you do there is one thing I hope you can clear up for me. You
mentioned that dragons are present in your blood, and that we may be related
somehow. Care to tell me what you meant by that?"

After shaking his head a bit to confirm that he is awake, the Shard rolled his
eyes. His tone was lined with annoyance, "Yes, yes, very funny. I'll have you know
that I did have a bad dream. Bloody ghosts can't even let me sleep in peace..."
Then, he sighed, and got up. Following a quick stretch of his tail, legs, and
wings, he spoke in his normal voice, "Anything happen while I was snoozing?"

� Reply #100 on: July 06, 2016, 06:57:11 pm �

Myrsa seems all too happy to explain her House's history, she extends her arms and
talks calmly.. "Oh, I'm sure you won't dissapoint me, Rysannox told me of your kind
character. Now, regarding your question.. As the legend goes, Arxys the young
Prince of Gardax mated with the High Priestess Asi'Tzo'Akh in Ghashyr form after
she used some form of ancient transformation power. Their offspring was named
Valxarx - Great Dragon; the mythic Myrvalx, the Dragon-king of Gardax, and the
first Valxaryen!" She looks at Rysannox in a somewhat annoyed way.. "Some however,
tend to dismiss the evidence and records and choose not to believe.."
Rysannox coughs and turns around, pretending to look at the giant painting.

Erixen feels a little bad for teasing the shard.. "You know, my humor isn't always
successfull, or good. I just wanted to ease your angst.. and yes, something
happened; her greatness, the Talmyr, stormed in suddenly during the night and
demanded to see Xefr ..she is currently downstairs along with Lord Rysannox and
the ..how you called him? ..Essential Xefr!"

� Reply #101 on: July 06, 2016, 07:23:58 pm �

Xefr's smile never faded, and he listened intently to Myrsa. After she finished, he
responded calmly but with a hint of amusement. "A fascinating story indeed! Though
I have heard similar tales before, with Dragons changing form to seduce or simply
mate with other races. Mostly humans, but there are others. But they rarely
produced living offspring, so your case is quite interesting. And if those tales
are true, then I suppose we do have some similar blood. Though I do hope you don't
expect anything like that from me. Now then, I suppose you might have questions, or
perhaps Rysannox has already told you of my tale. Either way, I won't be leaving
anytime soon, so I'm open to anything really."

The Shard smiled, and did a little clap with his claws. With a friendly tone, he
turned to Erixen and spoke, "Hey! You got it, good job! Most forget or simply don't
care, so its nice to see that people can still listen. And your leader came around?
Neat, guess I'll say hello when she comes back up, because I'm certainly not going
back down there. But... did she even notice me?"

� Reply #102 on: July 06, 2016, 07:40:01 pm �

Myrsa felt satisfied and proud at the same time that a dragon was not mocking her
House's history like most Ghashyr have done throughout the ages. She laughed a bit
at Xefr's unwillingness to marry her, thus repeating the 'Bonding of the Fireborn'
with her.. "Oh, I would not ask such a hard favour of you! ...I'm high
maintainance! Anyway, I'm glad you will stay with us ..there are many things you
may see and do, that could perhaps ease the religious tension that has been
plagueing my species for millenia. Yes, Rysannox told me your story ..or at least
he grasped of it. Impressive I must say. ..we Ghashyr have complex and long tales
ourselves, however they are not all part of one person."

Erixen laughed loud, so loud that an echo repeated from the depths of the sanctuary
"You're kidding right? She stood here for an hour while I was trying to explain to
her that you're not the Saint's ghost, but some form of psionic being and that the
physical dragon is downstairs! We just didn't want to disrupt your sleep.."

� Reply #103 on: July 06, 2016, 08:00:54 pm �

Xefr shrugged, but his smile didn't waver, "I'll try to help as best I can. But I'm
sure there are other dragons better suited to the task. Anyways, I suppose my life
story is only that interesting because of how long I have lived. As I said, I'm an
old dragon, and a very old one at that. Guess when you see lots of stuff when you
live long enough, even if you're somebody as dull as myself. And even then, I
didn't come out unscathed... But enough of that! I'd be glad to help you during my
stay here on this world, and feel free to ask me anything. Speaking of which..."
The Black Drake looked over at Rysannox, and spoke out to him, "Did you find
anything while I slept?"

The Shard laughed as well, though not as loud, "Really? Well if it was royalty you
should have woken me! Heh, but in all honesty, thank you for that. I do enjoy my
sleep, and it was much needed. I'll be glad to meet your Talmyr, but I'd rather not
fall asleep while doing it. So I suppose I'll just wait here then."

� Reply #104 on: July 06, 2016, 08:13:19 pm �

Quote: She laughed a bit at Xefr's unwillingness to marry her, thus repeating the
'Bonding of the Fireborn' with her...
(OOC: Also, RIP Heord-Shyr timeline)

� Reply #105 on: July 06, 2016, 08:25:02 pm �

Rysannox turned towards Xefr and shrugged.. "Not really, however I found a few tiny
stars that are red in contrast to all other stars that are depicted as white."
The Empress seemed anxious to make her question and crossed her fingers "Lord Xefr,
is it true what Lord Rysannox told me that dragons live and prosper in another
planet? ..free from danger? I'd like to hear more about them ..and you."

"Just avoid any bad dreams ...and neither do that creepy floor-clawing again!"
Erixen smiles at him and makes up a small campfire with a few branches that he had
gathered from earlier.

� Reply #106 on: July 06, 2016, 08:29:43 pm �

(OOC: Also, RIP Heord-Shyr timeline)
(OOC: Exactly what I thought as I was typing that)

� Reply #107 on: July 06, 2016, 08:45:25 pm �

Xefr sighed, "Well, I suppose I'll take a look at that in a bit. But first..." The
yellow eyes returned to Mrysa, "I'll answer your question. Yes, it is true. My
home-world of Heord has a prospering Dragon population, and it is most certainly
safe, as it fiercely protected by one of the greatest armies in the nation in which
it lies. Heord is a wonderful planet, filled with lush planet life and incredibly
diverse animal life living in its many jungles, grasslands, and savannas. It is of
course the home of my kind, the Golden Dragon, and the seat of their power. It's a
lovely place, and I do hope you get to see it in your lifetime. The Golden Dragon,
as a species, holds a position of high respect in the nation of Iammelon, though
rather as leaders or warriors rather than religious icons. As for myself... Well,
I'm not sure if there is much to tell. I've had a long life to be sure... But what
you see in front of you is the result of a long life, filled with exploration,
strife, and lost time." The Black Dragon then sighed, absentmindedly tapping the
ground with a singular claw.

The Shard grins, "Trust me, if I can avoid it, I will." Then, he noticed the
campfire, and the grin intensified, "Here, let me help you with that." With these
words, his mouth materialized and from it a small stream of fire emerged, lighting
the branches aflame.

� Reply #108 on: July 07, 2016, 04:13:09 pm �

"This is wonderful, even though the past cannot be erased and our treason not be
forgiven ..the fact that your kind lives happily and in safety eases the guilt and
pain. Thank you for that Dragon from the stars! But.." while initially she was
excited to hear that dragons prosper and are safe in another planet, Myrsa seemed
slightly saddened by the black drake's self-loathing and closed up to him, her red
and ill reptilian eyes fixed on his yellow.. "...I do not understand your tone.
What I see before me is a majestic and kind dragon, bearing the black scales of
wisdom and abilities Ghashyr couldn't even dream of having.. ...we Ghashyr live a
small life, and during that life we manage to do so little yet we look up to the
stars each night, cherishing it as if it is the last of our lives. I do not
understand the sadness in your voice.."

Erixen claps his claw-hands in amusement "And I was about to start believing you
new dragons couldn't breathe fire! Sleep well Shard!"

As the night gets darker, Re'Ni lands in Shyr hoping that she could fullfill her
life's greatest wish and dream, for no dragon should live alone in the world.
Unsure of the vision she had in her dream and having second thoughts that she
perhaps is becoming mad again, she nevertheless flew in the starry sky and above
the desert trying to reach the accursed place that damned her with darkness during
most of her life. To discover once and for all the truth about herself and her
species.
Once she sighted the old building from her memories she hesitated to approach out
of fear, instead she just remained flying infront of the entrance and roared as
loudly as she could, then gave out a tremendous psionic shout that could be heard
all over the Red mountains by any and all psionic beings {"RE'NI STANDS OUTSIDE!
OTHER VALXES EXIST, OR RE'NI IS MAD? ANSWER!"}

� Reply #109 on: July 07, 2016, 08:53:36 pm �

Xefr's smile fades, but returned quickly, though sadder than before. "Myrsa, it is
good you cherish those moments. Life is beautiful, yet fragile. And your small
life, as you put it, allows you to properly appreciate that. Perhaps I am a dragon,
and I may have done and seen more than most can claim, but I have also made many
mistakes. And because I am unburdened by time, I have a duty to amend every sin and
repay every debt. I have many regrets, and until I atone I will forever feel guilt.
That is why I wish to help your kind as best I can, as I could never forgive myself
if I didn't put my full effort into that. It's a stressful life, but it is the one
I have chosen..."
The Drake then suddenly paused as the shout reached his mind, and he made a quick
look around the room. In the corner of his eye, he checked to see if any of the
ghashyr had reacted, and if any of the psionic spirits had made themselves known
again.

The Shard made a smug grin, and was quite proud of himself. This didn't last long
however, for soon after he heard Re'Ni's shout. At first, he was both surprised and
afraid. But then, something clicked in his head, and the Shard fully materialized
his body. With grim determination in his eyes, he quickly turned to Erixen and
spoke in a clear, strict voice, "I'm going outside, Shard Business. Stay here, tell
Essentials if he comes looking for me. And don't worry about my safety, I got
friends in high places, if you catch my drift." With that, he marched towards the
door. He had enough fear for one day.

Stomping outside, The Shard quickly looked around. He saw Re'Ni in the sky, and
snorted. He began to yell at her, "You wanted me, phantom? Here I am! Now what do
you wan..." Just as easily as he had started, the Shard awkwardly paused. The
original look of confidence has been replaced by simple confusion. He spoke again,
yet now uncertain and perplexed, "Um... Not trying to sound rude or anything... But
aren't ghosts supposed to be blue or at least kinda transparent...? I didn't expect
you to look so real and kinda h... I mean... You got the scary part but..." The
Shard began stumbling on his words, and stopped flat, entirely taken off guard.

� Reply #110 on: July 08, 2016, 05:04:54 am �

Myrsa and Rysannox both notice the roar from outside, but they don't really seem to
understand what was it and continue without thinking much about it. No Psionic
energy seems to have returned to the room, or helmet either, as it has concentrated
on Xefr himself ..bearing both Cui and the Orb psionically within him.
The Empress after turning upon hearing the roar, continues talking to Xefr.. "Heh,
the Great Golden Sea makes her noises again; Some say it is the spirits of the
ancient desert folk! ..Anyway, I respect your choice, in fact I'm glad you came to
Shyr to ammend yourself drake, as you will be helping us ammend our own sins as
well. You have the mentality of a Saint - accepting your own mistakes and ammending
them is the first step of Sainthood."
Rysannox adds quite happily.. "Like Saint Mo'Tze'Khan!"

Re'ni was thinking that perhaps she is mad, but as soon as the materialised shard
got out of the sanctuary and Re'Ni's eyes sighted him ..she lost her balance and
flopped her wings and nearly fell off the sky, managing to regain some of her
balance she landed as badly as possible only a few meters from the shard, ready to
cry and overhelmed by powerful feelings she didn't even notice what the shard said.
Joy and confusion, fear and hope revolved inside her mind.. {"Haha Whaa? When? Y-
You?...YOU ARE VALX LIKE SELF! HAHAhaha And you are real!"} She jumps at the shard
and hugs him with her wings and paws and all of her might, resulting in both
falling flat on the ground.

� Reply #111 on: July 08, 2016, 11:38:20 am �

Xefr remains unsure, and sends out a small psionic ping to The Shard, hoping he had
noticed the shout as well.
The Drake then looked back to the Empress, "Thank you for understanding. And while
I have a very long way to go in order to atone, your words do help. I dearly hope
that I can live up to your Saints, like Mo'Tze'Khan, and help you however I can.
Few things would make me happier." The Dragon then smiled, "Of course, I cannot do
these things alone, so I will be relying on both of you to teach me the ways of
your kind, so that my help is actually helping, rather than another hurdle.
Espically considering that I am clueless in how to begin."

"Ack!" exclaimed the Shard as he fell. And on the ground, he felt very strange,
both the feeling of hitting the floor and the proximity of the female. He didn't
struggle very much, and calmly began to pat Re'Ni on the back, sensing her fear and
confusion. After all, he was in just same condition earlier. He stammered out some
words as well, "Um... Yes, I'm real. I take pride in that really. Calm down,
please...? You're kinda crushing me... And... Wait, what's your name?" The Shard
had also received Xefr's ping, and in response sent back another, signaling that he
was fine and that there was no danger. He didn't mention the other dragon however,
he wanted to learn more first.

� Reply #112 on: July 08, 2016, 06:16:37 pm �

Myrsa makes a small clap and nods happily "Oh, this is a great day! The reunion of
the kin of Shyr and Paer. Rest assured that you will have my full support and
protection Lord Xefr! ..we failed dragons once, we will not fail you again."
Rysannox stands skeptical, though his smile doesn't leave his face "Hmmm, it will
be hard at first ...but for our good luck, House Valxaryen is ruling and Dragons
are entangled within our common Urvan culture, despite of religion; there are songs
about dragons, stories of dragons, dragon-plushies for children ..even our
Empire's symbol is two dragons, ehm, bonding - I'd feel weird if I was a Dragon
myself about that ..but I guess it's better than two dragons fighting, no? -
Anyway, my point is that dragons represent for many Ghashyr a nostalgia for the
good old times ...but there are those who still would feel threatened by your
existence, that is why we must talk to them first." The middle-aged steward strokes
his beard, trying to find a solution.
Suddenly, Myrsa's eyes seem to have a sinister glimpse, yet not necessarily evil
"We will talk to the Church of Light first, yes ..we will go not however to the
politics-dominated Great Mother and her Holy Council, but to the monasteries!
..they would understand." Both Ghashyr seem to agree with that idea and then turn
at Xefr..

Although fearing of hurting him in any way, Re'Ni is unsure if she even wants to
let the shard from her tight hug; For thousand years she was alone, and told that
she was the last of her species.. ..she manages to utter a few words amidst
sobbing and laughing, while rolling to the side and releasing the shard. {"Name is
Re'Ni. Thought last Valx - too lonely ...but HAHAHA wrong!"}
Re'Ni boops the shard's snoot {"Name? Come from stars? Shyr? ...Matter not much.
But Nice to know"}

� Reply #113 on: July 08, 2016, 07:18:25 pm �

Xefr saw the sinister look, but didn't understand it. He simply smiled and nodded.
"Very well then. We go to a Light Monastery first, starting small is generally a
good idea when pursuing ambitious goals. I guess I shall try and channel this
nostalgia as best I can, if it will help. But I must say that does sound like a
strange choice for a symbol. Though I suppose that once you show the members of my
kind back home that you are a great empire, they will most likely appreciate it.
Speaking of which... There is still the matter of Heord. How and when do you
propose to tell my kind of all this? It may be best to get them involved before too
much goes forward."

The Shard stumbled to his feet. Looking back to Re'Ni, he responded in an awkward
tone, "Well, you certainly make memorable greetings, Re'Ni. My name? I guess you
can call me Tec, most of my friends do... And I guess I did come from the Stars,
from the planet of Heord." His tone then picked up, and continued with a little
more confidence. "And you can rest assured, you are not alone! There are lots of my
kind out there! Yet..."
The Shard's tone changed once more as the words registered more properly in his
head, becoming more somber and sympathetic. "I really can't imagine how you felt...
Totally alone... Never been like that myself really... Any way I can help you?"

� Reply #114 on: July 09, 2016, 07:45:07 pm �

Myrsa seems rather awkward as Rysannox and Xefr discuss her House's Arms, yet she
doesn't seem to be insulted... "Heh, yes, I guess the Seal of House Valxaryen might
seem peculiar to a dragon, but it symbolises the 'Bonding of the Fireborn' ..the
union of Dragon-souled Ghashyr and Dragons." She then changes her tone, and adopts
a smile full of glee "Anyway. I bestow upon Lord Rysannox the duty to help you re-
attach the broken link between our two species ..there is no better Ghashyr for
this in the Empire, as my good friend and steward Rysannox is a lover of the realm
of history and culture ..and knows better than most Lords the politics and current
machinations of the Empire."
Rysannox bows as he bumps his fist on his chest.. "Thank you for your kind words
Unburnt One, Talmyr. I shall do my best and I believe Lord Xefr will do the same."
He turns to Xefr "Lupa is not far from Shyr, and judging from your character I'm
certain you will like the Monasteries of Light there and the people residing in
them. We will leave whenever you wish."

As the shard explains his whereabouts, Re'Ni's expression is one of awe; she never
expected Dragons to exist anywhere other than her homeplanet of Shyr. However once
the shard finishes the second part of his sentence, Re'Ni's eyes seem dark and
rather sad... "Tec cannot imagine feel. Even Re'Ni still cannot describe
feel.. ..countless days. overwhelming darkness and fear. Fear is the mind-killer;
No soul ..and idea of self being last of Valx. Never see other Valx. Never have
eggs. Never see sky." a subtle smile appears on her face "..but Tec appeared from
stars in dream! Hope rejuvenated.. ...Re'Ni ask no help of Tec. Just not leave
Re'Ni." she hesitantly places her paw over the shard's paw..

� Reply #115 on: July 09, 2016, 11:24:55 pm �

Xefr beamed, "Thank you, Myrsa. From what I have seen thus far, he is very capable.
I have no doubt his assistance will be invaluable." He then turned to Rysannox,
"Lupa sounds good. I suppose that unless there is anything else either one of you
wish to ask of me, we could leave right now. If you'd like, Rysannox, you can ride
in my ship. It's right outside, and there is plenty of space aboard, as well as
documents detailing my home nation and its inhabitants, including my kind. But
either way, I still need to grab the Shard, he's likely quite annoyed at how long
I've probably spent down here."

If Tec's draconic body could have blushed, he would have. He didn't stop Re'Ni's
paw, and turned over his own to have the palm facing upwards. He responded, still
somewhat awkwardly, "Well, you're right. I can't imagine how that felt... Yet I
have felt my own fair share of fear. I know what it can do the mind if it has
control. I don't know how you showed up in my dreams... It kinda freaked me out
really. But... I suppose I really don't know what to say. The important thing is
Re'Ni, that I want to help you. What you've experienced... Well, that's something I
wouldn't wish upon anybody, and I don't wish to let it continue..."
The Shard's own eyes then darkened, and with a gulp he continued, "Yet I can't stay
here, on Shyr I mean. I have duties elsewhere, and I can't leave my family in the
dark. But maybe... there is another way... Re'Ni, if what you say is true... then
you haven't had a real home for quite some time. But what would you say... if I
could give one to you? And at the same time prove that you are not alone in the
galaxy... Could you come with me?" Tec was quite nervous now, and the fragile hope
taking hold of his eyes was reflected across his entire being.

� Reply #116 on: July 10, 2016, 10:46:18 am �

As the two Ghashyr and Xefr discuss, one can see for a split of a second one of the
dragons in the painting smiling and winking at him.
Rysannox, evidently willing to start the journey, smiles at the black drake "I will
come along in your spaceship ..I always wondered how dragons would have their
spaceships. ..We will also have to discuss how we shall approach the monks once we
get to the ship. To Lupa!"
The Ghashyr empress, satisfied with the outcome of this 'reunion' pats the dragon's
right wing.. "Good luck Xefr! For all that is good I hope you'll succeed."

Being completely asocial and emotionally overhelmed realising she had a dragon next
to her, she hesitated and nearly froze the moment the shard turned his paw facing
hers and made his proposal - though she was more happy than she could ever be that
he did both. ..she smiled and turned her head downwards, she looked at her and
Tec's paw and exhaled a little bit of hot air from her nostrils on them.. ..her
brown eyes then turned facing the shard's yellow {"This more than Re'Ni would ever
ask. Tec is right, like Ant; Shyr truly not home anymore, Ant-planet only
replacement too - Home is where mind, heart and wing be; About time true home
appeared for Re'Ni! ...Re'Ni will come with Tec"} She then crawls closer to the
shard and places her head over his shoulder.

� Reply #117 on: July 10, 2016, 01:13:27 pm �

Xefr looks to the Empress, "Thank you, Myrsa. Though I do hope you won't remain
here alone too long. This place could still contain dangers. Regardless, I wish you
a good day, Talmyr." The Drake then walks into the elevator, and looks to Rysannox,
"Glad to hear it. Now let's get going, time waits for nobody." He then prepared to
return to the main room, and grab the Shard. Their next destination was Lupa, and
he had to have a little talk with the rest of the Shards, though perhaps he could
let Cui do it. They all needed to be introduced after all.

Tec practically froze as Re'Ni moved, though he was ecstatic that she accepted his
offer. He had no idea what he was doing, and was completely unsure on how to
continue, but frankly he didn't care about that right now. Using his free hand, he
pulled Re'Ni into a hug. He remained silent for a moment, but then finally got a
few words out, "Re'Ni... I promise to give you that true home. I will not fail you
in that. Though you'll have to tell me about these Ants sometime, they seem like
interesting folks. But... not right now..." The Shard then went silent, as he took
in everything that had happened today. The main worry on his mind however, was not
the ghosts or phantoms he had feared earlier, but it was how he was going to tell
Essentials about the new passenger.

� Reply #118 on: July 10, 2016, 09:19:27 pm �

Myrsa laughs a bit and nods "Don't worry Lord Xefr, I don't intent on staying in
this place long ...in fact there are urgent matters demanding my attention back in
Datha."
All find themselves upstairs and can notice Erixen sleeping by a small campfire,
while right outside of the sanctuary two large dragon-figures can be seen hugging.
As they come near the two dragons Myrsa gasps and stands in shock, but before
saying anything she remembers other Ghashyr are present and she must protect her
House's ancient secret whatever the cost...

A little before the group got outside..

Re'Ni remains silent for a few seconds, for the first time feeling the embrace and
company of another dragon after thousand years that she was taken from her parents.
She just relaxes and nuzzles her head tenderly against Tec {"This means much to
Re'Ni. Wish means as much to Tec."} She then bites Tec's neck softly, both as a
sign of affection, as well as a small warning.
She felt a tad bit bad about mistrusting the drake's good intentions, but she could
not help it; thousand of years she was lied upon and mistreated to be able to trust
even one of her kind.
� Last Edit: July 10, 2016, 09:57:44 pm by Taur �

� Reply #119 on: July 10, 2016, 10:02:14 pm �

Once Xefr got close enough to get a good look at what was going on outside, he
stopped and did the draconic equivalent of raising an eyebrow. He looked to Tec,
and spoke in a manner to gain attention, "Tech... Care to tell me who is this? I
don't recognize them, and why you two are hugging for that matter?"
The Shard jumped back in surprise once the other dragon spoke. Quickly turning
back, he regained his composure, and hastily put out an explanation, "Erhm, hey
Ess! This is Re'Ni... She happens to be the last Valx, and... Um... The hugging was
because she is simply very happy to know she isn't the only dragon around these
days, and I wanted to help comfort her. Isn't that what we do...?"
The nervous explanation didn't seem to satisfy Xefr, and his yellow eyes instead
turned to Re'Ni. He simply looked her over, and then settled staring into her eyes,
seeming to want her to clarify the situation instead.

� Reply #120 on: July 10, 2016, 10:31:09 pm �

Re'Ni fell to the side as Tec jumped back. As she rised on her feet and opened her
eyes and noticed the second black dragon, Myrsa and Rysannox, she was again unsure
if this was just a weird nightmare, madness slowly taking charge of her mind, or
reality. Being confused she laughs nervously first, then roars and shouts with all
her psionic might {"hahahaAAAARGHH! ALL SHUT UP! Too much for single lizard in
single day!"} She then points with her paw's claw at Myrsa {"First. What stupid
monkey Queen do here? Has to do with situation? Thought was ill.."} She then points
at Xefr {"And other Valx! What is name? Is even real?"} she then turns her eyes
without turning her head towards Tec and mutters silently {"Hope this all has good
explanation."} ..her eyes seem to look at the ground now, her face looking
extremely confused and worried as she is about to have a mental breakdown.

Myrsa and Rysannox stepped back as Re'Ni roared, beign extremely confused at her
presence for different reasons ...both nevertheless understood nothing of what
Re'Ni said, since Shyrite Dragon psionic talk was undetected by Ghashyr without
training from both sides. She really didn't know what to do; explain and reveal
that her House broke the very oath that kept the religion of the Eternal Fire
alive, or just pretend that she doesn't have a clue and that the dragon is just
another alien one...
Rysannox tried mumbling a few words to Xefr "Is this your wife, or something?
..she seems angry"

� Reply #121 on: July 10, 2016, 11:05:09 pm �

Xefr noted the reactions of the Ghashyr, particularly Myrsa's. With that, and what
Re'Ni had said, he formulated a conclusion in his head. However, his attnetion was
quickly focused on the female dragon once he realized what she was doing, and how
closely it resembled the Guardian Shard when he was near the breaking point. This
in particular worried him, because if the next stage was any similar they were all
in danger. He quickly spoke to Re'Ni, using dragon speech in his psionic talking,
in a calming voice, "Re'Ni, please steady yourself. I am Xefr, and you have already
met Tech, and we are both very much real dragons. I implore you not to worry
yourself, for this all has a good explanation. I and my companion there came to
this world in an attempt to speak of relations with the Ghashyr peoples, so of
course their Talmyr and Rysannox came to see if we were true and to talk. Besides,
if that shout I heard earlier was indeed you..." Mid-speech, Xefr opened a psionic
dialogue to Myrsa, and spoke to both females at once, though Myrsa heard basic
instead of draconic, "...then Myrsa here came for the same reason as you did. She
simply wanted to know if other Valxes existed, just like you. But I wouldn't worry
about her, she has already mentioned that she has business elsewhere, and should be
leaving at any moment... So please, calm yourself. Just relax, Tec can answer any
other questions you may have. Nobody here is against you." With this, he then
looked at Tec and nodded.
This prompted Tec to step foward
calm, soothing tone, "See Re'Ni?
kind. Both me and Xefr are here,
even wanted to try... They would
never happen..."
towards Re'Ni again. He started speaking in a
You're safe, and you are not the last of your
and the Ghashyr can't hurt you. Because if they
have to go through both of us first, and that will

While Tec spoke, Xefr gave Myrsa a discreet nod, and then turned to Rysannox. He
opened a line to him, "She certainly is angry, though also confused and scared, but
I don't recognize her. But who knows? I forget many things, and the Shard clearly
has a better hold on the situation than I do. I propose we let him defuse the
situation, while standing by ready to assist if need be."

� Reply #122 on: July 11, 2016, 12:02:49 am �

Re'Ni's look stopped being confused, her eyes were now filled with a confused rage
instead while still looking at the ground. She suddenly raises her head facing Xefr
directly {"Xefr better speak truth. Or Re'Ni make speak it. One way, or other.
..If this be trick of monkey Queen; Re'Ni not fond of roast meat, but make
exception."} she then turns to the tech shard, the look on her eyes could perhaps
cut through him like a knife cuts through butter. {"YOU! Why not tell Re'Ni of
other Valx? And is wrong - Tec know not of grey monkeys. Know not of what cabable
...know not of Re'Ni either; Re'Ni not helpless! Not ask of stupid foreign dragon
help ..only trust ..and understanding."} The black female dragon relaxed a bit
after she spoke and exhaled a big portion of hot air from her mouth along with some
sparks, now her look towards Tec was more calm, and even slightly regretful...

Myrsa took Erixen by the hand and taking the hint started moving away "Eh, I guess
that you dragons will have a lot to share ..and an empire does not run itself now,
does it?" she turns with a really worried and sad look at Xefr "Good Luck" ..as
she did she simultaneously tried her best to send him a message through her
thoughts, hoping that Xefr would pick it up {"Take care of Re'Ni, me and my
ancestors never did that properly"}

Rysannox who had grasped the fundamentals of psionic discussion from his encounter
with the Formics tried to give a response through his thoughts as well. "A
tremendous idea. It seems she is startled by Ghashyr though ..I will move inside."

� Reply #123 on: July 11, 2016, 01:01:27 am �

Xefr nodded silently to the two Ghashyr, and sent out a response message to Myrsa,
"I shall do what I can to help those who need it, for that is my goal. I make no
exceptions. But next time we meet, lady Talmyr, I hope that you can answer my
questions."

After watching the Ghashyr leave, the drake looked back to Re'Ni. His voice was
clear, but otherwise displayed no emotion, "Very well then Re'Ni. I will tell you
the truth as I know it. And I can already tell that you do not wish my pity, so I
will withhold it. I came to this planet at the request of a Ghashyr explorer, who
wanted me to come to his world as proof that dragons still existed. I complied, so
with my ship I came, and I brought two companions with me to the surface. One was
Tec, and the other was Guardian, both dragons. Guardian however, became sick, and
has since gone to rest, leaving me and Tec here. So simply put, we are not of your
world. We are dragons yes, but of another home. But... If what I saw and heard in
that tomb was true, then our two races may be more alike than I had previously
believed. So, I do not wish to hurt you because you may be a piece of a puzzle that
I wish to see completed. Tec however... had no such goal. He was scared of what was
inside the lower depths, and while I met with that Ghashyr Queen, who had come to
see if I was real, Tec must have met with you. I know not of his goals, if he even
had any to begin with. But I suppose the question is do you see malice in his eyes?
After all, it is your choice as to whether you believe me and Tec. We cannot and
will not force you to, so it is your judgement that decides it all. Though I must
ask you, lady Valx, what did Tech offer you?"

While Xefr spoke, the Shard was undergoing his own little breakdown. He cowered and
shrank back at Re'Ni's look and words, unable to speak. It was only after his
companion finished that he gained enough confidence to speak. "I'm sorry! Of course
I was wrong, and of course I failed. It's because I am a failure! I fail everybody
I know or meet, from you to Xefr to all my friends! I don't know why I'm even
trying, anything I say is worthless, or just makes everything worse. I can't help
anybody, and I don't know how to control my feelings. Around you Re'Ni, my head
goes moot and my heart's pounding is louder than any coherent thought, so I'm just
useless to you! Put your trust in Xefr, because I'm not worth any of it! He'll be
able to understand you at least..." Tec then dropped to the ground, and curled up
into a sort of ball, covering his face with his wings. He was almost silent, though
some muffled sounds made their way through. This also gained the attention of Xefr,
who looked over at his companion in worry.

� Reply #124 on: July 11, 2016, 06:08:49 am �

The confusion and clouds inside Re'Ni's mind start to clear up as Xefr seriously
explains to her the situation she came upon, and she finally manages to regain her
good old self ..the fact that Rysannox moved back inside also helped. Her tone is
now far more calm and serene, thinking that she overreacted..
Spoiler (hover to show)
{"Lizard quick to mistrust Xefr ..and Tec. No, lizard see not threat to Re'Ni.
...Re'Ni many years hid feelings, many years tried appear calm when not ...now
showed and now truly calm. Speaking for Tec ..no Re'Ni see not malice in eyes,
Re'Ni see l.."} as she turns to look on the shard and listens to what he said, it
was as if his words and body language pierced her right through her heart - she
knew these feelings very well herself.
She walked right next to him and turned her head over his. In a tone angry and
worried in the same time she shouted in desperation, not wanting any other being
suffering because of her.. {"LISTEN TEC. GET IT TOGETHER - YOU NOT FAILURE! ..You
know not Re'Ni, but gave hope for home - told Re'Ni live with Tec! ...You know not
Re'Ni, yet you showed affection and care when need! You know not this lonely stupid
lizard with demons in mind and embraced ..and this stupid lizard felt this. No.
Tec not failure. Care and Love never failure."} nearly withholding her tears and
not knowing what more to say, she just lowers her head down to the shard and
instictively licks his cheek then puts her snoot beneath his and tries to get the
shard to stand up.
Her entire body still shakes as she does, mixed feelings and thoughts revolving
inside her troubled mind as they always did.

� Reply #125 on: July 11, 2016, 01:31:59 pm �

With her prompting, Tec slowly stood up, stumbling a few times along the way. At
first his gaze remained locked on the ground, but after a few seconds he brought
his confused eyes to Re'Ni's. He stammered out some words, still on the verge of
breaking, "Sorry for that... I guess I'm not that stable. I really don't know what
to say, but thank you Re'Ni. Your words really help, maybe I'm less of a failure
than I thought. I meant everything I said, so that offer is still open if you want
it. I can still give you that home I promised, and frankly I would be overjoyed if
you accepted. Though, I'd understand if you didn't want it anymore..."

Xefr just watched silently from the side. He knew what Tech was offering, and
wasn't about to get in the way. Not like he had the choice anyways, the Ship did
belong to Tech and it wouldn't work without him, so he was allowed to invite people
aboard. Besides, Re'Ni interested the Drake, particularly in the fact that she was
apparently the last member of a long extinct species. One that was also apparently
was sent to defeat those strange harpy things, and closely related to his own kind.
He had a feeling she would be important in the times to come.
� Reply #126 on: July 11, 2016, 02:56:45 pm �
The female black drake leaned her head to the side while sporting a big smile,
looking slightly judgemental.. {"Of course Re'Ni wants live with Tec! But Tec must
treat self as treat others... not beat self, not kill self, but show kindness and
love to self. Re'Ni not want see good Valx cowering like that again! This is
order!"} her tone seems more serious and strict as she finishes what she had to
say, yet her smile doesn't leave her face ...she reaches even closer and places
her wing above the shard, covering him with it, while her tail unintendedly touched
Tec's tail. Her serene smile turned into a tremendously awkward one and she gave
out a loud nervous laugh "Hahaha ..oh, Re'Ni not meant to ..Re'Ni means.. ehm..
where is Valx starship?"}

� Reply #127 on: July 11, 2016, 03:58:20 pm �

Tec froze for a second upon the tail contact, but quickly recovered. Displaying an
awkward smile of his own, he chuckled, "Haha, heh... Understood Ma'am, I'll follow
your order to the letter! And my ship? Well... I suppose I should call it then, and
you can see it for yourself..." Tec closed his eyes for a bit, and a small psionic
ping went out. Soon, the Clouds in the sky broke as Soul's Eclipse flew down into
the lower atmosphere. Parking itself right over the sanctuary, the Vessel awaited
the passengers on the ground. This display caused the Shard to gleefully smile in
pride, "There she is! Nice and big, perfect size for a Dragon! Now for how we get
aboard... Say, have you ever teleported before?"

Xefr was content with how this situation had gone, and went back into the building
to get Rysannox. They still had a job to do, and he wasn't about to leave the
Ghashyr behind, even if he would make Re'Ni uncomfortable.

� Reply #128 on: July 11, 2016, 04:35:25 pm �

Re'Ni stood there admiring the big ship, she then adopted a snarky yet friendly
tone in her voice {"Self thought Valx ship big. But this big? Hahaha! Hope not lose
touch once in! Come visit Re'Ni frequently!"} she then turned back at Tec
{"Teleport? ..Tec means move-mind? Very hard ...Re'Ni cannot achieve"}

Inside the sanctuary Rysannox seems to be checking some holographic depictions of

the Galactic Map and comparing it to the picture with the stars and dragons from
the chamber "I found something interesting Xefr ..anyway, did your friend calm
herself? As much as I like Valxes, I do not wish to donate myself to one as a
healthy snack."
Xefr can feel someone mumbling inside him something about how ignorant and cheap at
speciesist humour the new species are.

� Reply #129 on: July 11, 2016, 04:56:28 pm �

Tec's smile only got wider, and while his tone was friendly it was underlined with
smugness, "Psionically teleporting is difficult, and while I know how to do it, it
really expends more energy than just flying there manually would, so it isn't
really worth it. But thankfully, this is where technology becomes useful..."
Suddenly he pulls Re'Ni close, "Hold on tight." The Shard's eyes then suddenly
flash, and Re'Ni can feel a tingle throughout her body, before everything goes
white for a split second. And after that incredibly brief moment, Re'Ni and Tec
stand within the same hanger that Xefr originally met Erixen in. The Shard
maintains his smug demanour, seemingly used to the teleportation process, "I hope
that didn't feel too weird, not everybody reacts well to teleportation."

Xefr had a hunch on who was mumbling, but didn't act on it. Instead, he simply
shrugged on the outside and spoke to Rysannox in his normal tone. "She has been
calmed, so no worries there. And while I'm interested in what you have found, I
must know if you are ready to leave. The Ship is here, and I wouldn't want to keep
its crew waiting. But if what you have found can't be discussed there, then feel
free to inform me now."

� Reply #130 on: July 11, 2016, 05:34:16 pm �

Re'Ni slightly jealous, rolls her eyes and snorts as Tec mentions he can
psionically teleport, but soon her interest to see the inside of the ship makes her
move on without a snarky comeback. The Shyrite dragon holds on tight on Tec,
perhaps too tight, and as soon as the teleportation is over she coughs a few flames
and looks at him silently at first, as if not liking all this recent smuggness of
his ...she nevertheless smiles and pats Tec with her paw {"Hahaha. Good - Not
weird. ...And yes; Not all react good to new things, but name's Re'Ni ..not All"}
As she starts to look around She stretches her wings and lays down {"Light not very
strong for bask. Special room for that?"}

Rysannox took a look on his findings before responding "I do not think it is that
important. Just some peculiar patterns ..we may as well proceed to your ship.
Erixen mentioned that it is enormous; As large as an Azgorlanor battleship and
larger! Heh, I see forward to judge with my own eyes since spacemen are known to
exaggerate a bit."

� Reply #131 on: July 11, 2016, 06:20:51 pm �

The Shard went into thought for a second, and then nods. The smugness disappears
from his voice, but he remains friendly, "I think the observatory in the upper
decks can fulfill that purpose. Its big, and the only real feature of the room is
its massive windows, so lots of light gets in. I think it would do for basking."
And then, in a brilliant flash of light, appears another Shard. Still
unmaterialized and in his normal blue color, and wearing his medieval-style dragon
armor, this Shard looks to Tec and snorts. "Welcome back to the Ship, Tech. And
before you ask, I haven't broken anything, just came to greet you and E..." That
was when he noticed Re'Ni, and snorted again. "Alright then... Tech... What the
hell did you do to Xefr? I don't remember him being female, or ever undergoing that
sort of transformation. And no, I'm not having memory problems right now, so don't
make that comment."

Xefr grinned, "Well, I don't know how big your battleships are, so I think I'll
need you to make the comparison. In fact, why not do with your own eyes right now?
The Ship is right outside, parked above. Come on, let's not keep it waiting." The
Black Drake then turned around, and proceeded to walk outside.

� Reply #132 on: July 12, 2016, 03:53:54 am �

While surprised by the appearance of the unmaterialised dragon, Re'Ni did not seem
to be startled by him. She instead walked near the energy being and laughed at his
own confusion.. {"HAHAHA! Not Xefr! Xefr still male.. Name Re'Ni and always
female."} She leans her head to the side a bit, investigating his appearance {"Have
heard and see of psionic spirits ..never see dragon though.. what be name? Hope
not malevolent spirit."} While appearing calm, some form of white power started
forming on her paw and her feelings where suggesting otherwise..

As they went outside Rysannox remained ecstatic at first and his eyes widened at
the sight. Being a spaceship enthusiast he was really excited to view a spaceship
as large, and one made by dragons nonetheless.. "Erixen wasn't exaggerating at all,
it actually is slightly bigger than an Azgorlanor battleship. What a magnificent
colossus! ...well, what are we waiting for? Do we walk in, or energise?"
� Reply #133 on: July 12, 2016, 11:55:33 am �
The Shard picked up on her actions and contradictory feelings, and simply snorted,
again. Looking straight at Re'Ni, he materialized himself and spoke in a clear,
slightly annoyed voice, "I wouldn't recommend trying anything, lady. I don't want
to expose Tec to a murder, so let's stay civil. I am the Guardian Shard, protector
of this ship. And I'm not a Spirit, because if I was then Tech would be breaking
down right now, especially if I was a malevolent one. I am a Shard, a collection of
memories and feelings given life. But don't think that makes me lesser, I am equal
to any Dragon in mind or body, for as you can see I can make myself material at any
time. Now... are we done here? I have work to do." After he finished, Guardian
conjured up what seemed to be a very large bottle, and started inspecting it.
Tec walked up beside Re'Ni, and tried to calm the situation, "Hey now, don't worry
about Guardian, Re'Ni. He's fine, and keeps the ship safe from ghosts and other
psionic nuisances. Besides..." Tec shot a dark glance at the other Shard, "Even if
he is supposed to be resting right now... He isn't the kind of drake to make a
stupid move..." The Guardian just shrugged at this, his attention seemingly focused
on making sure his drink was clean.

Xefr turned to Rysannox, and said one word, "Energize." The Drake's eyes flashed,
and then the Ghashyr felt the same sensation that Re'Ni felt before, as the world
went white for that brief second, before coming back together aboard the vessel.
However, Xefr and Rysannox were not in the same hanger as Re'Ni, but were off in a
side-hanger. The Black Dragon, seemingly undisturbed the feeling of teleportation,
once again looked at Rysannox, "Ready for a tour? Oh, and if you're feeling sick,
do tell, as not everybody fares well in the teleportation process."

� Reply #134 on: July 12, 2016, 12:17:29 pm �

Re'Ni lowers her paw and the white energy dissappears, she didn't like the tone of
the guardian shard though and remained slightly alert even after his explanation..
{"Hmmm. Yes. Re'Ni understands ...Guardian - Valx, but half-Transcendent. Good. If
spirit now dead."} she then moves closer to Tec and adopts the most snarky smile
she could while talking to him and discreetly pointing with her wing at the
guardian shard {"Hahaha...Re'Ni sees 'work' ...Self guesses guardian shard is
guardian of booze? If so; doing lousy job."}

Rysannox looks around with a big smile on his face, he wanted to bring his telecom
device out and take some pictures but decided against it as to not lose his
seriousness "Amazing! It is rather ...spacey! I like it! ..and no, I have no
problem with teleportation, I'm not a child. Now where should we go?"
� Last Edit: July 12, 2016, 05:59:07 pm by Taur �

With another signature snort, the guardian took a swig of his drink. This didn't
stop from speaking with his mind however, and he continued in a very annoyed tone,
"Go ahead. Laugh it up. It's not like I have to keep you alive or anything, so I'll
gladly cross another off the list of people under my protection. Less work for me.
Have a nice day." Still drinking, the Guardian's eyes flashed and in another flash
of white light he was gone.
Tec lightly chuckled at Re'Ni's words, "Heheh, yeah. Sometimes I wonder if he
considers drinking a personal skill of his..." He then adopts a more serious tone,
"But I would be a little careful. Guardian isn't somebody you want as an enemy, if
he is drunk half the time. The reason he was chosen to protect the ship was because
he is very strong, both physically and psionically. But anyways, enough about him,
let's go see the observatory, so you can tell me if it's any good for basking. I
think we all need some time to just relax, it's been an eventful day." Tec then
began walking into the hallway, and gestured with his tail for Re'Ni to follow.

Xefr smiled for himself, though it seemed hesitant, "I'm sorry if what I said
sounded like an insult. I did mean it, we've brought others aboard before and...
Well, I just like to give the janitorial droids advance notice. I apologize if I
sounded like I meant something else. Now then, there a few places we should look
at. While this is a very big ship, I doubt you'd gain much from seeing all of it,
so I will show you some of more important rooms. Those would include the command
bridge, the library, the primary barracks, and the mess hall. I'll let you choose
which one interests you, but I would also like to inform you that the library is
within walking distance from here."

� Reply #136 on: July 12, 2016, 07:11:31 pm �

Re'Ni did not respond at the guardian shard, yet her expression made clear that she
did not think highly of him ..she instead turns with a smile to Tec {"Re'Ni not
care for Guardian. Can protect self. Dealt with worse than many. ...but yes, Tec
is right; Day very eventful and full of new faces, time for basking!"} as they
walk, she gives a glance behind her at the Guardian with a worried look on her face
that turns into an aggravated one for a mere second ...she then walks faster and
comes right next to Tec, prefering to think of her and him relaxing together.

Rysannox laughs a bit "Hah! No problem good Xefr, I was not insulted! Only buffled
because children are usually the only ones that face -rarely- minor problems with
teleportation in our spaceships." once he listens the word 'library' his face seems
happier than that of a brat after having successfully pulled a pin prank on their
teacher "Library! I choose Library! No question about it. ...Alien dragon books
here I come!" He suddenly lowers his head a bit feeling slightly embarassed that he
actually said that outloud.

� Reply #137 on: July 12, 2016, 08:03:29 pm �

Tec lead Re'Ni through the hallways, and every once and a while a little drone flew
past, but otherwise there was no activity. Soon enough however, Re'Ni found herself
in a massive room, which was practically a glass dome on the top of the ship. Stars
all-around, with nothing obstructing the light or vision of those inside, it was a
nice place to look out into space. The only other feature of the room was a
singular console in the middle, which controlled how which windows were open. Tec
walked over to it, and with the pressing of a few buttons, the one or two closed
windows opened, opening the dome to the light outside entirely. He then turned to
Re'Ni, "So... What do you think? Good for basking?" He seemed somewhat anxious for
her answer, and nervously tapped the floor with one of his claws every once in a
while.

Xefr's smile became normal again, and he chuckled at Rysannox's enthusiasm. "Very
well, we shall visit the library. Plenty of dragon books for you to read there.
This way." The Black Drake then walked over to the door, opening it. However, this
allowed two smaller creatures to enter, both in armor and with their weapons on
their backs. They seemed to be the ship's security.
Spoiler: The Security (hover to show)
Xefr didn't seem to mind the two soldiers, and simply nodded to them in
acknowledgement. They responded with a salute, but then immediately went off to
inspect one of the fighter-craft in the corner of the hanger. The Black Drake just
continued on into the hallway, and gestured for the Ghashyr to follow him.
� Reply #138 on: July 12, 2016, 08:24:38 pm �
As they walked through the hallways and the drones flew past the two dragons, Re'Ni
gave them fast looks and clinged even closer to Tec ..she had to let go of all the
thoughts and concentrate on that single and nice one. Once they arrive Re'Ni starts
looking around smiling discreetly, she then lays down and takes off with her paws
her large necklace covering her neck's lower part and her upper chest ...it seemed
its function was to hide some pretty gruesome and deep scars that were propably
made by some kind of clawed animal. She turns to Tec and exhales a bit of hot air,
while looking at him with a big smile on her face and patting the floor with her
paw as a sign for Tec to sit next to her {"Nice for basking! Tec want join? ..like
company of Tec ..feel better."}

Rysannox looked at the two security creatures with his big smile still attached to
his face ..he didn't really mind them and even immitated Xefr's salute towards
them, as he was to interested on the content that the library could have to even
say a thing. He followed Xefr full of blissfull hype.

� Reply #139 on: July 12, 2016, 08:50:23 pm �

Upon seeing the scars, some images appeared in Tec's head, recounting horrible
incidents and memories. However, he quickly shook them off, as he didn't want to
break down again, especially not in front of the one who specifically told him not
to. Instead he flashed a smile, and went over to lay down beside Re'Ni. He
stretched at first, and then glanced out at the stars. But this didn't last too
long, as eventually his gaze turned back to Re'Ni. He was much calmer now, and his
tone reflected that, "Heh, if you still like my company... then I suppose I haven't
screwed this up just yet. That's a good sign." Then, he remembered something, and
his voice became more curious, "Hey, when we were talking earlier, you mentioned
some Ants, and an Ant planet. What's the story behind that? Of course, you don't
have to answer if you don't want to..."

Eventually, the black drake lead Rysannox to a massive room. The Library was lined
with row upon row of bookshelves, each of which were so tall that ladders were
available practically everywhere so people could get around. In the center aisle
however, there was instead lines of small terminals. And scattered about the room
were a few more of those security troopers, each reading books or looking at the
computers.
Inside, Xefr looked to Rysannox, "Here it is. A bunch of books I and the other
Shards collected over the years, organized by droid librarians. It's not much, but
it should be at a little insightful. The terminals should be able to help you find
what you need, or just give you the information outright by looking in the
database. And don't mind the Valorians, they won't get in the way."

� Reply #140 on: July 13, 2016, 12:23:25 pm �

Re'Ni felt for the first time in years truly happy with Tec by her side, she looked
at him with a big smile on her face, though her eyes seemed to indicate she wasn't
really sure, or confident about something.. probably because she was slowly moving
her tail and wing -this time purposedly- close to him {"Hehehe. Well. Re'Ni not
screw up completely yet either. That miracle!"} she was about to do something, but
decided to wait and go on with the much less awkward discussion about the ants
first {"Oh Ants! Come from Stars like New Valxes. Ants seem good-intended! Yes.
..but not sure. Ants mind-read like Valx too. Zagara Ant-Queen - very strong, but
troubled. Helped Re'Ni.. but Re'Ni left Ants to see Valx from dream!"} she suddenly
stopped and with a somewhat awkward smile she moved closer to Tec, mumbling her
words rather awkwardly {"Now talk about Tec.. ..what Tec like? Re'Ni told what
like.."} her tail remains still really close to his without however touching. Being
anxious to hear the response and without herself actually noticing it, she pulled
her tongue in and out several times and bit it softly.

Rysannox was looking around all ecstatic, while rubbing his hands together. "Oh, I
don't mind no Valorians, Midichlorians, or even plain Orians! What is the oldest
book about dragons that you have? Or Perhaps a book about ancient alchemy would do!
Oh, or dragon literature! ..poetry even!"

� Reply #141 on: July 13, 2016, 01:59:17 pm �

Tec didn't seem to notice Re'Ni's movement at first, but became aware when she
suddenly paused. This caused his eyes to widen, and he tried to stammer out a
response, "Well... those Ants do certainly sound interesting... though I must say
I'm glad you came, especially since I called you a ghost. How wrong I was..." He
awkwardly moved a bit closer to Re'Ni, "And what do I like...? Well, I like the
stars, and... I like your company as well Re'Ni..." Nervously, he moved his tail,
experimentally making it come into contact with the female's, but just barely.

Xefr grinned, "Well, I doubt you'll find any draconic poetry here, and if you do it
will most likely be horrid to read. The fine arts have never truly interested my
kind, and thus we are quite inexperienced when it comes to such things. though I'm
certain you can find ancient history books or old maps. Dragons started keep
records of past events somewhat early in our development, so I would say that is
our oldest pieces of writing. Should be over in that section, over there." The
drake pointed a claw towards a bookshelf over to the left, which was devoid of
activity. It seemed that the Valorians didn't enjoy history, or even nonfiction.

� Reply #142 on: July 13, 2016, 02:43:40 pm �

As Re'Ni felt Tec's tail she froze and her eyes just remained staring at nothing in
particular.. Realising what the nice dragon next to her was saying, her
emotionless facial expression slowly turned into one with a wide smile and nearly
teary excited eyes... She tried to speak some words, but she really didn't know
what to say, so she instictively closed up to Tec and as their snoots touched she
gave him a big kiss, her tail being now entangled with Tec's and shaking..
..her eyes seemed to glow with a subtle psionic white energy.

Rysannox raised his eyebrows "..really? Shyrite Dragons composed a lot of poetry.
Nevermind. History will do just fine!" He happily walked over to the abandoned
bookshelf and picked a dusty old white book with a big clawmark on it, as he opened
it his eyes were widened and he started turning the pages "Hmmm, Interesting! It
seems this kind of writing is not similar to, ehm, what I've studied ...Could you?
I mean ..if you have nothing better to do." He offered the open book to Xefr for
him to translate.
While waiting Xefr's response a misplaced magazine fell; it had a Watrike maid
polishing a spear in its cover (("Lizards...")) Rysannox thought to himself and
rolled his eyes.

� Reply #143 on: July 13, 2016, 03:17:03 pm �

Surprised by her sudden movements, the Shard didn't resist her. For a few seconds
after the kiss he was motionless, but then returned it. There was no visibly
marker, but Re'Ni could feel a buildup in psionic power within Tec.

-
Xefr saw the magazine, and snorted. "Let me handle one thing first..." The Drake
turned his head towards one of the security troopers, and spoke out. "Trooper!
Could you please go remind Guardian that while he can have his little magazines, he
must keep them in his room? We don't want Scout seeing any of that." The Magazine
then floated into the Valorian's hands, and with a salute the trooper left the
library.
With a sigh, the drake turned back around, "Now then... Alright, I can read you
some of this. Though not all of it, as we have to get to Lupa some time this week.
I can read you a chapter, though you could also put it through the computers.
Anyways, the first three chapters, as I can see, are 'Dragons in the Wild',
followed by 'Beginning of Dragon Civilization', and then finally by 'First Draconic
Cities'. Any of those suit your fancy?"

� Reply #144 on: July 13, 2016, 04:04:29 pm �

Soon, the two shy dragons joined each other and became a black winged mess.
...After a while the mess broke apart; the floor had a lot of scratches and Re'Ni's
crown was on the ground slightly broken. Re'Ni remained silent while lying next to
tec with their tails still entangled, she seemed to have a big awkward smile on her
face. Not even daring to look at Tec she grabbed her crown from the ground and wore
it, while giving out a rather awkward laugh {"Hahaha! Well.. ah! ...Re'Ni thinks
relation just scaled up! Ehm.."} she snorts and rolls her eyes at her own
tremendously lame pun, and just places her head next to Tec's with her eyes closed
and a true smile on her face.

Rysannox claps his hands in excitement, his eyes have a really ambitious glimpse on
them.. "Oh, I'd love to know your civilisations begginings! I could then compare it
to the civilisation of the early Valxes ..it might prove fruitful to revealing the
mystery of the Sanctuary!"

� Reply #145 on: July 13, 2016, 04:57:45 pm �

Tec, although exhausted, manages to laugh as well, though the pun seems to have
gone over his head. Looking at Re'Ni, he smiles. But then, he glances at the floor
and curses in his head. He would have to fix that all later, and explain why it was
there to Essentials when he asked, but not now. He covered himself and Re'Ni in his
wings, but he didn't feel like sleeping right now. Instead, he just layed there,
looking up to the stars. Times were changing, and thus far Tec was enjoying it.

Xefr nods, and then looks more closely at the book. With his mind, he flipped a few
of the pages until he got to the beginning of the chapter. "Here we are, I'll read
it out to you. Ahem, the first Golden Dragon communities formed out of convenience
of having more hunters or huntresses to scour an area and to protect it from
rivals. It was uncommon to see buildings, as these communities generally gathered
around large cave systems, which were perfect for storing food and materials in.
The caves chosen were generally in the sides of mountains, giving the winged
dragons an advantage over grounded feral competition. These communities were
generally lead by one Dragon who proved themselves as the strongest, and had the
duty of protecting the entire group as well as marking out good hunting sites.
Tools weren't often used, but sometimes the Dragons mined out more of the caverns
that they made their homes in, usually for the reason of having additional space
for the collective hoard. In these early days, conflict was not common between
these newly founded tribes. However, the more solitary dragons sometimes carried
out raids, and thus battles between these powerful individuals and the more
numerous communities ended up being a fact of life. But when tribes did form in
areas lacking in mountains, farming was adopted. Though that usually meant the
breeding and subsequent harvesting of domesticated animals, there were tribes who
did do it in the more traditional sense with planting crops, though this was
uncommon due to the draconic preference for meat. The discovery of fire and its
uses was a very small event in dragon history, as unlike most other sapient
species, dragons have a natural affinity for fire and already knew its uses. Raw
meat was rarely eaten because of this, and draconic technological development
happened quite quickly. It did not take long for the idea of 'outside caves', or
cities, to pop up in the minds of the more progressive tribes." Xefr then sighed,
and paused.
He then looked back at Rysannox, "There is a little more, but I don't think early
sexual relationships or farming methods are that interesting for anybody not in a
history class."

� Reply #146 on: July 13, 2016, 05:46:22 pm �

Re'Ni while falling asleep in Tec's embrace felt that something beautiful as the
stars above begun.. if it is to succeed and give hope and a cause to both troubled
dragons it is yet to be seen, but for now both seem more calm and hopeful than ever
before.
For the first time Re'Ni's dreams do not feature her alone, or in perplexed
confusing situations ..but simply show her and Tec flying in the stars.

Rysannox looks at Xefr as he narrates, his hand-claws are crossed and his eyes
while looking at Xefr seem to be travelling and making up images of these 'Golden
Dragons' ..as Xefr finishes, Rysannox shakes his head a bit and starts stroking
his beard trying to think "Interesting, extremely interesting! It seems Shyrite and
Heordite Dragons had the exact shame history development up until the Ghashyr met
the Dragons in the Red Mountains! From then on the collective of Shyrite Draconic
cultures would become nomadic herders, with cultivation being used only in the
desert as a mean to create technical oases the would hold grass and water for their
herds ..shyrite dragons also held fire in a greater regard, since it kept wild
animals away from their herds at night as they slept. ...ehm, no I'm not
interested in how dragons consumated early in their history, Heh! If I need to know
I'll ask Myrsa! But.." suddenly a thought crosses his mind "Does it mention any
marriage rituals? ..any 'bonding of the fireborn' perhaps?"

� Reply #147 on: July 13, 2016, 06:29:25 pm �

Tec himself was unsure of the future, but he really didn't mind. He was going to
face it, and hopefully Re'Ni would be at his side through the whole thing. And so,
while he did not sleep, he peacefully watched the stars, and would remain that way
until Re'Ni awoke... Or until somebody decided to go see what all the noise was
about. Tec was unsure about what he would do in that case, but he knew that his
stupid smile wouldn't die anytime soon.

Xefr looked back at the book, and grunted, "I'm afraid that's where the differences
begin. Because unless 'Bonding' on Shyr means the leader of the tribe seeing how
many of the opposite gender they can take before getting tired, then we have
reached a change. Marriage rituals didn't begin until a little bit after the first
draconic city-states popped up, and the idea of royal families was going around.
Though I'm also unsure what your Talmyr has to do with dragon mating..."
Considering the confused look in the old drake's eyes, the joke had entirely flown
over his head and into the next room.

� Reply #148 on: July 14, 2016, 03:36:53 pm �

After a couple of hours, Re'Ni woke up, but since she was not being used to
sleeping alongside other people she tried stretching her wings; for a few seconds
her mind was utterly confused why she couldn't, but soon she remembered, prompting
her to give a big smile to Tec while looking at him with sleepy eyes.. {"Heh! Fake-
death nice...mmm, need to stretch. Not used to Tec ...will do in future though!"}
She licks Tec's cheek and crawls out of his embrace, extending her wings and tail
while yawning ..Re'Ni then turns back to Tec with a clearly curious and somewhat
suspicious look {"Hmmmm. If Re'Ni and Tec Bond then Tec needs tell of self. Re'Ni
feels Tec good and likes Re'Ni, and this enough ..but Re'Ni like to know. ...And
then eat - Re'Ni hungry like Laor!"}
(Laor: The big cat of Shyr, the equivalent of a lion)

Rysannox raises his eybrow and taps his claws on his leg "Yes, truly different
...Shyrite Dragon Tribes only married Dragons of other tribes, during a religious
festival known as the Bonding of the Fireborn and the bonding was usually forever,
both the female and the male had the right to have a Tzi'Kha, a 'secondary' wife or
husband, but not harems ..also they never had cities, or any kings either, the
oldest dragon would lead the tribe; All dragons however paid respects to the Atzel
Tribe ...natural black dragons. As for my Talmyr ..well, she did tell you that
her ancestor mated with a dragoness, so... well, nevermind; We must be closing to
Lupa by now, I haven't been there ever since my father dragged us along in his
pilgrimage there."

The ship is now reaching the small serene Monastic world of Lupa.. from space one
can notice a rather light and comforting combination of faint green tints on the
continents and shiny bodies of water surrounding them ..the faintness is probably
a result of the far-away white star of Lupa and the thick fog of the planet, but
something seems peculiar as many of the mountainranges seem to be luminescent and
reflecting peculiar white light waves.

� Reply #149 on: July 14, 2016, 04:36:09 pm �

Tec moves to the side a bit, to give Re'Ni a little room. Doing some stretches of
his own, he then turned back to the female. Tec still had a smile on his face, and
nodded, "Alright, that makes sense. And I'm quite hungry as well, how about we eat
and talk at the same time? The mess hall should be empty at this time, so it would
be private as well. I'm not really sure where to start with myself, so you can ask
questions and I'll see where it goes. Come on, just this way. And don't be afraid
to talk along the way, would make the monotony of the hallways more bearable." He
then walked towards the door, with a little more spring in his step.

Xefr seemed a bit embarrassed that he forgot, "Ah... Yes, She did mention that. I
suppose I blotted it from my memory, made strange images in my head. Either way,
yes, Lupa should be close. Which means we should be prepare to be sent to the
surface. I suppose this means I should grab the Shards..." Then, Xefr felt a large
buildup of Psionic energy, and then the release shortly after. He recognized the
energy as belonging to Tec, which could mean two things. And considering that an
explosion couldn't be heard in the distance, it could only mean one other thing.
"And it seems that Tech has become unavailable. I'll call another for assistance,
and I suspect he will be more useful. Now then Rysannox, is there anything I should
know before we go visit the monasteries?"

The Ship placed itself in orbit of the planet, ready to transport its people to the
surface, or receive any transmissions if necessary.

� Reply #150 on: July 14, 2016, 06:30:07 pm �

The female black drake looked at her sharp claws and smiled in a sarcastic way as
she wore again her large necklace, covering her scars.. "Worse things than hallway-
talk exist for Valx to fear.."} she started walking next to Tec, and although a few
seconds earlier she claimed otherwise her voice seemed to be awkward as she was
making her question along the hallway {"Hm ...erm. Heard this ship Tec's. Where
learn about star-ship work?"}

Rysannox nods and waves his claw-finger "Actually there is something you should
know. If you haven't understood by now we are headed towards the most devout of the
segregation that slaughtered your species for religious reasons ...however, these
people in particular we are visiting, are truly devout and more interested in
peace, psionic healing arts, the divine and theology and will listen to what a
Dragon has to say if he speaks words of kindness, enlightenment and peace ...do
not mention -and avoid if it is mentioned- the slaying of Dragons, Dark Psionic
Arts, the Eternal Fire, or even Talmyr Myrsa's Draconian beliefs ..be calm and
appear devout; If need be, talk about the Benevolent Psionic Arts, or about Azgor
Tal ...as monks of Light they will be delighted to explain." Rysannox seems
worried and sighs "..and let me do most of the talking at start. Let's go, these
are the coordinations of the monastery we are visiting." He hands a small
holographic map of the planet with data and a pinned location to Xefr. ..then the
middle-aged steward pulls out of his clothes a small medallion of a white star that
is hanging from his neck and kisses it while muttering "Azgor guide us"

� Reply #151 on: July 14, 2016, 07:18:10 pm �

Tec seemed to think for a bit, and then responded, "Hm, well I learnt about the
inner-workings of star-ships from two people. I got the basics from an old friend
named Gyrn, a woman who built them for a living and was willing to pass on some
knowledge. I don't remember where she lived, but I know it's very far away, and
it's not somewhere I want to return to anytime soon. Anyways, then there is the
Drake Xorkai, another Dragon. He taught me quite a bit back on Heord, and once I
got hold of a shipyard I used what I learned to design and then build this ship. I
think I did pretty well."

Xefr nodded, "Very well, you do the talking. And if being devout is helpful, then I
certainly chose the right Shard to accompany us. Time to go." The Drake's eyes
flashed once more, and the teleportation process commenced, landing Xefr and
Rysannox right outside the designated monastery. However, there was also another
Dragon beside Xefr. This Shard, already materialized, gave off a much more calm and
collected attitude than his peers. His gaze was calm and while he looked fairly
normal, around his neck he wore a large golden necklace which also held a book just
under his head. This tome had no visible markings other than a few Ancient Draconic
words written on it, and was entirely colored white.

� Reply #152 on: July 14, 2016, 08:30:26 pm �

Inside Re'Ni's mind various interesting thoughts started revolving about foreing
worlds and this 'Heord' world, as well as silly ones of Tec building ships with a
hammer while the sun's rays shined upon his pretty scales.. ..she shook hear head
to get rid of the stupid smile that was forming in her face {"Ah, so Tec flied to
many worlds? And is builder, this nice and weird for Valx; Ghashyr do building.
Ehm.. now Tec's turn."} She tried clearing her mind of most of her bad memories,
and appeared rather worried about what Tec would ask her...

Rysannox raised an eybrow at the sight of the second Dragon, but he didn't seem to
mind.
As they walked straight towards the monastery, a crystallic white fortified
construction near a pond, they could notice peculiar and beautiful white light-
waves in the sky interracting with the colours of the thick forest surrounding the
path. Reaching only a few hundred meters away from the monastery its gates open and
a very serene and fair Ghashyr lady dressed in hooded white robes walked towards
them ..her eyes seemed to be extremely calm, as was her voice "Enlightened paths
to you, Lord Rysannox and.." suddenly her eyes widen and she gasps "I... I.. was
informed, but ..to view them from close?"
Rysannox makes a hand signal to the dragons to not do anything. He walks forward
towards the nun "I had the same reaction. It is a miracle for all of us,
enlightened sister.. ..this is the reason I wanted this meeting to take place
here."
The 'enlightened sister' cannot take her eyes away from the two drakes, her tone
now seems slightly worried, but calm nonetheless "Truly! Azgor shines in mysterious
ways.. well, as I was saying; all children of Azgor are welcome in this place of
care and peace. You chose well, brother"
Rysannox moves close to the nun and kneels before her, taking her hand and kissing
it, then rises back up "Thank you enlightened sister. I think we should move inside
..we have a lot to discuss." The nun, still frozen and looking at the dragons
responds mechanicaly "Yes... certainly."

As the group moves inside the monastery, all the white-dressed nuns and monks gasp
and stare at the dragons, a few nearly fainted but were held up by their peers,
some seem excited, others start praying. All kinds of emotions seem to have been
stirred.
The three travellers and the nun stop in the grounds of the monastery and silence
seems to slowly take its place again. Though the nun still stares worried at the
dragons.
A trembling hooded figure using a stick to walk approaches from the distance
"Rysannox my nephew! I haven't seen you ever since you were a small boy... and here
you are, bringing Valxes!" Rysannox runs close to him and tries to kneel but the
old man stops him and hugs him instead. The old steward feels rather guilty, yet
happy to see the old monk.. "It has been indeed a long time, uncle Serynor! I am
happy to see you doing well."
As he uncovers his face, a wringled smiling bearded face appears ..somewhat
similar to Rysannox's. He gazes at the dragons ..his tone seems to be completely
calm, even in the presence of these mythic species. "So, who are our winged
guests?"

� Reply #153 on: July 14, 2016, 09:07:33 pm �

Tec nodded, and seemed happy to remember those good times, "Yeah, I've gotten
around in my days. And you're right, it's really quite rare for dragons to build
anything themselves, but both me and Xorkai simply enjoy that bit of hard work." He
then paused for a bit, as he just realized that Re'Ni was telling him to ask a
question of his own. Sensing her worry, he tried to think of something that would
both calm her down and help himself stay steady. Then, he got it, "Alright, if I'm
asking the question, then what is your favorite food? Then I can see if I could
find something similar in the Mess Hall."

On the walk inside, Xefr attempted to appear calm on the outside, though he was
somewhat worried about the attention. His companion however had no such troubles,
and easily moved in relaxed manner, his eyes forward and undisturbed. Stopping a
respectable distance from the old monk, Xefr did a slight bow with his head. He
then spoke in a more composed manner, as he was more comfortable with the monk
seeming completely calm, "My name is Xefr, a pleasure to meet you sir." The other
dragon simply looked at the monk, and with a composed and even almost relaxed voice
he spoke, "I am known as Myst. I look forward to seeing what answers you possess."

� Reply #154 on: July 15, 2016, 06:50:57 am �

Re'Ni exhaled a big portion of air with some fire sparks too, feeling relieved by
the question's nature.. {"..Ah! Re'Ni love stuffed Jalaor drowned in Nyrnsanghor -
raw! Mmm!"} she closes her eyes, pretending to sniff the air and makes an a-ok sign
with her left paw {"Perfection! Just perfection!"} ..she then turns to Tec with a
fake evil smile on her face {"Not worry! If food not good then just eat Tec..!"}
and playfully bites Tec's snoot.

The old monk, bows his head to each of the dragons as they introduce themselves. He
then talks first at Xefr with a smile on his face and his eybrow raised "May the
Light guide you, my brother ...we are all brothers and sisters under the Light
here!" His face then slowly turns back to Myst "Hmm! Welcome brother Myst. If
answers you seek, then questions you must ask." he then points at a beautiful vine-
covered secluded stone balcony with many white pelts on the ground, big enough for
the dragons to make themselves comfortable at "Come let us sit and let words of
enlightenment flow!" ...He then turns to the nun from earlier "Sister Maa'shyan!
Bring us some Symvhal to drink at the external priory if you may!"
Rysannox appears to be satisfied with how everything seems to work out, even though
a few nuns and monks behind him stare awestruck at the dragons in a way that
everyone, Dragon and Ghashyr alike, would feel uncomfortable.

� Reply #155 on: July 15, 2016, 12:59:35 pm �

Tec chuckles, and smiles. "Well, I'll see what I can do. And if I fail, I promise
to be delicous!" He paused for a moment, still walking, "Hm, well I think we got
time for one more question before we reach the mess hall. Anything else on your
mind?"

Xefr and Myst both go over, and lay down on the pelts, though they remain quiet.
And while Myst seems entirely unperturbed, just looking at the vines and inspecting
the white fur, Xefr is hiding his discomfort. This causes the old drake to look to
Rysannox to do the talking.

� Reply #156 on: July 15, 2016, 03:04:14 pm �

Re'Ni doesn't even pause to think ..she wanted to ask that particular question
quite a while now. {"Yes. What Heord like? Many Valxes? Valxes Black like Re'Ni and
Tec?"} Her eyes are filled with anticipation amd her tail starts shaking again from
excitement.

Rysannox gets the point from Xefr, and as he sits on the soft pelt he starts
explaining.. "Well, Uncle. As it has been mentioned before, this is truly a
miracle. These Valxes, living and standing beside us ..they come from a far away
planet called Heord where many others exist and they so far seem to be good and
kind people. I thought the Church would have certain political-minded doubts and I
thought that if you could make them understand.."
Sister Maa'shyan arrives bringing two small barrels and two wooden goblets filled
with Symvhal. Being quite a large load for her small body, Rysannox offers to help
but before he could stand up, one of the goblets falls ..however, instead of
falling on the floor, it landed gently and slowly next to the old Monk, who drunk a
bit of it and laughed... "Sister Maa'shyan! I've told you before that rush is the
cause of bad luck! Next time take your time and bring them one by one!" ..Sister
Maa'shyan bows at her mentor and places the two barrels by the dragons one by one,
and lastly gives the second goblet to Rysannox.
The old Monk extended his hand "Well, let us discuss and drink, as brothers! Your
species reemergence is truly a miracle ..perhaps a second chance given by Azgor
Tal. I will talk to the High Mater in Shyr, but first I'd like to know more of
you... tell me of what you wish dragons; I recall you, Myst, search for answers!"
Serynor, remains gazing at the Myst with a curious look on his old, tired eyes.

� Reply #157 on: July 15, 2016, 11:10:25 pm �

Tec spent a little time thinking, and then smiled, "Heord is a nice place. Lots of
Mountains, but there is plenty of open sky to fly around in and many tasty critters
to catch and devour. Also lots of forest, and jungle. Now that I think about it
trees are everywhere on that planet, but it's not so bad. Thankfully there are also
lots of clearings, so finding landing spots isn't a chore. And there are plenty of
Dragons there, even in this space age they dominate the planet's populace." Then,
he paused, his eyes darkening, "...But they aren't black. Our species are called
Golden Dragons for a reason, as the majority of my kind have gold scales. There are
exceptions of course, like me, Xefr, and others like Ezron the Red. But as with all
societies, those who are different are generally looked down upon, so we face some
discrimination. Thankfully, the current ruler of Heord and the draconic populace is
cracking down on that, and with his methods it shouldn't be a problem in the
future, and very few of the bigots are left. And... Oh, we're here."
Tec stopped next to a large door, and after flashing his eyes it opened. Inside,
the room's major feature was the massive long-table in the middle that practically
stretched across the entire room, with room for thousands at once, or alternatively
a dozen dragons. As of now, the table was empty and the room had no occupants
besides Tec and Re'Ni, though there were a few janitorial droids patrolling the
room for any trace of scraps, ensuring the room was always clean.

Xefr picked up the drink with one of his paws, and took a look at it. He took a
small drink, and then looked back to Serynor, "As Rysannox said, we are travelers
from a foreign planet. We were approached by an explorer of your kind, who invited
us to your nation. I gladly accepted, as I would love to learn more about your
species and culture. Your religion in particular has greatly interested me, and I
was hoping you could tell me more about it." Once he finished his sentence, he had
a little bit more of drink, and channeled his psionic power into making sure his
mind would stay clear.
Myst ignored the barrel entirely, and simply nodded at the monk. "You are correct
sir. I seek answers in all things. From the lowliest insect in the woods, to
esteemed monks like yourself, as we are all pieces of a much greater thing,
connected through our souls. So, I wanted to hear your religion's interpretation of
the universe, for it may very well hold what I seek."

� Reply #158 on: July 16, 2016, 02:18:51 pm �

Re'Ni's eyes seemed to travel to these beautiful place Tec was describing,
imagining herself flying near all kind of Dragons with Tec by her side, above green
fields and forests, a place she could call home... ..she remained silent for a
while with a big smile adorning her face, being thrilled by the majestic image she
had drawn in her mind {"This ..this wonderful. Must take Re'Ni to Heord someday."}
she then adopts a slightly worrying sinister smile {"Re'Ni teach lesson about
Blackscales; In Shyr Black Valx considered wise and royal. Though superior wisdom
only stereotype, not truth - Black Valx is as good as other Valx... Hmmmm
...Heord deserts too? Re'Ni love flying above Great Gold Sea beneath.."} ..she
lowers her head a bit, feeling homesick, but soon her hunger overwhelms her {"Tec.
What food eat?"}

Rysannox drunk only a sip of the Symvhal and tried discreetly to warn Xefr that it
is quite a hard drink. As a barrel of it could most certainly make a dragon
slightly dizzy.
The old monk smiled, joined his hands and leaned towards the two Dragons standing
opposite of him, his eyes turn at Xefr.. "Ah, explorers. Hunters of the truth. This
is an enlightened cause and profession ..and since you both seem interested in
theology.. Heh, I am obliged to talk to you of the God of Light ..though I'm
certain that both of you may have felt his presence, or heard of him in some other
form!"
Serynor drunk some of his Symvhal and gazed out at the beautiful white lights
forming an aurora through the fog, he then extends his hand at the view "Look, the
God of Light!" he then moves his hand at the dragons "There, the God of Light!" he
then looks around and extends both of his hand "The God of Light!" he then joins
his hands again "Indeed brother Myst, as you said all souls are connected.. for
Azgor Tal is everything, the creator of existence, its divine guardian and
judge ..we are all his children, thus we are brothers. But as Azgor and Good and
the Universe exist ..so does Darkness and Evil and its Forces, corrupting souls,
stealing their morality and forcing them to deeds of cruelty and darkness. For this
every soul must seek enlightenment, not only for their own salvation, but for all
of Azgor's children.. ..only in that way, they may unite upon carnal Death with the
creator and become one with the Light."
Rysannox seems rather apathetic, looking down at his goblet of symvhal and sipping
some more.

� Reply #159 on: July 16, 2016, 09:40:39 pm �

Tec chuckled a bit, and smiled at Re'Ni, "Heh, will do. And yes, there is a desert,
only one major one but it covers half of the largest continent so I do not think
you will disappointed. I doubt it will be too long before we visit Heord again, so
the wait won't be so bad. In fact, the meal I thought to call for is from there.
It's something called a Fawri, or the Heord-Bison as the humans call it for some
reason. Very big mammals, with lots of meat on their bones. They also taste good
too. Interested?"

Picking up on this, Xefr slowly put the barrel down, though he had already had half
of it. He would have to focus a little harder to stay straight now, though on the
outside he showed no signs of uneasiness.
The two Dragons listened carefully to the old monk, and though Xefr thought him a
bit mad at his earlier display, both nodded in understanding as he finished. And
while his companion didn't make any comment, Myst decided to speak, "An interesting
interpretation of the psionic energy that binds us all, calling it a god rather
than a simple force of nature. And your faith certainly has credibility to it, for
I have seen much darkness and it does exactly as you say it does. I will have to
think on what you said, sir monk." The Shard opened his book with one of his
frontal paws, right to some blank white pages. However, the Shard's eyes flashed,
and suddenly Draconic writing appeared. With this done, Myst shut the tome closed
once more.
Unsure of what to do next, Xefr glanced at Rysannox, hoping in his mind that there
was a quick escape from the all the staring. Because while he didn't show it in any
physical manner, Xefr was quite worried that his continued presence here would
simply lead to more problems.

� Reply #160 on: July 17, 2016, 09:39:51 am �

Re'Ni licked her teeth and snoot with her tongue, while her eyes where filled with
anticipation to try this new plate.. {"Mmmmm. Re'Ni interested! Tec said big and
juicy? Sound good!"}
However as she looked around and noticed the large empty room, some questions
formed in her mind {"Seems tec and Re'Ni alone. Only three Valxes in ship? Ship big
enough for twenty.."}

-
The monks and nuns while looking intensely at the drakes beared no ill-will, one of
them even tried to approach Xefr's tail..
Rysannox noticed Xefr's uncomfortableness and made him a reassuring hand signal
that they would not be staying there long..
The old monk smiled to his ears and clapped his hands upon listening to Myst "We
all have to think and it is good that you have noticed the Light within, Myst my
brother. But I could not ignore that you spoke of 'force of nature' as it is
something descibed easily with mathematics. Even if what connects us is indeed a
force of nature.. ..how is it that nature itself is not something divine? How is
existence itself not a miracle and a gift given to us by the Light? Without Azgor
Tal, without Light, the universe would not exist and everything would be
nothing ..a dark emptyness. For this we have to maintain the Light, protect it and
spread it ...as prophet Marlaach said, enlightened be his name; 'The Light shall
shine for all!'" The old monk lays back and drinks some more from his goblet.
Rysannox stands up and in a rather unsure and shy tone adresses his uncle.. "This
visit was truly enlightening, dear uncle. But it is a visit and I'm afraid many
mundane tasks await us ahead ...I hope that you will talk about the good in these
Valxes' hearts to the High Mater in Shyr, when the time comes.."
The old monk seems a bit surprised and sad "You will already leave? I see, we all
are consumed by mundane tasks. I will talk to the High Mater and the Church
Episcopal Council regarding the matter ..these Valxes bear no ill will, and that
could help overcome the Dark past ..for Azgor reigns in the present! I will escort
you out..."
Rysannox nods to Xefr to stand up.

� Reply #161 on: July 17, 2016, 12:35:12 pm �

Tec grinned, and his eyes flashed. Soon, two groups of droids walked in with two
giant plates, and placed them on the table. On each plate there was a dead animal,
which looked like a buffalo but lacked horns and was much larger. They appeared to
be raw, but the droids also brought in large bottles of different liquids and
placed them beside each Fawri body. Tec walked over to one, and unleashed his fire
breath upon it, roasting it. He calmly sat down, and looked back to Re'Ni, "Well,
you're right. About two dozen dragons could live in this ship, but right now only 6
live here, but I suppose it's 7 now. Anyways, the reason this room is empty is
because we did spend quite a while up in the observatory, and everybody else has
probably already eaten at the normal time. We're a little off the schedule. And the
regular crew also aren't here because they eat in a different room entirely, the
secondary Mess Hall. That's why I said this would be private. Though... If you feel
like it, I think Scout is awake, and I could call him up here. He's another dragon,
though you'll find him quite childish."

Xefr stands up carefully, making sure not to hit the approaching Ghashyr with his
tail. He does a small bow of the head towards the monk, "Thank you, sir. I look
forward to the time where I can learn more."
As Serynor spoke to Myst, the book opened once more the writing continued to appear
on the same page as before. And once the monk finished, the tome closed. Myst stood
up alongside his companion, and looked back to the old monk, "Thank you for
sharing, sir monk. I will think more deeply on what you have said, on my own time
and into the future."

� Reply #162 on: July 17, 2016, 09:29:09 pm �

Re'Ni smiles and nods, while her hunger forces her eyes to be stuck at the big
juice animal {"Good! Re'Ni not mind dinner for two with Tec. No take this bad -
Re'Ni not comfortable with crowd. Now if excuse Re'Ni..."} she just plunges her
teeth and claws upon the raw animal and grabs a big part of meat, munching it in a
rather unladylike manner. Her snoot all covered in blood, she bears a very
satisfied smile {"Mmmm! Really Good! Re'Ni approves of Heord-food!"} she grabs one
of the bottles {"This Nyrn?"}

The old monk smiles and bows his head towards both dragons "It was enlightening to
meet both of you, brothers beneath Azgor Tal. ..and Myst, sensing your interest in
the Light, I would suggest a prolonged visit in our monastery; everyone is welcome
here." He gets up and the group starts moving towards the gates. The Ghashyr nun
who tried to touch Xefr's tail finally managed it and afterwards runs off giggling,
leading to Serynor saying something at her in Urvanyen that most certainly wasn't a
praise.
As they reach the gates Rysannox hugs his uncle, and then adds in a calm and
wishful voice "May Azgor Tal keep your paths bright brothers!"

� Reply #163 on: July 17, 2016, 11:18:52 pm �

Tec's smile never wavered at Re'Ni's method of consumption. Most of the Shards did
that, except for Mystic, who always did everything differently regardless. Tec
shrugged at her question, "Not sure what Nryn is, but if it's a type of wine then I
suppose it would be similar. And the bottles with the circles on the labels have
booze, normally only Guardian drinks that but I like giving all the options." He
then uses the claws on one of his paws to rip out a large section of the animal,
and then just drops it in his mouth. While chewing, he continues with Psionic
speech, "So... Any more questions on your mind? Or would you prefer we move the
conversation over to your life?"

Xefr subtly smiled at the nun's giggling, happy somebody could enjoyment at such
the simple act of touching a tail, even if it was the tail of a creature these
people apparently thought extinct. Speaking of which... he would have to catch
Re'Ni alone sometime and ask some questions. But he mentally shrugged, he had other
things to worry about right now.
At the exit, Xefr waved goodbye to Serynor, and said a final meesage, "Goodbye,
sir. This meeting was informative for us as well. I wish you the best." Myst simply
bowed his head. The Black Drake waited for Rysannox to finish before teleporting
the three back to the ship.

� Reply #164 on: July 18, 2016, 09:29:10 am �

Re'Ni drinks half of the beverage from the bottle {"Ahhhh! Rejuvenating! Taste not
like Nyrn, but not bad."} She takes a second big bite, this time the portion was
too big for her, but after some determined chewing she managed to gulp it down.
Upon hearing Tec's last question her eyes darken a bit and she lowers her head,
leading to a big sigh {"Self guesses Tec must know more than what food Re'Ni like
devouring... but want to learn of past life, or present?"} Her expression
indicates a certain discreet sense of fear and sadness.

Rysannox seemed to say something important to his uncle, to which the old monk
responded with a nod. Upon returning in the Soul's Eclipse, Rysannox turned to Xefr
with a wide smile on his face "Well, this went better than expected. Perhaps I've
been too distrustful of my own species lately. ..My uncle will talk to the High
Mater of the Church when the time comes, and his word matters quite a lot; We will
have to worry less about an aggressive stance from the Church of Light."

� Reply #165 on: July 18, 2016, 12:31:24 pm �

Tec ripped out another portion of meat before continuing, "Well... I don't think
the past is too important right now, and I know just as well as the others on this
ship that the time already gone by is filled with pain. So I really just want to
know what you were doing before you showed up in my dreams. Unless it's painful,
because if that's the case then I don't want anybody bringing out bad memories for
my sake. Too many problems have arisen from that before..."

The group had reappeared inside that same side-hanger, though the two Valorian
troopers were gone by now. The black drake looked to Rysannox and grinned, "That's
good. I'm sure that will mean a lot less potential problems in the future. Now, any
ideas on where to head next? I'm still unfamiliar to your lands, so I wouldn't have
a clue." Myst was off to the side, reading his book.

� Reply #166 on: July 18, 2016, 05:55:14 pm �

Re'Ni sighs again, but turns to Tec with a smile, and while she speaks it is clear
she is surrounded by uncertainty "Tec is good Valx ..but Re'Ni not yet.. not ready
for long past. Re'Ni will speak of recent past though. Tec deserves at least
that.." she takes deep breath and continues {"Last days long-awaited miracle
..Re'Ni had long lost hope but Wise-Ant came - helped Re'Ni leave dead home. Re'Ni
saw good in ant. Saw potential. Told Wise-Ant..."} Re'Ni suddenly stopped, her
expression was frozen from fear and her tail was shaking as she thought she could
have spilled out something important - part of her wanted to tell everything, while
the rest wanted to lie to someone that she cared for and whom cared for her... she
immediately got out of it by shaking her head and continuing talking as if nothing
had happened {"...Re'Ni was ready leave for Ant-planet, but saw Tec in dream - Self
felt dream real ...and even if not, even if just demons in head.. soul had to know.
So returned. Re'Ni glad did that..."} She moves closer to Tec and places her head
near his chest, trying to find comfort in him and away from her thoughts.

Rysannox kept smiling and bowed his head a little "...a lot less potential problems
indeed. I guess the last step is to make your appearance infront of the people of
Shyr ..Reunite two brother-species ...at least from a Shyrite prespective." After
finishing talking, his smile had been replaced by a facial expression filled with
worries...

� Reply #167 on: July 18, 2016, 07:11:31 pm �

Tec pulled Re'Ni into a sort of hug with his paws, and touched his head to hers,
"I'm happy you did that as well, Re'Ni. To think, if I hadn't taken that nap, we
wouldn't have even spoken to each other. Heh, the universe is a strange place. But,
thank you for telling me that, and not just for the compliment. You can tell me the
long-form edition whenever you're ready. There's enough suffering in my life
without forcing you to talk too early."

Xefr's smile faded. He went into thought for a moment, and the thinking expression
remained on his face as he spoke, "Hm, that is going to be more complicated than it
sounds, isn't it? It certainly wouldn't be a small, quick thing. And my own kind's
government back on Heord doesn't even know much of your empire anyways, I haven't
even gotten the chance to pass on the agreement we talked about. Perhaps we should
wait."

� Reply #168 on: July 18, 2016, 11:44:40 pm �

Re'Ni starts sobbing a little and letting out sudden awkward laughs, she hadn't
experienced such powerful feelings for as long as she lived; it confused her and
excited her at the same time. After a few seconds her sobbing turns into outright
crying, her smile still in place while looking at Tec's yellow eyes. She could not
hide herself anymore, not from him.. {"Universe truly strange. Re'Ni thought never
feel that, but.. Re'Ni loves Tec."} she takes off her necklace and places her
right paw on her deep scars, her claws making a perfect match {"Demons in head:
Much pain. Much anger. Much fear. Too much for just one Valx"} she then takes Tec's
paw with her left and places it above her right paw that still touches her scars
{"But for two, nothing..."}

Rysannox nods in agreement and strokes his beard "Yes, you're right; perhaps it is
too early... we should not rush such delicate things. I guess I will have to return
back to Shyr then and prepare the ground so when the time comes, the 'reunion' will
be easier for both sides."

� Reply #169 on: July 19, 2016, 12:30:26 am �

Tec uses his free paw, the one not placed on Re'Ni's chest, to take hold of Re'Ni's
free paw. As she speaks, tears begin to appear in his eyes as well, but they were
tears of joy. Not once before did he imagine himself in such a position, but it was
a welcome surprise. Still teary-eyed, Tec responded, "And Tec loves Re'Ni... We'll
face the demons together, both yours and mine, and we will win. No matter how long
it takes. That's a promise" Then, he went silent, but with a smile on his face.

Xefr nodded, "Very well, in the meantime I shall attend to some personal business.
Of course, I will first drop you off on Shyr, and when everything is set you can
simply call upon me. I won't stray too far, so I will most likely be able to
respond quickly unless something comes up. But I do hope you won't ask me to
deliver a speech when the time comes, I am no good at public speaking and will
simply embarrass myself."

� Reply #170 on: July 19, 2016, 01:00:07 am �

Re'Ni's heart was bumping so hard it could be heard from at least a meter away. She
nuzzled her head against Tec's, gripping his paw tightly and coming closer to him,
muttering a single word amidst her laughter and crying {"Together!"} ...she just
stood there with Tec, her hope burning brighter than ever.

The middle-aged Ghashyr frowned at Xefr and and then smiled "Bah! You're being too
harsh to yourself. I've heard so many embarassing speeches in the Saaryn Council
you wouldn't believe it. Anyway we will discuss how we will approach this once it
is time. Time for me to... Oh! I almost forgot ...I wanted to tell you something
about the map in the sanctuary, I found a peculiar pattern of red dots, here see
for your self.." Rysannox hands a holographic version of the ancient star map in
which three small red dots are pointed forming an equilateral triangle.

� Reply #171 on: July 19, 2016, 12:06:13 pm �

Tec remained silent for a while, just holding Re'Ni, letting them both get all the
tears out. But after that while, he lifted his head and whispered to Re'Ni, "Hey...
You want to finish that food? Together, I mean."

Xefr took the map, and quickly took on a look of confusion, "It's... a triangle? A
perfect one at that. That's strange, mind if I take a copy? And, do you have any
idea what this means?" Myst saw this as well, and walked over to take a look.
Before Xefr could try and explain, Myst interrupted him, "We shall have plenty of
time in the future for you to explain what happened on Shyr. For now, I'd rather
not waste more of this Ghashyr's time than necessary."

� Reply #172 on: July 19, 2016, 08:04:48 pm �

Re'Ni carefully wiped her remaining joyful tears from her eyes with her wing and
gave a small laugh, still sniffling a bit as she talked {"Haha-yes. ...need energy
to do other things together!"} She rips a big portion of meat and turns her head to
Tec with it.

Rysannox pointed at the three red dots.. "They're probably stars; yet they were the
only points on the map depicted with red instead of white, they where quite hard to
notice ..being far smaller than the rest of the stars." He then turned to Myst and
bowed his head a little "Indeed I have to protect the Empire from, heh, a
rhetorical dragon! Samael Valxaryen is not the most diplomatic person ..Anyway."
A voice could be heard within Xefr, slightly annoyed she said something about
younger species still being unfunny.

� Reply #173 on: July 19, 2016, 08:54:34 pm �

Tec was somewhat unsure on what Re'Ni was doing, but carefully moved his head
forward and jokingly licked the meat.

Xefr looked at the dots, and grunted, "Peculiar... I suppose that they must hold
some sort of importance. Thank you for showing me this." The Drake's eyes flashed,
and they seemed to do a sort of scan of the map. Then, it was imprinted in Xefr's
mind, able to be called upon at any time. Myst merely nodded silently towards
Rysannox.

� Reply #174 on: July 20, 2016, 08:00:47 pm �

Seeing Tec licking the meat, Re'Ni laughed loud and the meat fell down {"Hahaha!
Re'Ni know more effective way of eating meat!! ...Let illustrate to Tec!}" She
bites playfully Tec's snoot. However, not wanting to waste that fine portion of
food, she soon picks the meat back again with her right paw and rips out a big
part. Her eyes still being centered at Tec and bearing a blissful look, while she
munches the meat and making an annoying sound as she does.

Rysannox smiles at Xefr and makes a rather discreet version of the salute he picked
up from the ship's security earlier "Well, until we see each other again! Is there
a vessel? Or will you transfer me with the Soul's Eclipse? ...I hope you won't
toss me to Shyr from a cannon!"
The voice within Xefr starts shouting 'DO IT!' and mentions that such bad humour
deserves punishment.

� Reply #175 on: July 20, 2016, 09:18:45 pm �

Tec grinned, "Well, I suppose I will have to try for myself then!" He then used a
paw of his own to rip out another large portion of the corpse, and threw it into
his open jaw, crunching down as it landed. He looks back into Re'Ni's eyes happily,
still chewing the meat. Without moving his eyes, he continued speaking, "So... What
do you want to do after this meal is finished? The whole ship is open, except for
some of the more obviously off-limits places of course."

Xefr mentally told the voice inside of him to calm down, and grins on the outside.
With a calm tone, he responded, "An intriguing idea... A shame I don't own a
cannon. I was thinking of using the long-range teleporter, it's quick, easy, and
you aren't dragon-sized so it should work for you. And if you have the specific
coordinates of where you want to go, even better."

� Reply #176 on: July 20, 2016, 11:07:16 pm �

Re'Ni flipped what was left of the animal on the air too, but breathed fire as it
was landing in her mouth. When she finished she was still sporting the same
blissful look and silly smile while looking at Tec, but soon she shook her head a
bit and licked his face off some remains... "Mmmm, have idea... ehm, what place
Tec's favourite? Self want see! ..and then would love bath with Tec."

The voice inside Xefr mumbled something vulgar and stopped.

Rysannox laughed a bit at Xefr's continuation of his joke, yet deep inside him he
did feel a tad bit threatened in the case it wasn't a joke "Hahaha, well next time
you better install a cannon, you never know when you might need to toss a steward
of an empire in outer space!" he then adopts a more serious tone though.. "A
teleporter it is then; Good. That would save us time ...If you could direct me in
the continent of Urva, and Datha in particular, I would be much obliged." He brings
up his telecom device and points on a map of Shyr the exact location ..signified
by various numerals on the side.

� Reply #177 on: July 21, 2016, 12:08:34 am �

Tec grew quite embarrassed as Re'Ni finished her sentence, but quickly shook it
off. Regaining his smile, he responded, "Well... I guess the obvious favorite would
be my quarters. Though, I also like the Command Bridge and the Virtual Reality
deck. They're all places I feel relaxed in, though I do doubt the bridge will be
empty, or the VR deck. So, if you don't want to meet any of the Valorian crew, then
I suppose those aren't good suggestions... But, that bath does sound nice..."

Xefr smiled, and nodded. "Very well then. I suppose we shall see each other once
more when the preparations are made. Goodbye for now Rysannox, and I'll make sure
to see if I can get that cannon for next time!" The Drake's eyes then flashed, and
the Ghashyr was returned to Shyr.
Myst waited for the teleportation to finish, and then looked to Xefr. "So, you were
going to explain what that Psionic presence within you is, correct? Because I'm
sure you didn't think I wouldn't notice. That would be foolish, considering my
job..." This caused Xefr to sigh, "Well, I suppose it was just a matter of time.
And I guess I have been meaning to do this for quite a while, so here goes nothing.
Ahem..." Xefr then looked up slightly, and shouted out, "Cui, get your tail over
here!" The Drake then looked around a bit, seeing if anything happened.

� Reply #178 on: July 21, 2016, 08:53:12 am �

Re'Ni seemed excited Tec liked her idea, but also a tad bit shy too.. {"Hehehm
..perhaps bath then? Re'Ni love water ..underground lakes very big! ..and, hmm,
better Tec and Re'Ni be alone"} As she says the last part of her sentence, she
looks around awkwardly, though still smiling.

The adventurous middle-aged Ghashyr bureucrat finds himself again safely back home,
rushing to his office to fix every crisis that has errupted during his absence and
hoping that he will be given again the opportunity to explore ruins with Dragons.

When Xefr says the phrase, the tiny blue dragon materialises flying infront of him
...she seems rather angry and displeased "AHHHRGH! Finally ...to believe I had to
endure the presence of that annoying non-Qoatl youngling without being able to tell
him off! ..I thought you'd never allow me out! So, what is that you want Xery dear?
Did you miss me, or want me to help you with something? ...and Oooooh! A pleasure
to meet you fellow handsome Spirit!" Cui smiles and makes a draconic wing-bowing in
mid-air, by flapping her wings backwards and bowing her head for a mere second.

� Reply #179 on: July 21, 2016, 12:51:13 pm �

Tec was smiling, and then went into a state of thought, "Let's see... I doubt there
are any lakes installed aboard this ship, thought there is the showers..." Then
suddenly he brightened up and snapped his claws. "I got it! There aren't any lakes,
but there is a pool, and a large one at that! I almost forgot about it, as Scout
only recently made me install it. I was planning to remove it, since it served no
purpose, but I think I just found one. And it would be empty, as Valorians only
enjoy water when it's a drink, and everyone else doesn't use it that often. How
about that?"

Myst bowed his head a bit, and then inspected Cui, "Greetings. You must be Cui, if
what Essentials said is accurate. Call me Myst. Hm, you're interesting. Like a
Shard, but not."
Xefr sighed, "Yes Mystic, this is Cui. She's a psionic artificial intelligence if I
remember properly." The Drake then looked back to the spirit guardian, "And I
apologize for that whole ordeal, Cui. Never got a good chance to get you out before
now. Anyways, yes there is something you can help me with. You mentioned that I
have to go somewhere called Zuan'Lotl, and that the way to find that place was
looking inside myself. I'll have to say, I'm not sure how to do that. Advice?"

� Reply #180 on: July 21, 2016, 07:34:20 pm �

Re'Ni seems excited at the idea and a small glimpse of white energy forms for a
mere second in the core of her eyes. She bops Tec's snoot with her paw "Tec smart!
Re'Ni think great idea! Now, Let's go have bath!" in an extremely discreet and
swift way she looks at her side worried, as if she was looking for something evil,
even though nothing was there ..but immediately smiled as soon as she looked back
at Tec.

Cui giggles and then adopts a very friendly smile on her face "Oh, I know I'm
interesting! It's a pleasure to meet you Myst!" She then turns back to Xefr
sporting an angry frown "Oh, so it's just to help you... humph! Anyway, I saw those
three worlds your annoying youngling friend showed ..it must have to do something
with Zuan'Lotl. My data mentions that for Zuan'Lotl *cough* the Link-to-Past, to
appear ..three reds must dissappear. ...Now get me some Ice Cream and a backrub!"

� Reply #181 on: July 21, 2016, 09:51:19 pm �

Tec grinned at the praise, and gladly turned towards the door. He quickly looked
back to Re'Ni, "Let's go then. The pool isn't far down the hall, just this way."
Then, he happily walked into the hallway, with his tail making a "follow me"
gesture.

Myst grunted, "Then I suppose we must make those red dots there disappear. I doubt
that it will take long, so finding that Zuan'Lotl shall be easy." Xefr grinned and
looked at his companion, "No questions Mystic? That's quite unusual for you. But
you're right. That's out next objective." The drake then looked back to Cui, "Well,
I'll see what I can do about that backrub, but for now you'll have to settle with
ice cream from the mess hall and watching the stars as we take a trip to the first
red dot on this map. We'll start with the closest one." Xefr's eyes then flashed,
and the ship began to move.

� Reply #182 on: July 22, 2016, 01:18:07 pm �

The black dragoness laughed at the cute tail gesture and followed Tec, for a moment
she stood and turned her head back at the same direction ..Re'Ni was feeling the
presence of something powerful and dark coming from there, but tried persuading
herself that it was just her mind playing tricks on her and moved on.
As the two dragons were walking in the hallway and nearing their destination she
noticed it again, but decided to distract herself by talking to Tec... {"Sooo...
Re'Ni live in self-room or with Tec? Hope with Tec."}

Cui smilled and closed up to Xefr "Awww! That sounds sweet ..even without the
backrub!" She then turn her head looking at Myst while still evidently talking to
Xefr "I wouldn't be as sure as your friend-spirit over there about this whole dot-
thingy being easy though, especially considering the kind of mentality the Qoatl in
this ship share... No offense! We all have our ups and downs."

� Reply #183 on: July 22, 2016, 02:40:19 pm �

Tec chuckled and responded, "Well, that's your choice. There are the guest rooms
and spare bedrooms that you could take if you wanted. But, I can't say I'd object
to you moving in with me, so that option is open for you." Then he paused, and took
on a more serious tone, "Re'Ni... What's wrong? You're acting like Guardian before
he... well, breaks. But if it helps, I can assure you that the dangers aboard this
ship cannot touch you. I saw to that personally a long time ago..." Tec then looks
to his left-front paw, muttering something incoherent.

Xefr nodded, "I suppose that's true. The mentality we all share is the same, simply
broken up in pieces and divided among us. We all have problems. But we'll see this
through to the end."
Myst snorted, "We shall see about that. But, now that the ship is in motion, let's
handle something we can do now. That being, the explanation of just what is going
on here. And, I want you to do it, Cui. Essentials can worry about that Ice-Cream
or whatever." The Shard then pointed a claw at the floating entity.

� Reply #184 on: July 22, 2016, 08:03:40 pm �

Re'Ni's face was beaming through her wide smile when Tec agreed on them living
together, soon however her smile vanished and her eyes assumed a dark gloom as Tec
finished talking. The dragoness started breathing intensely and her tail was
shaking, she tried it holding it off and started talking in a cracking voice..
{"Heh, like Guardian. Re'Ni always like that... ..felt massive darkness, massive
like when..."} Re'Ni blacks out for a moment, her eyes seemingly staring at nothing
in particular ..in an instant she snaps out of it and falls to the side,
huffing ...she turns to Tec while still down, looking confused and sad at the same
time {"Not felt that in long time.. Dark near; not know if real or mind-demon, but
powerful and haunting Re'Ni. Not know if can bear, but try ..for bath with Tec!"}
Re'Ni slowly stands back up and comes near Tec...

Cui frowns, feeling quite insulted by Myst's manners ..she flies infront of him
and transforms for the split of a second into a giant-sized blue cybernetic shadow-
dragon entity {"D?O?N??'??T? ???T?ALK??? T???O?? ?M???E?? ?IN??? ?T??HA?T??? ??T?
O??N??E? ??M??I???S??T?ER???!?"} she then comes back to her normal tiny self and
puts on some glasses while talking in a serious and far more calm tone "..Anyway, I
will try to explain, even though my resources are limited; Xery was chosen -after
he awoke the Scion and was deemed fit- to be the one who stops the damn harbringers
and brings balance to the cosmos. To do so he must got to a place called Zuan'Lotl,
the Past's Link ..so he can acquire another great weapon, from *ugh* someone..."
The glasses disappear "That's it, I don't know much else ..and be nice, or I'll
hold a grudge."

� Reply #185 on: July 22, 2016, 11:47:48 pm �

Tec snapped out of his mumbling as Re'Ni fell over. He went over to her as she got
up, and pulled her into a hug of sorts. He looked at her with a sad smile,
"Alright, you win. Let's go have a bath, the demons can wait til later." With that,
he lead Re'Ni down the halls, into a very large room. The most prominent feature
was the pool in its center, which was easily big enough to provide plenty of space
for a dozen dragons to swim. The water was clear, and appeared to go quite deep as
well. Off to the side, there was a hot-tube, though it was much smaller than the
pool and could only fit a pair of dragons a most. The room was entirely devoid of
activity, completely empty. Tec stepped forward towards the pool, and looked back
to Re'Ni. In a somewhat nervous voice, "So... What do you think of it? I'm sorry if
it's underwhelming..."

Myst was unfazed by the transformation, and was surprisingly calm through the
explanation. When Cui finished, he responded, "Interesting transformation you have
there. Is it also your battle-form? That's not an insult by the way, I'm genuinely
curious. But anyways, I suppose that story makes sense. Another adventure it is.
Though I suppose this person that guarding this great weapon is somebody you are
not a fan of, Cui?"
Xefr looked over, and spoke to Cui, "I will warn you now, Cui. Getting Myst to
improve his personality is an uphill battle, in which you are only armed with a
rotten banana. Actually, another shard named Gatherer put it best. I think it was,
'The only reason Mystic's attitude hasn't gotten him killed his because the Grim
Reaper himself is unwilling to put up with it. Thus, he ensures that the universe's
motions never kill Mystic, lest the gatherer of souls have to deal with his crap.'
Or something like that."
Myst rolled his eyes at that, and responded in his ever calm voice, "Yes yes, very
funny. But I will warn you now Essentials. If this journey is anything like the one
on Silcor IV, let's just say Durazor isn't here to save us this time..." Xefr
grimaced to this, and didn't respond.

� Reply #186 on: July 23, 2016, 01:45:42 pm �

Re'Ni stood there before the pool in awe for a minute, a big childish smile was
adorning her face.. {"This Perfect! LAST TO REACH WATER BE OVERFED JALAOR!"} she
moves swiftly backwards and then runs while roaring, jumping with her wings closed
inside the water and causing a great wave. She pops her head out and smiles at Tec
{"Come!"}

The tiny artificial blue dragoness laughed at Xefr's jab aimed towards Myst and
landed over the black drake's shoulder like an earthican colourful bird would..
"Hahahaha-ahh! A rotten banana! I guess *snicker* if I told mr Myst here that this
rotten Banana upon being eaten would reveal to him all the mysteries of the
universe, I would have won and he would spent the rest of the day in his quarters."
Cui thinking a bit flies over to Myst and pats his head "Sorry I did not meant to
act like my brothers, you seem like a nice Qoatl! As to your question *sigh*
..let's say we have different worldviews and sense of humor."

As the Soul's Eclipse approached the first of the three remote systems everything
appears to be normal in the system's organs. Everyone could notice the bright red
star on its center, though a more careful watcher could notice something peculiar
about the star ..as if it was covered by a red shield of shorts instead of it
being its natural colour. Furthermore while it is evident that there is no life
nearby ..the third planet, an arrid red planet with a thick and slightly toxic
atmosphere, seems to produce a very strong psionic aura.
Various voices can be heard inside Xefr {{"Come Warrior! - Hahaha, Finally! - Let's
Dance!"}}

� Reply #187 on: July 23, 2016, 02:47:44 pm �

Tec grinned, and made a step back. Then he sprinted forward and leaped into the
air, doing a little spin and landing in the water head-first. After the waves
cleared, his head resurfaced next to Re'Ni's with a smile. "Heh, I had forgotten
how good the water feels on my scales. I don't regret installing this at all."

Xefr smiled at Cui, though Myst simply rolled his eyes. The patting of Myst's head
went ignored, though he nodded at Cui when she finished her sentence, "Makes sense,
I know people like that, and getting along is difficult sometimes, but I manage."
The Shard then looks over at Xefr for no particular reason.

Upon hearing the voice, Xefr looked back to Cui, "Anything else to tell us before
we go down to the surface? I suspect that red planet has something to do with the
red dot on the map." While saying this, the Drake was channeling his psionic powers
to prepare himself for a toxic atmosphere.

� Reply #188 on: July 24, 2016, 12:11:29 pm �

Re'Ni smiled and licked Tec's snoot {"Water looks good on Tec too!"} She then moved
her left front paw between them, facing upwards and started creating a white
psionic energy ball {"Look; Dive and hear!"} underwater one can hear a multidute of
soothing warm sounds similar to wind bells, coming from the energy ball ..combined
together they seem to create some kind of music, connected to the feelings of the
souls present.

Cui seemed a little bit unsure upon hearing Xefr's question.. "Not much, just that
this is not Zuan'Lotl ..only a way to move a step closer to it. From what I
suspect from the voices , you might need to be calm and alert at all times. The
*sigh* 'greatest of all times' is really carefull as to whom she allows to
enter ..so expect a test." She tilts her head next to Xefr's and mutters very
silently "Now, about that icecream you promised?"

The planets surface is an unnaturally bright red, with no life on it and many
volcanoes sprouting lava. The red light from the star of the system multiples the
effect and thus everything in this world seem to be coloured red, from the sky to a
black dragon ...the psionic trail leads to a great cave, beneath a volcano.

� Reply #189 on: July 24, 2016, 02:29:48 pm �

Tec grinned at the ball of energy, and submerged. Enjoying the music, Tec began to
swim around underwater, circling the orb and Re'Ni, performing a dance of sorts
with twirls and spins. He hoped to see his feelings of joy reflected in the music,
but then paused. Looking to Re'Ni, Tec spoke out, "Come on Re'Ni! Have some fun!".
Then, we went back to swimming, clearly having a good time.

Before teleporting down to the planet, Xefr grinned at Cui. "Well, guess I will be
careful and ready for the worst. Thank you for the advice, Cui. Oh, and thank you
for reminding me." His yellow eyes flashed blue, and a little ice-cream cone with
sort of pink ice-cream dropped into Cui's hands. And then, they teleported to the
surface of the red world.

On the surface, Xefr looked around at the barren wasteland, noticing the red tint
to everything. He was thankful that he was a dragon, and that the heat was not much
of a bother to him, but he remained cautious. He didn't trust that he could survive
too long submerged in lava. Myst stood alongside him, though the Shard had
dematerialized and was in his natural state of blue transparency. Xefr turned
towards the volcano, and began walking forward, following the psionic trail. Myst
made sure to keep up with his companion, but mid-walk he tried talking to Cui, "You
mentioned that there would be a test. Since this is only one of those red worlds,
are you saying that this other fellow will make us go through three tests in order
to find Zuan'Lotl?"

� Reply #190 on: July 24, 2016, 08:12:15 pm �

Re'Ni smirked {"Fun? Re'Ni show Tec fun!"} She followed Tec underwater while making
small whirpools with her wings and occasionaly jumping up to the surface, breathing
fire and watching it as the evaporated water fell back as drops in the pool. She
even tried catching Tec's tail quite many times as he moved underwater ...finally
managing it, she pulled Tec close to her with her wings and paws, talking to him
psionically in a rather suggestive tone {"Caught something while fishing in pool!
Should Re'Ni eat it, or let it back to swim free?"}.

Cui smiled and gave Xefr a peck on his forehead, then proceeded to enjoy the
icecream. However once they teleported on the planet the heat caused the ice cream
to melt fast, forcing the tiny blue drake to eat it hastily ...then getting a
brain freeze and remaining silently in pain for a few seconds.

Cui after overcoming her brain freeze tried talking to Xefr "Yes. But i don't know
what we will face ..I have limited information about all these worlds."
Deep inside the cave, a big shadow emerges, its footsteps can be heard echoing
loudly as the three explorers walk further inside.
The shadow is now revealed; it is identical to Xefr, only with a vicious look in
his eyes. Behind him is a red orb floating.. "I HAVE LONG WAITED FOR THIS
OPPORTUNITY; To meet my weakling self! I know you better than anyone Xefr! You love
no one, you care for no one ...and for that you are a weakling. You cannot pass
through me, because you're just a pathetic mutated golden dragon freak, and a
coward that would never fight someone stronger for something greater than you. You
claim you know so much, yet you know nothing! All this pain and sorrow you have to
go through every day is because of me. You disgust me and I love to see you
suffer!" The 'mean Xefr' seems to be overhelmed by anger and pain.
Cui doesn't seem to be intimidated, however being worried about Xefr she talks to
him psionically {"Don't let him get to you!"}

� Reply #191 on: July 25, 2016, 12:30:58 am �

Tec was quite surprised when she caught his tail, but smirked as he was pulled in.
With an equally suggestive tone, he responded, "Well, you caught it. It would only
make sense if you had your way with it..."

Upon seeing the shadow, Xefr froze up. The words didn't even register in his mind,
as he was already panicking at that familiar sight. Myst however, while surprised
at first, recovered quite quickly and gave his companion a slap on the back of the
head, scolding him as well, "Snap out of it you dolt! That's not Forbidden, 'tis
merely a shoddy knockoff created by this cave. It's a test, remember? Now
straighten up! Or else I'll have to leave you behind."
With that violent pull back into reality, Xefr squared up and looked directly at
the shadow. He responded in a calm tone, "Perhaps some of what you say is true. I
am a mutant, for my scales are colored wrong. And it's true that I know nothing,
even I believe to have seen so much. But you are also very wrong. I have cared for
others, both those living and deceased. I know that, because the passing of those
individuals wounded me beyond belief. And I know for a fact that you are the cause
of nothing in me. My suffering is attributed to none but myself, phantom. All of
myself, from the body standing here and the monster locked up aboard Soul's
Eclipse. You, are nothing but an illusion in a cave, the cause of naught but a mere
nuisance. Now, get out of the way, or I will have to break a promise I made to
myself long ago." To emphasize his point, Xefr's eyes began to glow with a faint
blue energy as he finished his final sentence.

� Reply #192 on: July 25, 2016, 07:47:38 am �

Re'Ni pulled Tec on her with her tail, biting him tenderly as they engaged into
some 'underwater operations'. Afterwards Re'Ni quite exhausted placed her upper
body out of the pool, while tapping her paws on the floor and moving her hint legs
happily in the water. She turned to Tec with a beaming smile {"Re'Ni can get used
to this life!"}

The 'mean Xefr' laughed so loud, it shook the cave and caused many small rocks to
fall "HAHAHAHAHA!!! Just an illusion? Is that what you think? You come to this
ancient place and think I'm 'jist in illisiin'? Yes, perhaps I was created the
moment you set foot in this cave, but I am as real as can get, weakling!" He comes
closer and from all indications he seems to be real, he turns looking at Xefr and
with a swift move of his left wing he slaps Myst quite hard, without really causing
him harm though. "I. AM. YOU. ..that's why I hate you! Come try hitting me
coward! Try your hardest and put all of your might. ...I know you want to, you
don't care for love and compassion ..power thrills you; the ability to take lives.
SO, do it! Let's see how hard you can hit."
Myst can feel something strange about the slap, it did hurt but it felt as if it
was a kind of solid energy hitting him rather than an actual wing. Furthermore the
more strange part is that Xefr who was not touched at all by the slap, felt a small
pain on his left wing when the mean illusion slapped Myst.

� Reply #193 on: July 25, 2016, 02:36:50 pm �

Tec's tired form surfaced as well, resting himself right beside Re'Ni on the edge
of the pool. With a blissful smile of his own, he turned to Re'Ni, "Heh... I think
Tec could also get used to this life. And look! We're all clean now. I mark this
bath as a success, for more reasons than one of course... You know Re'Ni, I'm
really glad I met you. And it's not just because I like you a lot, but because I
think you are like a sign. A sign that things can improve, for me and everybody
aboard this ship. So thank you, for being a new source of hope."

Myst grunted at the pain, and then looked the Shadow straight in the eyes, "And you
call yourself Xefr? Ha! Even Scout could hit me harder! Source of suffering my rear
end. Now could you get out the way please? There is a test that apparently needs to
be done, and I'd rather get to it as soon as possible." Instead of responding like
his companion did, Xefr was more interested in the pain in his wing. He decided to
try something while Myst was talking, and banged his tail against the wall with all
his might. And while the intense pain he had forced upon himself made it difficult,
he watched the Shadow to see if it reacted in any way. He also made sure to watch
the red orb for any movement.
� Reply #194 on: July 26, 2016, 03:52:50 pm �
Re'Ni was unsure if she wanted to cry, or give Tec a big hug after hearing him say
what she herself feeled about him ...she finally chose to do both, by covering him
with her right wing and giving him a lot of kisses {"No, thank Tec! All this time
hoped for something, for someone to love, to help and be helped ..and met Tec. No
one can hurt Re'Ni and no one can hurt Tec anymore."} her psionic energy seems to
form small sparks around her eyes and body. After remaining hugging with Tec for a
while, she turns to him in an excited tone {"Perhaps now see where Re'Ni live? Now
clean - won't make mess of Tec home!"}

When Xefr banged his tail hard against the wall, the shadow gripped his teeth and
nearly fell down by the sudden pain ..he then turned to Xefr with a smug smile in
his face, his eyes still remaining undaunted "You found the way, I see ..now you
know how to kill me. So, do it; Do what you should've done a long time ago!
Liberate the universe of Xefr's existence. It will be the best day of my life!
There's no other way, but violence and death!"
The red orb behind the shadow dragon remains in position, floating still.

Re: Xefr's Adventures: The grey meatbags

� Reply #195 on: July 26, 2016, 05:32:16 pm �
Tec accepted the hug, shedding a few tears of joy as Re'Ni spoke. Looking back into
her eyes, he responded happily, "I think that's a good idea. Guess it's time to
show you to my quarters... Hm, though I suppose I should start calling it our
quarters now."
But as Tec started to get up, there was a sudden flash of light at the entrance the
dragon couple had used to enter the pool room. And standing there, was the Guardian
Shard. Fully materialized, he was in a combat stance, with the mace on the end of
his tail's armor burning with a blue flame. His eyes quickly darted around the
room, and he noticed the two dragons in the pool. Guardian then took on a look of
confusion, and his tone reflected it, "What...? There was a burst of psionic energy
from here..." That was when he noticed the massive smirk growing on Tec's face, and
groaned. The flames dissipated, and the combat stance was abandoned. In a more
normal tone, he continued, "Of bloody course... That also explains the energy burst
from the observatory. Well, this is certainly awkward, for me at least... Erhm, so
I suppose this means you two are getting to know each-other well?" Guardian was
clearly uncomfortable, though Tec was certainly enjoying the show as evidenced by
his grin.

Xefr sighed, "Ah... So you the embodiment of that little voice. Well, I'm sorry to
disappoint you but I scheduled the suicide attempt for late next year. Too late to
reschedule it as well, so your best date has to wait. Now Myst, I think you know
what happens next, since this fellow has refused to get out of the way..." The
Black Drake suddenly banged his head on a nearby wall, and nearly knocked himself
unconscious. Meanwhile, Myst got the hint and looked towards the red orb, grinning.
His eyes flashed, and as he channeled his psionic power he attempted to throw the
orb to the ground with as much strength as he could muster.

� Reply #196 on: July 26, 2016, 06:16:28 pm �

Re'Ni initially froze upon witnessing the Guardian's entrance and his hostile
stance and immediately started to form discreetly a small energy sphere on her paw
just in case ..as soon as she understood there was no threat though, the energy
sphere disappeared. Watching Tec and Guardian speaking about what happened earlier,
her eyes and facial expression were overwhelmed with awkwardness.
She got out of the pool and slowly walked towards Guardian, her tone being rather
abrupt - probably due to her being a bit unsure about the whole situation.. {"Hmm,
well. Yes, Re'Ni and Tec found much in each other ..and no, not just what warrior
Valx think. Re'Ni cares for Tec. So, ehm, be understanding..."} As she spoke she
sported a small frown and her eyes moved swiftly to the left and right, avoiding
eye-contact with the Guardian shard.

The shadow fell unconscious at the same time Xefr did, only managing to utter the
word "CHEATER" before falling to the ground. When Myst touched the orb, it remained
still and started absorbing red psionic auras from all over the planet and starting
to grow bigger and bigger, the ground started shaking and the volcano that stood
above the cave started showing evidence that it was about to errupt, with lava
bursting out of various positions and the cave's ceiling starting to collapse.

� Reply #197 on: July 26, 2016, 07:05:36 pm �

Guardian took a step back, and hastily started talking, "Ah, yes, of course, I get
it. Good to see that both of you honestly enjoy each other's company for reasons
besides the other's body. Um... So, next time you two decide to engage in such
activities, it would be appreciated if one of you sent out an all-clear when your
finished... Then we wouldn't have to worry about repeating this awkward situation
in the future... Erhm, yeah, that's all I think. Uh, I think I'll get back to my
duties now!" The Warrior Shard hastily teleported away, leaving the couple alone.
Behind Re'Ni, Tec walked up with a grin on his face. Suppressing his laughter, he
spoke, "Heheh... Ah, that's Guardian for ya. Bails on awkward situations as quickly
as possible, never been much of a talker. Anyways, let's go Re'Ni." The happy
dragon then began to walk down the hall, with a noticeable amount of joy as well.
He had been enjoying himself, and got the rare opportunity to embarrass Guardian as
well. Today was a very good day.

Myst cursed under his breath, saying some very bad things in draconic. He quickly
yelled to Cui, "We're leaving! Move!" He grabbed his unconscious companion, and
using psionic power to help his strength, began to pull Xefr as he ran out of the
cave. Myst's eyes also flashed as he ran, prompting Soul's Eclipse to begin the
teleportation sequence and get the group off this planet.

� Reply #198 on: July 26, 2016, 08:45:12 pm �

Re'Ni felt a tad bit unsure of the Guardian shard's stance and feelings, but she
decided to shrug it off ..this was indeed a very good day and she would not spoil
it with her idiotic thoughts. As Guardian teleported, Re'Ni winked and smiled at
Tec playfully {"Hmmm, somedragon seem happy that Warrior-Valx found out! Naughty!"}
As she walked besides Tec, she couldn't help but feel glad for Tec being so joyfull
and for how things had worked out so far.

Cui was a little bit lost due to processing all the information about what
happened, but she shook her head and took her larger form in order to help Myst
carry Xefr to safety "Yes, yes! No need to yell! Ugh ..he's heavy! I guess I'm not
the only Qoatl that likes ice creams that much." As they run out of the lava-ridden
cave everything started to shake and the volcano behind them exploded releasing
hundreds of burning rocks in the sky, prompting Cui to create an umprella-shaped
shield of white psionic energy above them. However the most peculiar of all sights
was that now the planet's red tint was slowly fading away and the red crust
covering the sun above started to vanquish in rectangles, uncovering a bright white
sun.
� Reply #199 on: July 26, 2016, 09:37:43 pm �
Tec grinned at the accusation, "Well... Who wouldn't want to boast about having a
relationship with such a beautiful dragoness? No shame in it at all!" Then, he
paused, and he took on a more nervous look, "Erhm, sorry if that sounded weird.
Guess I'm a little excited right now." The walk went on for a bit, before the two
dragons passed by a patrol of two security troopers. The troopers moved to the side
to let the dragons pass, and gave salutes to the pair as well. Tec acknowledged
them with a nod, and continued onward.

Myst appreciated Cui's help, even if he didn't say so or give any other indication
of such. And by now, the teleporter was ready and Myst wasted no time in calling it
to beam them all back to the hanger. After the group found themselves overlooking
the planet from the safety of Soul's Eclipse's main hanger, Myst made a sigh of
relief, which quickly turned into an annoyed sigh when he looked back to the
unconscious Drake they had been dragging. Slightly annoyed, the Shard walked over
and took a better look at Xefr, "Was that really the best he could think of? Now I
have to make sure he doesn't have a concussion, and he'll hate having to spend some
time in the med-bay. Either way, some psionic healing will fix him up soon enough.
Hey Cui, was that good enough to count the red dot as complete?"

� Reply #200 on: July 26, 2016, 10:47:19 pm �

Re'Ni's tail started shaking as Tec called her a 'beautiful dragoness', but she
didn't want to show Tec how much of a big deal it was for her.. she closed up to
him and licked his cheek, followed by a rather loud laugh, {"Hahahahe, not worry!
Re'Ni likes excited Tec!"} she then smirked while booping his snoot with hers and
pointing him with her claw {"Re'Ni is proud that caught handsome dragon too! But
eat whole if naughty again! Mhm?"}

Aboard the soul's eclipse Cui had taken again he normal tiny form, she seemed to be
worried about Xefr, flying around him in circles while munching her claws "Damn my
fire! I should've warned him ..the damn old goat is always yacking about how
violence is never the way! That should be hint enough. Cui you Coac'tzah!" she
turned to Myst with a sad unsure look "Aww, I don't know. The barrier was
destroyed, so probably.."

� Reply #201 on: July 26, 2016, 11:20:42 pm �

Tec beamed at the compliments, and kissed Re'Ni on the check, "Heh, I'll try ma'am,
but I make no promises." Then, the pair reached a hallway in which there were about
a dozen large double-doors, all with a large letter on them and . Tec walked over
to one which had a large 'T' inscribed upon it, and pressed his paw against it.
Slowly, it opened, and Tec gestured to Re'Ni to come inside. Tec's room had
multiple prominent features. There was a massive bed, at least triple the size of
the Shard, a massive computer which currently had a display of the ship and it's
systems on it, and a set of Blue GD-Champion Power Armor hanged on the back wall.
There was a massive bookshelf as well, almost fully packed, and the floor was
almost entirely a giant rug, only ending at the very edges of the room. Yet most of
it was quite empty. Tec looked around, and sighed, "Well, here it is. It's not
much, and I've never exactly been keen on adding too much, since I consider the
entire ship my home."

Myst looked at Xefr again, and looked back to Cui, "Don't be so worried, he's fine.
From what I sense, he'll wake up in maybe 5 minutes, and will just need a short
rest. Thankfully Dragon insides are a lot tougher than that of most species. And I
think that if nonviolence was the goal, it was technically accomplished. Consider
this, Xefr or I never fought. Xefr hurt himself to avoid hurting somebody else,
though I suppose he thought that the Shadow would try and stop me from getting that
orb, which is why he knocked himself out. Sometimes I worry for his sanity."

� Reply #202 on: July 27, 2016, 06:38:40 am �

The black dragoness was too excited to have a place she could call home, a home she
would share with someone she loved nonetheless, so she did not care much about how
it looked like. {"Room more than Re'Ni hope!"} She walked in the room and headed
towards the armour, tapping it to hear what sound it would make, then jumped on the
bed and happily pressed her paws against it, being quite thrilled it was bouncy -
she never had a bed to begin with. After calming a bit, she curled on the bed and
turned to Tec with a big smile on her face {"Love Tec! Perhaps in future add a bit
of Re'Ni in room ...Tank with fishes for morning snack!"} she then pointed at the
books {"read much? Erhyna used read book to Re'Ni ...about Dragon Age, long time
ago."}

Cui turns to Myst, still with a worried look on her face "I know Xefr is fine, but
I shudder to think of what could've happened. ...And he did use violence; against
himself. I don't know how she will take it. Old age has taken a toll on her mind."
..Cui seeing Xefr's vitals rising up stops worrying so much and closes up to his
head while still talking to Myst "I guess he's better now ..what a thick head!
Hey! Xeeeery, wake up!"

� Reply #203 on: July 27, 2016, 12:55:36 pm �

Tec smiled as he watched Re'Ni look around, listening to the ding of the hollow
armor being tapped. Looking to the dragoness on his bed, "Of course. This room is
as much yours as it is mine now, so I think at least a little bit of Re'Ni needs to
be added to make it complete. " The Shard then walked over to the bookshelf,
inspecting it for a bit and then looking back to Re'Ni, "I don't do too much
reading. Most of these are old instruction manuals for building and repairing
things, before I knew it by heart. But there are some things I actually read out of
interest in here. Though I don't recognize that word, 'Erhyna' I mean. Is that
something in draconic?"

Myst looks over to Xefr, who was slowly opening his eyes and regaining his senses,
"Thick head... You don't know how accurate an observation that is." Xefr groaned as
he stood up, stumbling due to a little imbalance. In a dazed voice, the old drake
spoke, "Ugh... How long was I out? Did we pass? And why are you so close Cui?"

� Reply #204 on: July 27, 2016, 02:09:17 pm �

She sighed and turned her eyes facing her paws, Re'Ni's mind was now plunged in old
memories ...she started to speak, her eyes still fixated at her paws and breathing
deeply {"Erhyna is name of flower in Urvanyen - language of Ghashyr. Also name of
closest thing Re'Ni had to family before Tec. Erhyna not like many others, despite
young herself, did not fear Re'Ni; knew Re'Ni just young scared Valx. Although did
not understand what Re'Ni said, always cared ..talked to Re'Ni, told stories,
brushed scales, shared about life ..grew up together, but soon Erhyna's body
started decaying, hair greyed.. ..then Re'Ni alone for very long time."} Re'Ni's
eyes seem to be filled with sorrow, but she tries to fight it by looking at Tec.

Cui made flip in air and clapped her paws, her voice being full of joy "He's awake!
Etzoal'Caholt! ..46 minutes and 25 seconds! Probably! Because I am your spirit
guardian!" She hugged Xefr's neck with her wings and then flew back again. "Now,
while the curse was raised, as is evident by everything not being red ...I am not
sure if the fluffbum will approve of the way you did it. But at least we succeeded
and you're alive!"
All psionic power had left the system, and even the volcanic planet beneath had
again stabilised.

� Reply #205 on: July 27, 2016, 03:00:23 pm �

Tec understood what she meant perfectly, and leaped up onto the bed beside her.
Covering her with his wing, and pulling her in, he looked into Re'Ni's eyes and
started speaking, "I know exactly how you feel, Re'Ni. Our draconic immortality is
both a blessing and a curse, and I have lost many friends to time, forcing me to
live on with their memories. It's hard to think about without being overcome by
sorrow. Yet we stand up, and power through it all. I for one have no intention of
moving on from this material plane anytime soon, so don't worry about me leaving
you. But I'm counting on you to do the same, because I don't want to chance losing
you forever. Even if there is an afterlife, how do I know if you will be there too?
There is no way I'm risking that miserable existence. So Re'Ni, I can promise you
that you will never be alone again if I have anything to say about it, but I need
you to say the same to me."

Xefr chuckled as he stabilized himself, everything returning to normal. "All good

news then. Especially the living part, but I can't say the spirit guardian news is
far behind." The drake then walked over to look at the planet from the edge of the
hanger, grunting in content, "I suppose that we are done here, everything seems to
be normal. Let's move on to Red Dot number two!" But as Xefr walked back, he
tripped on nothing and fell over, prompting a sigh from Myst. The Shard walked over
to his companion and helped him up, scolding him as well, "And you are going to
spend the journey there laying down and resting. I don't care if you're technically
the one in charge, that's a bloody order."

� Reply #206 on: July 27, 2016, 03:39:40 pm �

Upon hearing what Tec was saying, Re'Ni started smiling and sobbing, only to burst
into tears in a matter of seconds and place her forehead on Tec's {"Re'Ni Promise!
Never leave Tec alone! No soul deserves that.. Re'Ni know that well. Even if have
to fight the universe itself for that; together forever!"} Her crying stops and she
sighs, though this time it is a sigh of relief and her face is adorned with a
serene smile.

Cui smiled and made a small salute with her wing while in mid-air "Yes, sir! Course
set for deadly trap number two!" she then nodded at Myst's order, agreeing with
what was being said.. "Myst is right Xery! head injury is seriours even for a
strong species like Qoatl. I remember we had an Emperor, Acuom'Api'Chtli, that got
his head hit hard in an accident ...he always flew backwards from that day on and
did crazy things like giving autonomy to all the colonies."

The second system in question is also devoid of life, however it is even more
peculiar than the previous as its sun is covered in a thick black shadow, damning
the whole system to darkness, including a planet that has a rather strong Psionic
aura ..much stronger than the previous one too and perhaps stronger than even the
Scion's presence gave out back in Shyr.
Its surface is covered in black rock, forming peculiar stalagmites all over the
place ...a dark fog is present in every part of it.
The psionic trail comes from a chasm in the surface, withholding some kind of
sentient construction inside.

� Reply #207 on: July 27, 2016, 04:49:43 pm �

Tec smiles, and starts to whisper, "Thank you for that Re'Ni... Together forever."
He remained there for a few more seconds, smiling blissfully. Then, he finally
pulled back and looked around the room for a moment, before resettling his eyes on
Re'Ni. "So... The day is still young. Got any ideas?"

Xefr glanced over at Myst, though his voice was aimed at Cui, "Well, I've already
split myself into autonomous pieces, so I think my cravings for liberty are sated.
I think I'm fine." Myst seemed to be thinking, and then looked over to Cui, "Hey,
if this other guardian doesn't like violence, then why the hell are these tests
deadly?"

Xefr looked out at the planet, and grunted. "Well, that's a somber sight. Now let's
get down there and alleviate it." But then, Myst flashed his eyes and made a mock
look of suprise. "Oh no, it seems that the teleporter is still cooling down. Looks
like we'll have to wait a few minutes. In the meantime, why don't you sit down and
rest Ess?" The Old Drake was not amused, and with a flash of his own eyes the group
was sent to the surface, to land next to the chasm.

� Reply #208 on: July 27, 2016, 07:25:30 pm �

Re'Ni scratched her head with her claw wondering what she could do, and then it got
to her {"Yes! Show ship to Re'Ni! ..then perhaps watch stars together and drink
hot beverage."} her eyes where again beaming from her white psionic energy.

Cui laughed and waved her claw in disagreement to Xefr "Hahaha, no! I just repeated
what she said about this particular trap ..it has something to do with death,
that's all I know. ..she has an annoying thing for puns you see, but the 'tests'
aren't actually deadly ..provided you don't get yourself unconscious under a
volcano." her tone was rather angry as she finished but she was still smiling. She
then thought to herself and added "And they're not just tests ..everything said
and seen is real. For all her annoying whining and advices, she's not a common
witch as you've witnessed."

There's a small stair down the chasm, as they get down any remaining light is
replaced by complete and total darkness ..however Cui provides a small floating
white orb for lighting. As they close the psionic aura seems to come from
everywhere, as if thousands of souls stand there. A few voices can be heard in the
darkness, but it could just be the wind. Cui starts having chills down her spine
"Damn that old goat.. ..she didn't mention it would be THIS place. Xery, whatever
you do, think and be calm. This might be more than any mortal can bear. ...this
is where the five-thousand spirits rest."
Everything is pitch black and covered in fog, but as they reach the bottom they can
see something ...a small floating black orb surrounded by a white light can be
seen, like a tiny eclipse. As Xefr and his followers close by to it the voice of a
thousand spirits can be heard in unison in the distance...
"Do you remember Xefr?, do you remember her? We can give you a second chance"

� Reply #209 on: July 27, 2016, 08:21:49 pm �

Tec smiled at the idea, and nodded. "Alright then. A tour of the ship it is! That
way I can show you all the important rooms. Let's see, I think the library is a
good first stop, though we could also visit the primary barracks if you want to get
to know the non-draconic crew of this ship."
-

The Chasm's darkness somewhat unnerved Xefr, and Cui's warning didn't help. But he
was happy he didn't take Tec along this time, the results of that could have been
horrible. Myst was however in his normal state of unrelenting calm, and even seemed
to be more interested once Cui mentioned spirits. Xefr kept moving towards the orb,
and responded to the spirits mid-walk, "You'll have to be more specific I'm afraid.
I remember many people, of both genders and otherwise. And even then, the damned
don't get second chances, especially when they already had them once."

� Reply #210 on: July 27, 2016, 09:31:37 pm �

Re'Ni felt a lot of excitement and jumped up from the bed "Visit Library first!
Never seen library before!" she then lowered her head bit and spoke somewhat quiety
"Though must meet other crew eventually. Re'Ni can't hide from people forever."
-

Out of the darkness a shadowy and blury window to another place is formed, within
it stands Viol'ita looking confused and worried. The voices start speaking again
"We can give her and you a second chance, to travel back before everything happened
and change her fate, to live another reality with her, to correct what has been
brought upon this life. ...If you walk away, if you touch the orb, you will lose
her forever." The golden dragoness starts talking within the alternate reality
"Where am I? What is this place?".

� Reply #211 on: July 27, 2016, 10:11:16 pm �

Tec's smile faded as Re'Ni's excitement died, and he climbed down from the bed to
be near her, "Don't worry yourself about the Valorians. They are... outcasts, of
their society. As such, they were exiled from their homes. And, well, this ship
needed crew and they needed somewhere to live. The deal is that they get beds,
food, and the other necessitates while they worked for us. To tell you the truth,
we also offered them monetary payment but most of them have refused, for whatever
reason. They're good people, trust me. And once I get you proper clearance, you
won't worry about one even thinking of causing you trouble! Anyways, the library is
right this way." Tec then walked out the door, and waited for Re'Ni to accompany
him down the halls.

Xefr froze, and stared dumbfounded at the sight. He was utterly unprepared to see a
vision of his past life's wife, whom he had spent so much time grieving for.
Stumbling out some words, the Old Drake tried to speak to the image, "Vi...? Is
that you?"
Myst reacted as well. The Shard's mask of calm was lifted at this sight, and
instead was replaced by a look of terror. He knew this test had no happy ending for
him. Eventually however, fear turned to anger, as Myst started talking under his
breath, "...That's just bloody low..." The Shard then ran up beside his companion,
and started shaking him with his forward paws, "Don't be fooled you old coot!
Nothing can bring her back! Don't you remember how long we tried?! The test is just
messing with you!" But this only seemed to partially register in Xefr's head, as
his attention was focused on the blurry window.

� Reply #212 on: July 27, 2016, 10:36:19 pm �

She rised her head again with a subtle smile on it "Mhm, ok. Valorian do sound like
good folk! But meet later." Re'Ni closed up to Tec again as they were walking down
the hallway ..she felt that presence again, but she was determined to not let it
dictate her mind anymore. No, she decided she would have a good day and nothing
could wreck it.

-
The dragoness inside the window was unable to see, or hear her husband, looking
around in her dark room, filled with fear. The voices started talking again "She
cannot hear you, she is not of this world ..but we could change all this, change
her fate and yours. You may refuse, but if you do, if you walk beside that gate and
grab that orb ..you will lose her forever. You will always remain wondering.."
Cui seeing how the 'test' was developing and also the frightful sight of Myst
worrying, she decided to act. "Damn goat can't control her powers it seems." She
monologued and run close to Xefr, talking in a saddened, yet decisive voice "Come
on Xery, no one can bring back the dead, whenever that was tried it only brought
more pain ...it's just a scheme ..and don't you hear these old spirits; you will
never lose her! She'll always live in your mind and memories."

� Reply #213 on: July 27, 2016, 11:06:42 pm �

Tec lead Re'Ni through the halls, eventually reaching the library. As Tec opened
the doors, Re'Ni was exposed to the same sight Rysannox had seen earlier. The
massive rows of bookshelves were stocked full as usual, though the ladders had
slightly shifted since then. The terminals were still there too. This time, there
was only one Valorian in the room, sitting in the far back reading a book, totally
unaware of the Dragons. Tec looked over the room with a bit of pride, and looked
back to Re'Ni, "This is the ship's library! There are a lot of books here, though I
mainly use the computer terminals, much easier. Or maybe it's because I set them
up... Ah well, I think I can afford a bit of vanity."

Xefr remained unmoved, but thoughts of all kinds were rampaging in his head. Logic
and emotion were battling it out in the drake's mind, but the only show of it to
the outside world was his eyes, which looked from left, to right, to the window,
and back to the left. But eventually, with a final look at the Dragoness, Xefr
silently walked over to the orb, and grabbed it. His eyes were devoid of all
emotion, the life sucked out of them. He looked to the Orb in his hands, and
started to mutter, "I'll never be able to face him again... Forgive me, Vi..."
Myst's terror returned, though it was only a bit lessened. He couldn't really say
anything, for he did not know what would happen next. He had only seen Essentials
break once, and it was at a simple picture of Viol'ita. This... could go much
worse.

� Reply #214 on: July 28, 2016, 10:19:46 am �

Re'Ni started looking left and right at the massive bookshelves in excitement {"Lot
of Books! Re'Ni could spend eternity and still not read all!"} she turns to Tec
looking very happy {"Show Re'Ni some books to read?"}

By the time Xefr touches the orb, a white soundwave and tongues of light clean the
darkness and enlighten everything. The black dragon however blacks out and enters
another realm entirely; everything around him is white and infront of him stands
Vi, having a wide serene smile "There's nothing to forgive my love. And never fear,
I will always be with you here." she touches his chest with her paw and then starts
to vanish into white psionic energy, only her eyes remain only to be gone with the
wind as two small petals.
Xefr wakes up in the real world, all psionic energy seems to have been lost and the
chasm is revealed to be covered in beautiful white crystals upon which the light of
the system's bright sun falls.
Cui stands close, looking worried towards Xefr.

� Reply #215 on: July 28, 2016, 01:05:01 pm �

Tec grinned at Re'Ni's excitement, "There are a lot of books, but I'm not sure what
would interest you. We got history books, fictional novels, even little books for
children. Anything in particular that you want to read? Or should I just pick out
something randomly?"

Myst stands next to Cui, also worried. Looking to his dazed companion, the Shard
cautiously spoke, "Ess, are you alright? You blacked out for a second there." Xefr
turned away from both their gazes, just looking at a wall. "I'm fine. Let's just
get back to the ship." The Old Drake's eyes then flashed, and the group found
themselves in Soul's Eclipse's main hanger once more. Xefr however, still seemed
shaken, and avoided looking at either Myst or Cui. With his back turned, he spoke,
"I need some time to think... Alone." The Drake then teleported away with his
psionics, to an isolated area of the ship, leaving Cui and the Shard alone in the
hanger.

� Reply #216 on: July 28, 2016, 03:01:45 pm �

Re'Ni claps her hands happily {"Ah! Some fiction, with romance too! And Valxes!"}
suddenly she feels that dark presence again, more clear than before. Her eyes turn
white for an instant and she turns to Tec with a worried look {"Okay, that not just
Re'Ni mind, Re'Ni happy and no reason for mind to get dark. ..something very dark
near. Can feel powerful dark energy."}

The tiny blue dragoness tried to say something but no words seemed to form in her
mind, she just remained silent. As Xefr left she turned to Myst angry and sad at
the same time, almost sobbing while munching her claws.. "Damn that goat, I'm going
to wreck her fluffy tail back to Toria! ...it's my fault, I should have expected
this; These powers feed on emotions like all V'ossi psionic energy ...and it seems
Xefr has a great deal of emotions and memories within him. By the Emperors, I hope
he will overcome this... I will never forgive myself!" she cries for a while, but
then just remains standing there silent with a sad frown on her face.

� Reply #217 on: July 28, 2016, 03:42:19 pm �

Tec's expression turned serious, and he looked to Re'Ni, "Hm... I can't feel
anything myself, but I don't doubt you. Can you feel where it's coming from? I need
to know, so we can get rid of it." Tec seemed confident on the outside, but on the
inside he was worried. He really hoped the dark energy wasn't coming from the
brig...

Myst walked over to Cui and sighed, "No... It's not your fault Cui. All of us
Shards, from Xefr to me, are very unstable. Xefr might seem like he is more stable
than the rest, but he isn't. It's just a mask he wears to keep everybody else
confident, another sacrifice he has made to help others. Most of us don't even
realize it, but I do. As I said, I worry for his sanity, and that was not a joke.
But he will overcome, it is in his nature. Maybe it will be to help himself, but it
will most likely just be another attempt to help others, hiding the pain instead of
recovering from it. Yet for once... I don't know how to fix this..." Myst then
paused, and took on a more serious look, "Cui... What do you mean by powers feeding
on emotions?"

� Reply #218 on: July 28, 2016, 06:03:19 pm �

The dragoness seemed hesitant to talk about it, but she was starting to fear and
fear always led her to worse situations so she tried explaining.. {"First felt in
hallways near pool. Came from bellow. Very strong power, almost like.."} she
suddenly stopped and looked around.. {" ..Re'Ni long time ago. Much hatred
...wrath ..suffering. Makes Re'Ni remember.."} her tail was shaking again and small
lightnings formed around her body. Re'Ni was scared, scared of becoming again what
she once was...

Cui sighed and banged her tail on the floor lightly "It's simple really ...us Old
V'ossi found a way to enhance our psionic powers, the 'White Aura' as we called it.
We found a way to feed on the positive emotions of our surroundings as well as our
own. The stronger emotions one could feel, like love, then the stronger they would
get - especially by using one's own emotions.. ..but without balance, without self-
control and serenity, dark emotions can corrupt one's Aura, crippling them or
turning them into monsters." She sighed again and looked at Myst, not knowing much
else and still being worried about Xefr...

� Reply #219 on: July 28, 2016, 07:06:27 pm �

Tec closed up to Re'Ni and covered her with his wing, not caring about the
lightning and the pain it was causing. Tec looked straight into Re'Ni's eyes and
spoke with a clear tone, "Re'Ni, I need you to calm down. Do you remember what you
told me on Shyr? You told me to stop hating myself, and to stop cowering. I
followed that order, and now I need you to do the same. Stop shaking, stop
remembering, and look at me. I am here for you, and I will not let you suffer." His
final sentence was in a much more serious tone, said as if it were fact.

Myst seemed to think back to something as Cui mentioned monsters, and spent a while
thinking. Then, he looked back to Cui, "I can't say I've known much about positive
emotions giving any sort of power. But I've seen that corruption you mentioned. And
I know about monsters, for that is what the brig of this ship is dedicated to
holding."
As Myst finished, another flash of light occurred, and Xefr reappearance in the
Hanger. His eys were dim, and it seemed that he was crying, though that was the
only indication of anything else but the look of grim determination the rest of his
body gave off. With a clear tone, Xefr spoke out, "I've set the ship's course for
the third planet, to take the third test. And before you say anything Myst, I am
fine. I just needed some time to think about... things. It won't worsen my
performance."

� Reply #220 on: July 28, 2016, 07:39:36 pm �

What Tec said and did helped her realise she had a powerful shield in her arsenal
to block all these thoughts. Re'Ni came closer to Tec and looked him deep in his
eyes, she had stopped shaking and causing small lightnings. Her eyes alone made
clear she was determined to not let anything stand between her and Tec, she
wouldn't allow her happiness to be stolen... {"Thanks Love. I know ..will not let
thoughts dictate mind. Not let Re'Ni become monster and hurt self, or Tec. Never
allow that. Never."} her tone was now more serious, and more certain than before..
{But still feel this... spirit. ...Not coming from Re'Ni - Not illusion. Something
lurks in dark. ..Near."}

Cui was about to ask about this monster, fearing for the worst, but when Xefr
appeared she remained silent ...she tried smiling at him, but she really couldn't,
she instead flied and stood on his shoulder, patting his back with her wing "You're
a strong Qoatl, Xery."

The third planet was nothing like the rest, no massive psionic aura, no peculiar
star ...a normal yellow star, with only a serene oceanic world orbiting it, with a
few rocky islands and a single lifeform on it. A minor psionic aura stems from a
single individual, standing alone in a tiny rocky island.

� Reply #221 on: July 28, 2016, 08:06:05 pm �

At first, Tec smiled, "Good. Because if you harm yourself, know that I will feel
more pain watching you do it. And if you hurt me, I think me feeling more pain is
self-explanatory." But as Re'Ni got more serious, so did Tec. After listening to
Re'Ni intently, he nodded and responded, "Hm... Alright, then I say we go pull it
into the light so it can be seen. I think that together, we can handle whatever
this spirit is. And if not, there are plenty of others aboard who can help us. It
doesn't stand a chance. Now, you can sense it, but I can't. Where is this
darkness?"

Xefr sighed, "No, I'm not. It's just that no matter how long I live, I doubt I will
ever learn when to give up. Now let's get this done." Myst nearly nodded in reply,
and flashed his eyes.

The teleporter dropped the group on the rocky island, and the two dragons
immediately looked towards the figure.

� Reply #222 on: July 28, 2016, 08:27:50 pm �

She turns her look down bellow and touches the floor with her claw, as she does her
eyes seem to gleam with strong feelings ..though what feelings it is hard to tell
{"Bellow. Very strong darkness ..but Re'Ni not fear - not with Tec."}

As they approach they can see his form, an old bird-alien gazing at the ocean while
holding a lantern containing a blue orb. "You have come a long way traveller! Not
many people seek the sollace of this place... only souls like us. Walking renmants
of what we used to be, condemned to roam the universe in vain like everyone. ..If
you gaze at the deep blue for long, you forget everything ...the thoughts and pain
are swept by the waves and the time stops forever, as if in a painting. Here, hold
the lantern."

� Reply #223 on: July 28, 2016, 08:38:41 pm �

Tec shuddered, but then closed his eyes and stopped himself. Nodding to Re'Ni, he
spoke, "I... Think I know what you're talking about. Come on, I'll lead you to the
brig. Just... tell me if the senses get stronger as we get closer. I pray you do
not sense what I think you do..." Tec then walked to the door, readying himself to
lead Re'Ni to the one place on the ship he dared not go.

Xefr cautiously took the lamp, though he avoided looking at the orb. He instead
spoke to the old alien, "Who are you, sir? And how is this a test?"
Myst leaned over and whispered to Re'Ni, trying not interrupt Xefr, "Hey Cui, don't
we just need to touch the orb? So, can't we just smash the lamp and take it?"

� Reply #224 on: July 28, 2016, 09:01:57 pm �

Re'Ni gripped Tec's paw with hers and nodded, being determined to find out. {"Re'Ni
will be careful. Mind is secure with Tec. ..Let's go."} she turned with a worried
look to the floor and then back at Tec, kissing him and then talking in a quiet,
fragile voice {"Whatever happens, remember; Re'Ni loves Tec."}

-
The bird-alien smiled and fell into the sea, as he fell he became one with the
waves. As long as Xefr held the lantern his eyes turned towards the sea, the serene
motion seemed to slowly ease his mind. While now his body was free to leave ...the
sea was calling him to become one with her forever; to be liberated. The sea was
providing all answers, all thoughts; The Hyl would wake and no one would be there
to stop them from erasing pain and sorrow once and for all.

Cui nodded at Myst "Yes, and I think now would be a good time ..even if the goat
disapproves of this."

� Reply #225 on: July 28, 2016, 09:19:13 pm �

Tec seemed reassured by this, but was still nervous. He returned Re'Ni's kiss, and
whispered back, "And know that I love you too Re'Ni. Oh, and if we are about to see
who I think we are, never lower your guard." Tec lead Re'Ni down the halls,
eventually reaching a massive blast door, which had a line of the Valorian Security
in front of it. The Door had the word, "BRIG" on it, and the guards had all sorts
of weapons. From regular plasma rifles, to axes, to some sort of glowing gun. Tec
stopped before he got too close, and looked to Re'Ni, "Is it... Coming from in
there?"

Xefr almost made a step foward, but then all of his legs and paws were caught in
shackles made of blue psionic energy, restricting his movement. This allowed Myst
to slap the lamp to the ground with his tail, shattering it with the force. While
Xefr was returning to normal, Myst grabbed the Orb.

� Reply #226 on: July 28, 2016, 09:59:02 pm �

While Tec helped her remain certain and strong during the entire trip, the more
they reached closer to their destination, the more Re'Ni seemed to feel the
darkness surrounding her, making her uneasy despite holding firm to her loved one,
physically and metaphorically..
As Tec turned and looked to Re'Ni he could notice she was battling with her own
mind, being in terrible pain - more mental, than physical. Her head was lowered,
but while she spoke in a fragile voice interrupted by heavy breathing, her tone was
more serious and strong than ever before.. {"Yes. Too much darkness ...like old
times. Surrounds everything, all feelings ..but not one!"} She raised her head,
her eyes being completely covered by a bright white light.

Cui had made a psionic net above the waves, just in case...
As soon as Myst grabbed the orb, it transformed into a white butterfly and flew
towards Xefr only to be absorbed by his chest. Nothing else changed, everything
remained as before and the sea kept throwing her waves rythmically towards the
shore.

Xefr could see inside his mind the butterfly flying from one of the red dots of the
map towards the center of the triangle and forming a white dot. Zuan'Lotl, the link
to the past had appeared.

� Reply #227 on: July 29, 2016, 12:22:46 am �

Tec remained uncertain, the door alone seemed to terrify him, let alone the though
of what was behind it. Looking back to Re'Ni he spoke carefully, "Well... Then I
know exactly what's causing the darkness... But are you sure you want to go in
there? I'll follow your lead of course, but only if you truly wish to face the
horror that lies beyond." While Tec's eyes were on Re'Ni, they didn't seem focused
on her. It was clear that he was remembering something, something bad.
-

Xefr silently nodded to nothing, and looked back to his companions, once the
shackles dissipated that is. Taking a step back from the cliffs, Xefr noticed what
he was about to do and made a nervous laugh, "Heh, well I already told the shadow
that the suicide attempt would be next year. Seems a bit early. Anyways, I know
where Zuan'Lotl is. Right in the center of our map. Let's get going." Before any
response was possible, Xefr flashed his eyes and teleported the group back aboard
Soul's Eclipse. He was uncomfortable next to the water he could have killed himself
in, and wanted to get off that planet as soon as possible.
Back in the hanger, Xefr seemed content, not displaying any of the sadness he had
back after the second test. Myst seemed worried however, and looked to Cui, "Hey
Cui, is this final world also a test? Or do I finally get to learn about this big
enemy you two have been hyping up?" But, in a more private message to Cui, the
Shard also added, "Keep an eye on Xefr... He may be more willing to improve his own
condition if we keep him from doing too much in his current state. That drive to
help others hurts him, but we can use it to help him as well."

� Reply #228 on: July 29, 2016, 07:24:53 pm �

Re'Ni was getting the impression that her loved-one knew and feared the darkness
beyond the gate, still evidently in pain she patted Tec's back with her paw {"Sense
much fear in Tec. If not want - better leave together ..but Self think cannot
avoid this for long."} suddenly she stopped and started shaking again, her light
beaming eyes were slowly turning grey.. she shook her head and turned to the door,
waving her paw in a fist towards it {"DAMN DEMON! RE'NI WRECK DARKNESS!"} as she
turned her head back to Tec she seemed worried, though her eyes where still
completely white {"What BE this thing?"}

Cui said nothing to Xefr after the test was over; she felt quite angry inside her,
but decided not to show it, she instead smiled in a comforting way to her bearer
and patted his back again "It's ok, Xery.. ..just know that whatever you need I'll
be by your side." ..then flew off close to Myst, who she had started to have
respect for "No, it's not a test ..you get to meet her; The reason we still have a
chance to survive. She's lovable, but.. I never was able to stand her much, she's
all ((Do this! - Do that! Wash your teeth! I made you pie but you must put the
files in order!)) Nyanyanyanya! I'm quadrillion years old you stupid goat!" Having
received the message Cui flies back close to Xefr, Myst can hear Cui's voice in his
mind through a secret message {{"I know ...he's my bearer, I'll try cheering him
up a little. Even though he tried to kill himself a few moments before, without
even thinking that would kill me as well."}}
Cui approached Xefr with a subtle smile on her face "Soooo... are you curious to
meet Chief fluffbutt? She's a tad bit out there, but she's a good person."

Orbiting the system's star there is Zuan'lotl; a warm tropical planet with calm
seas, golden beaches, a swarming wildlife and beautiful flora. On it, close to some
ruins near a beach, there is a single sentient mammal being walking around ...a
being that has the psionic aura of at least hundreds of thousands of souls.

� Reply #229 on: July 29, 2016, 08:23:28 pm �

Tec glanced at the door, but quickly looked back to Re'Ni. He seemed more
comfortable looking at her gather than the huge door. With a worried voice, he
tried to explain, "Well... Beyond that door is the brig. There are two creatures in
there. But I know which of the two is the one creating the darkness, and it is a
true monster. We call it the Forbidden one, because while it doesn't have a real
name we wouldn't give it the satisfaction of using it. Forbidden is a Shard, like
Guardian... And me, though I will never relate myself to that scum in any other
way! A monster made up of nothing but psionic energy and unchained, horrible
memories. He knows the worst and best memories of all he encounters, and he spins
them both to his pleasure. Tainting the good while expanding on the bad, he just
gets enjoyment from making people suffer, whether it mentally or physically. And
we've tried to kill him... But he comes back. He doesn't die, so we locked him up.
I built the cage myself... But he gets out, not fully but in the form of pieces we
call Shades... And that's Guardian's job. To stop any Shades from escaping, and
possibly letting the real thing get out. Yet..." Tec paused, thinking for a moment.
When he finally resumed, a new stream of confidence was in his tone and eyes,
"You're right. We can't just keep up this horrible cycle. It won't work forever.
Maybe... just maybe you might be able to make this all work. Though I'm clueless on
how..."

Myst subtly grinned, "Good. I think we've had enough tests for a good while. I
suppose we should go meet this fluffy nanny posthaste." But, in another secret
message to Cui, he added, "It seems we are in the same boat in that regard. I
wouldn't last long if Xefr went and killed himself, so I think it's in both our
interests to keep him away from any more cliffs. The thought of suicide has never
been far from his mind, but I think you can keep it at bay. I'll focus on making
sure he doesn't go crazy. It's a good plan, I think."
Xefr weakly smiled at Cui, "Heh, Fluffbutt sounds like somebody I can get along
with. Thus far, she sounds like my old friend Girmion, especially on the washing
our teeth part. And Cui... I'm sorry. For being weak that is... I'm not used to
having other people's well-beings dependent on mine, I've always risked my health
to help others. I forget that sometimes that hurting myself doesn't lead to better
things, and I value myself less because of it." Xefr then looked out to the window
to the planet, and grunted, "But weak or not, it's time to get this done. To the
planet." The Drakes eyes flashed, and the teleportation process began once more.

The teleporter landed them nearby the ruins, in a nice open area. Xefr and Myst
quickly moved towards the position of the sentient being, to get a better look at
the one who had set up those tests.

� Reply #230 on: July 29, 2016, 10:38:02 pm �

As Re'Ni heard Tec explaining what horrid creature lied beyond, she thought she was
stretching it too far ..but she could not pass the opportunity; To show her true
powers and fight darkness, securing her sanity and life - Especially now that she
had something to fight for. She kept looking at the gate and spoke in a rather
determined tone {"Well... Re'Ni too can play this game. Not fear darkness when
Light within."} Her eyes glimpsed with the bright white psionic energy and she
looked at Tec with a smile {"Open gates..."}.

Cui responded with another psionic message to Myst while smiling to Xefr as if
everything was allright {{"Alright Myst, I'll try my best."}} As they were about to
be teleported and Xefr finished his small self-loathing apology, Cui stood on his
shoulder and caressed his forehead's scales while muttering something.. "You're
stronger than you know ..I sense it."

The planet was a really pleasant one, as they walked closer to the ruins they could
see the alien ..it was not intimidating at all, all white and fluffy covered in
some blue robes ..cooking something while whistling a pop song. As soon as she
notices the visitors, the peculiar fluffy alien approaches the great black drake in
awe "Ah, what a nice sight! I've been waiting you ever since you left the Scion.
This is Caprima! ...and hello again my little Cui!" She pinches Cui's cheeks while
the tiny dragoness mumbles something about not being little, just practical. The
capricorn then turned to Myst "And another good old dragon I see? This meeting is
out of scale! Hehe*snort*he!" after trying getting it together, she tries to
explain herself in a calm and friendly tone.. "Ahh, anyway.. It is surprising to
see you've all reached this place ..it seems there is hope after all. I hope you
didn't just pop in to say hello and leave.. sit over there while I bring the pie
and the coconut milk... I'm sure you all have a long tail to share!" She points at
a nice wooden table close by, with some large cushions ..large enough for a young
dragon.

� Reply #231 on: July 30, 2016, 12:51:56 am �

Tec seemed hesitant, but stopped resisting when Re'Ni smiled at him. He nodded, and
looked to the gate. With a flash of his eyes, the Gate started to move, but it
wasn't until the Valorian guards pulled some levers that it finally opened. It
revealed a long hallway, armored and with turrets lining the walls. At the end,
Re'Ni could see what appeared to be a large room with a massive steel sphere,
slightly levitating off the ground, at the back, but it was too far to really tell
for sure. Tec walked forward, and looked back to Re'Ni, speaking in half-worried
voice, "I sure hope we aren't doing something stupid. Guardian's gonna have a
fit..."

Myst was suffering, and barely suppressed his groans at those horrible puns. It
reminded him too much of that horrible phase Scout when through, just terrible. Of
course, he felt more sorry for Cui, thankful that his cheeks were out of reach.
Xefr however, just smiled and nodded, quite happy that for once his life was not in
danger on this adventure. "I suppose we do. Thank you ma'am." Xefr then trotted
over to he cushions and sat down. Myst just walked over to the table and stood
there, standing up.

� Reply #232 on: July 30, 2016, 12:28:05 pm �

Sharing Tec's doubts, Re'Ni sighed and walked slowly forward while being completely
attached to Tec. She moved her tail close to Tec's and binded them.. and with her
eyes now shining brighter than ever, she spoke in an imposive and loud voice
{"RE'NI NOT FEAR DEMON: DEMON MUST FEAR TEC AND RE'NI!"}

Cui sent a psionic secret message to Myst {{"I warned you about her humour
..didn't I? *sigh*"}} and the proceeded to smile awkwardly at the goat-alien who
looked at Cui with a frown and her eybrow raised.
After a while the nice capricorn came near the table holding a big pie with a
beautiful smell, while two barrels and a jug of coconut milk were floating behind
her - She landed the barrels of coconut milk before Myst and Xefr, the jug infront
of Cui, and the pie in the middle of the table, as she spoke her tone was sweet and
calm "Don't drink it all at once now! Your belly will revolt and we don't want that
to happen before eating this pie I made just for you!"
As she was cutting the pie with a psionic energy knife she started talking in a
somewhat relunctant and worried manner, but still sweet enough "It's nice to have
visitorns once in an eternity... but I guess you came here seeking something else
other than an old lady, no?"

� Reply #233 on: July 30, 2016, 01:55:02 pm �

Tec nervously grinned at Re'Ni's shouting, "Save your energy, my love. Forbidden
can't hear us from here, not until I make some edits to his cell." The dragons then
finally reached the end of the hallway, and were finally in the real brig. There
were actually three of the massive steel circles in the room, which appeared to be
the prison cells. The darkness seemed to stem from the middle one. Tec approached a
console, and with a gulp, hit a few of the buttons. Soon, the layer of steel on the
center circular cell disappeared, revealing it to actually be a giant glass ball.
However, there 6 layers of the glass, all with their own doors. On the walls of
each layer, there were strange, metal devices aimed at the center, and just being
near them made Re'Ni's psionic power feel weaker. But in the center of the all the
glass, clearly visible, was a floating orb of what seemed to be red gas. After a
moment of silence, the gas fell to the floor of the cell, and grew into a gaseous
humanoid figure.

The figure wasted no time, and threw its arms out in a greeting gesture. Its voice
penetrated the minds of both Re'Ni and Tec, and sounded like a demented version of
Tec's calm tone, "Well, if it isn't Tec! To what do I owe the pleasure of getting
some more time to reconnect with my brother shard? Oh, but wait..." The gas
humanoid then turned to Re'Ni, and the Dragoness could feel a darkness descending
upon her mind, reaching deep and taking hold of something... "Ah, Re'Ni'Tarjal
Qo'Atzel'Qoatl. That's a mouthful, you know? I'm just going to call you Atzel,
since it seems appropriate. Have you come to meet a fellow Monster? Or are you
going to be taking up residence in the last cell? Would be appropriate for somebody
like you..."

Xefr took a small drink of the milk and smiled, "Normally that's my line, but you
are correct. We followed that map here because apparently you have some sort of
weapon in your possession that can help us defeat those harpy things and save the
universe. I'm hoping that we got the right address." Like at the monastery, Myst
didn't seem to notice the drink, and moved himself to sit down next to Xefr and
Cui. For a second he seemed interested in the pie, but quickly distracted himself
by asking the Capricorn a question, "You were the one who set up those tests,
weren't you? That would take a great deal of power, so I wonder why we are needed
in the first place."

� Reply #234 on: July 30, 2016, 09:00:27 pm �

Re'Ni gasped and her tail started shaking, she didn't like this at all ...all
those feelings of the old life she left behind making a come back in the form of
that evil demon. Her bright white eyes were starting to be consumed by darkness -
realising that, she tried holding firm on Tec's tail with hers and dared to look at
the demon, her tone was as determined as before ..but her voice was rasping
{"Demon don't even understand meaning of name and dare speak it ..Re'Ni not monster
anymore! ...not with Tec! Self found.."} she suddenly feels intense pain in her
head as her old thoughts reemerge and she grips her teeth while looking away from
the demon for a moment.. after managing to control it she remains looking at the
ground, her eyes being consumed by a dark energy, but still predominantly white..
{"Re'Ni ..not monster"} she started forming a white orb in her paw with all of her
remaining strength.

The capricorn chuckled a bit and tried explaining the situation to Xefr "Weapon?
Oh, yes! ..there is a weapon, the weapon that will stop the need for all weapons.
I will show you how you may get it but first I will have to see within your soul.."
she then turns to Myst, evidently looking disappointed and sad "I would if I only
could my child, but while I managed to retain my physical form, my soul is not of
this universe ..only a native can do it, I'm sorry. Besides I have to keep them
sleeping..." She then smiles and points towards the pie "Eat up kids, we will have
a lot to talk and do ..so you have to get some energy first!" She takes a piece
for herself and starts munching it.

� Reply #235 on: July 31, 2016, 12:20:55 am �

The entity just laughed, "Ha! Did I strike a nerve? What are you going to do,
strike me down? I suppose that makes sense for you, since the execution of another
comes so easily to you. I know, for death is a thing we monsters were born to
inflict upon others. But allow me to show you something..." The gaseous humanoid
then threw his arms out to his side, and started to change. The gas expanded and
grew, until it took on a draconic form, and then became solid. Eventually, in the
center of all that glass, stood a perfect copy of Tec. The voice however, was
unchanged, "You will begin by destroying Forbidden. But then where will you go?
Monsters are satisfied with just one measly kill. No, when you strike me down, you
will watch a vision of the future. Tec might be your reason to live, but you can't
be fixed, and one day you will destroy that reason yourself. You'll kill him
yourself, and it is only a matter of when. And after that, without a reason, you
will strike yourself down, and the universe shall be down one monstrosity. You will
finally succed in something for once in your life, even if suicide isn't exactly an
unfamiliar concept to you..."
Forbidden then looked back to Tec, and it seemed as if the Shard was just looking
into a mirror, "And you know Tec... She does like you. Which is why it will be all
the more lovely when you finally fail her, like you've done so many times before.
Your weak little mind will crack someday, and maybe you will be the one to strike
her down, or die trying. No amount of love will save you from your fate, not hers
to you, nor yours to her. Anything between you two will yield the same result,
failure. Rotten weakling!"

Tec rose in rage, but noticed what Re'Ni was doing and acted quickly. He yelled,
"Shut up you bloody menace!" and smashed a button on the console. The demonic shard
just smiled as the steel returned, and the dark pressure on Re'Ni's mind faded. Tec
looked to the Dragoness, and with an uncertain voice he spoke, "Re'Ni... Are you
alright?"

Xefr smiled and took a piece, throwing it into his mouth and eating. While chewing,
he spoke psionically, "Well, I suppose you can take a look at my soul..." Xefr
paused, and then his smile turned sad, "...Heh, you've already seen my memories
too, so I doubt it could get much more intrusive at this point... But you're right,
we do have some talking to do." Myst took only bite a first, and then ate the rest
in one more bite. He seemed content with himself.

� Reply #236 on: August 02, 2016, 07:36:50 pm �

At first the dragoness was filled with rage and ready to strike the demon down, but
then she froze...
Re'Ni could not respond, she was lost deep into dark thoughts, and her eyes were
now completely soulless ..even after Tec stopped the Forbidden one, she was
imagining ..imagining the possibility of what that demon just said happening; she
knew that she is an unstable psychotic monster distrusting and hurting everything
after all ...but then she realised there was one thing she was more certain about;
She would not allow that to happen, she would never hurt Tec..
She put her claws on her neck and started pressing them against it, but Tec's voice
and feelings rang inside her head ..she would not hurt him in any way! She slowly
moved her claws away from her neck and in a very tired and fragile voice she turned
to Tec with a smile {"Not know.. ..but try."} only to faint the next second.

The goat lady gasped, she was appaled by even the thought of reading the memories
of someone else without their consent "Seen.. your memories? I would never do such
a thing without telling you, my child! No, the shadows may have used your memories,
thoughts and feelings to test you ..but I had no connection to them, or what they
did." She then closes up to Xefr, her hand's palm facing opposite to Xefr's chest,
"Now, if I may! I will see the shadows within your soul.. ..it won't hurt a bit!"
She closes her eyes and presses her palm against Xefr's chest; a bright beam of
light explodes and the two find themselves floating in a different plain of
existence, inside what looks like a giant colourful Aurora traveling through a
soothing dark blue cloud - The Aurora's colourful lights slowly start taking the
shapes and forms of Xefr interacting with the Shadows during the tests, while his
feelings during his interactions can be felt and seen with the change of the
light's colours.
With her eyes still closed, the capricorn seems to be in pain as the dancing
lights take the form of Xefr interacting with the first shadow.. she rubs her head
a bit after the hit "Ouch! ..you must not hurt yourself, child! But at least you
did better than what the Qoatl of old did." she sighs and the lights continue to
change..
When Xefr, Vi and the Shadows of the chasm begin to form through the aurora, many
of the waves turn to various tints of blue. Caprima starts sobbing, but as it
concludes she sports a very discreet serene smile and remains silent.
The Aurora starts forming the last test - she opens her eyes, beaming from white
energy, and focuses all of her attention in it...
As the forms continue to shape, the lights start fading and Caprima seems to be
tremendously worried while her eyes begin to be infested with a dark cloud ..as
the test proceeds, she starts breathing heavily while black tears start running
down her cheeks.
When she sees Xefr making that one step forward, her eyes turn completely black and
the entire realm is shattered into thousand broken black glasses; blasting her away
from Xefr in the real world.
She remains speechless with her eyes filled with sadness and black tears running
down her face and staining her robes. Soon however her eyes turn into ones filled
with anger - she gets up and rushes back to Xefr "LIFE IS NOT MEANINGLESS YOUNG
DRAGON! Yes, it is painful ..and harsh ..and heartbreaking. But there is still
much good and love in life that overshadows the darkness. You know it; ..you were
happy once, my child." she sighs and her face is now adorned with a compassionate
smile "I know that torn-apart souls can never be made like they were before
...but they can be stitched and I know a lot about stitching." she points to a ball
of wool and a half-finished woolen sweater that is nearby.

� Reply #237 on: August 02, 2016, 09:17:47 pm �

Tec ran over to Re'Ni after she fainted, and panicked as he looked her over. He
snarled at the cell which held Forbidden, his hatred for the Corrupted Shard
doubling in the span of seconds. He looked over his shoulder and psionically yelled
at the Valorians at the door, "Close the door after I leave!" He then walked over
to Re'Ni's side, and draped his wing over her unconscious form. Pulling her close,
Tec's eyes flashed, and the two were teleported back to Tec's quarters, directly
appearing atop the bed. Tec licked Re'Ni's cheek, and then climbed down. He paced
around a bit, and then sat down in the middle of the room. Medics would be coming
soon enough, but Tec was going to sit right there until Re'Ni woke up. He was
determined, and nothing would stop him. Shards didn't food, or sleep, even if they
enjoyed such luxuries...

Xefr nearly broke seeing Vi once again, but held out. He had already cried too much
today, he had to at least seem strong. But once back in the real world, Caprima's
words didn't seem to register with Xefr. He looked to the sweater and grinned, but
only for a moment, as when his eyes returned to the goat woman his face became
neutral. He merely sighed, and took on his own look of sadness in his eyes,
"Perhaps I was happy once... But I don't remember. Maybe Xefr does, but Xefr is
gone. Even if I use his name I am Essentials, a Shard. One of seven pieces. A life
a pain and sad memories. Maybe in a complete being good wins out in the end, but I
wouldn't know. I have good memories, yes. The friends Xefr made, Vi, and so much
more. Yet the shadow chokes that happiness, for it is much stronger. I saw many of
those friends die, I watched the love of my life and Xefr's die before me, my
enemies died in ways they didn't deserve, and I remember abando..." The Drake then
paused, and sighed again. He continued in a calm tone, "But, maybe you are right.
That's my motive in all this. I want to know if there is any true meaning to this
universe besides death and sorrow. And regardless of whether or not I figure that
out, I still wish to stop the harpies. Their method for ending the universe, as I
have seen it, is completely wrong and immoral. If this universe must end, then it
must be done painlessly. Adding suffering to more suffering is not the right way.
It must be instantaneous, and without more unnecessary death. That is my belief.
But if you believe it wrong, and can prove it so, then I welcome your words." There
was no aggression in his voice, and it was purely calm. The sadness lingered, but
was mostly lifted from the old drake's eyes as he finished.

Myst remained silent, watching this happen. He wasn't sure who he agreed with, but
he was slightly irritated at his brother shard. Once again he stopped himself
before he revealed something Myst was very keen to learn about. Because unless he
figured out that final struggle in Xefr's heart, the Goat Woman's efforts to
convince Xefr of life's worth would be futile. He looked over to Cui, seeing if she
was doing anything in this situation.

� Reply #238 on: August 04, 2016, 03:01:13 pm �

Re'Ni opened her eyes that were now normal, yet evidently tired. She tried turning
her head facing Tec and muttered something, though her voice was too weak. The
psionically hurt dragoness crawled in the bed to come closer to her loved-one and
tried speaking up {"Heh ...took Re'Ni away from demon! ..seems Re'Ni not strong as
thought; past darkness torture Re'Ni still. Perhaps demon right about Re'Ni being
monster, but at least not monster when Tec around..."} she hanged her head from the
bed's edge and awkwardly made circles with her claw in the floor, exhaling a lot of
air from her nostrils. She couldn't believe what she nearly did a few minutes
earlier ...and hoped that Tec didn't notice.

The goat woman smiled and patted Xefr's chest "Oh, you are wrong my child, most of
us are for the most part ..but at least you are not wrong in here; there are great
amounts of sorrow in you and I understand this, since my story is not very
dissimilar to yours my child, but I also sense much goodness and a great heart -
big enough to fill the universe!" she then takes a more strict stance as she talks
and her tone changes into a more authoritative and slightly sad one "If you search
deep inside you, you might remember, child.. ..but I feel something stops you,
something stronger than sorrow.. ..and as long as you let that feeling surround
your sorrow, you will never find the answer you seek my child. I know I haven't.."
She lowers her head and sighs "Whatever it is, you must deal with it sweetheart..."

Cui had stopped eating her piece of the pie as soon as Caprima started lecturing
Xefr - she was feeling rather awkward with all this talk of souls and sorrow. The
tiny dragoness noticed Myst looking at her, she looked back at him and smiled
"Sooo... at least the planet and the pie is nice." She seemed quite uncertain
about something, but she could not talk ...fluffbutt could hear any psionic talk.

� Reply #239 on: August 04, 2016, 04:13:53 pm �

Tec silently got up, walked over to Re'Ni, and touched his forehead to hers. He was
barely holding back tears. Taking her paw with his, he started speaking in a low
voice, "If that's the case, then I will never leave you... Just, don't let
Forbidden's words get to you. Everything he says is a lie, and only becomes true if
you let it. He said Guardian would destroy the ship with his drinking, the ship is
fine. He said Scout's instability would be our doom, and Scout hasn't killed
anybody. Forbidden even said I would never amount to anything, and I almost thought
that he actually made a correct prophecy for a while. But, considering that I
somehow was able to convince you to live with me, and to actually care about me, I
see he was wrong like usual. So please, don't ever do that to yourself ever again.
If not for me, then just do it to prove Forbidden wrong. I... I don't know what I'd
do if I lost you now..."

Xefr looked down at the floor, and sighed, "I know what that feeling you speak of
is... It's regret. Regret at the greatest mistake I ever made, and I can't heal
the wounds I caused because of it. I thought that I would be ready to handle it
soon, but that second trial showed me how little progress I had made. So I know
that I really might not be able to handle facing the person I scarred. But... Are
you saying that I cannot complete this quest until I do just that...? I'm not sure
I can do that..."

Myst put on a grin, though he was also uncomfortable. It did not seem that he could
talk about what he wanted to just yet either. But he also spoke, "I'd have to agree
with that Cui. I forgot how nice it was to eat, and the quality of the pie helped
as well. And this planet is certainly more pleasant the first two trial worlds."
The Shard then looked back to Caprima and Xefr, watching carefully and hoping for
Xefr to finally open up.

� Reply #240 on: August 04, 2016, 06:01:40 pm �

As their foreheads touch, Re'Ni starts sobbing while bumping her tail in the bed
{"Never lose me! Gave promise ..Re'Ni keep it ..never do that again, never. Not to
prove demon wrong, but because care for Tec ..and start care for self too. But
'Forbidden' may wrong for others because perhaps bad, but never monsters ...Re'Ni
monster in past; Torture many same way demon because hated all. ...when felt
Demon energy, felt self-past. But said to self: look future ..and see Tec and eggs
and nice place and laughter and peace. ...Re'Ni stupid Valx that thinks much, No?"
her sobbing starts mixing with some laughter, as she crawls closer to Tec and
trying to hug him.

Caprima smiled and patted Xefr again, with her head still lowered and her tone
somewhat sad "Ah, regret it is.. I presume you can still change things though, or
at least try. Some of us aren't given the chance, so you better go there and fix
things up - Not for the universe, but for you my child; Every soul is worth
fighting for..." She then looks up to Xefr, her tone seems more joyful, even though
in a slightly forced manner.. "So, are you going to meet that person? Or are you
going to whimper and suffer just like my.." she sighs and turns to the pie, taking
a piece and munching a bit.

Cui nodded at Myst "Yep... it's nice and
lay down on that beach forever and drink
universe needs Cui." She rolled her eyes
attention to Caprima ..she had not seen
feelings before.
sunny, much like Qo. If only I could just
coconut milk I would ..but, no! The
and drunk her coconut milk, while paying
her being that open about her own darker

� Reply #241 on: August 04, 2016, 06:53:12 pm �

Tec beamed, and came closer to hug the parts of Re'Ni hanging off the bed. Tec
began to cry as well, but keep speaking regardless, "Thank you Re'Ni. You don't
know how much those simple words mean to me. And maybe you were a monster in a
past, but I do not care about that. I see a beautiful dragoness who I love, and
that's all that matters to me. And I don't think you're a stupid Valx, and even if
that somehow is true then you are my stupid Valx. Our future is together." Tec then
just stayed there, sobbing and hugging for a few moments, until he suddenly paused
his crying. He didn't stop hugging to speak in a more confused tone however, "Uh,
by eggs... Do you meant that you're...?" The Shard then just stopped, a little
embarrassed at what he was implying.

Xefr looked up and sighed, "Maybe I will... If I can ever muster the strength.
Though I believe we should move on to the more pressing matters, for unless lifting
the regret is necessary to what comes next, then we should move on. So, we found
this world, went through the tests, ate your delicious pie... What's next on the
list?"

Myst subtly smiled at Cui's statement. He had similar feelings, but she was right
in that there was work to be done. He then turned his attention back to the Goat
Woman, eager to learn what the next task was.

� Reply #242 on: August 04, 2016, 07:33:39 pm �

Re'Ni didn't say anything, she didn't need to ...as long as he was by her side
everything seemed right, even them being two fully grown dragons crying like
hatchlings.
As Tec made his question the dragoness laughed and licked his hace {"Hehahe! Don't
know, just spoke of future ..but maybe am! Could make sure if want..."} She smiled
playfully at him and bopped his snoot.

Caprima started tapping her foot nervously on the ground while looking somewhat
annoyed ...her tone was sweet as always, but somewhat strict, "Next on the
list? ...you going and patching things up with whomever that person is. I can come
with you if you need someone to hold your paw ...sometimes it helps." she nods
while smiling and offers her hand at Xefr..

Cui seemed pleasantly surprised by the recent turn of events and leaned towards
Myst while talking somewhat quietly "Fluffbutt doing her thing ..she won't take no
for an answer! Hell, she even persuaded us Qoatl to turn into pacifists once, and
trust me that means a lot."

� Reply #243 on: August 04, 2016, 08:03:34 pm �

Tec grinned, and moved so that he could jump up onto the bed beside Re'Ni. He then
looked at her mischievously, and intertwined his tail with hers, "If you're
offering... Then I suppose it wouldn't hurt to make sure that your future for us
comes true..."

Xefr sighed, and after a moment of though he reluctantly took Caprima's hand with
his paw, "I hoped you wouldn't say that... But very well, it seems I have to take a
trip to Heord earlier than expected. But you're coming with me, since this is going
to be more difficult than any of those previous trials, and all the help I can get
will be helpful."

Myst leaned his own head over to listen, and then responded in a similarly quiet
tone, "Well... I can see that. I've been trying to get Xefr to talk about this
regret for some time now, and she has known him for maybe a few hours at most and
still was able to open him. She doesn't even know how important getting rid of that
regret is, because the knowledge hidden under might make him happy yes, but I
believe it may be what is needed to purge that damn monster in the ships brig."

� Reply #244 on: August 05, 2016, 04:34:07 pm �

Re'Ni, while lying comfortably on the bed, chuckled and placed her paw on Tec's
cheek to kiss him. She was excited and filled with happiness that her loved-one
shared her wish..{"That future make Re'Ni happy! But present too..."} She nuzzled
against Tec a bit and twisted hers and Tec's tail even more - The two dragons were
once again enjoying their love, though this time in a more suitable place.
Hopefully no one passed near the room, since quite a lot of the noises would be
rather worrying for non-reptiles ..and extremely awkward for dragons.

Caprima held Xefr's large paw and gave a beaming smile to the old troubled
dragon... helping even one soul meant much to her and it showed "Don't worry my
child, I won't let you face this alone! ..and rest assured everything will work
out in the end." The goat woman moved her other hand close and started creating a
large transparent orb of psionic energy "Whenever you are ready; close your eyes,
think of Heord and touch the orb.."

Cui smirked and responded to Myst, while looking at Xefr and Caprima, "Oh, believe
me she does know how important it is ..she really does." and then proceeded to
finish her coconut milk.

� Reply #245 on: August 05, 2016, 05:03:27 pm �

Two Valorian guards were walking through the halls, however when they heard the
sounds they immediately turned around to find another way to their destination.
After the two dragons finally ran out of stamina, Tec broke off and contently lying
himself down on the bed. The Shard was blissfully smiling, and stammered out some
words despite being exhausted, "Heh... I think that should do it. Third time's the
charm after all... Or at least that's how I think the saying goes... Ah, it doesn't
matter anyways, since I doubt this will be the last time... Oh, almost forgot, got
to handle that real quick..." Tec's eyes then flashed, and sent out a small psionic
ping, the "all-clear" sign for Guardian.

Xefr was hesitant, and but then sighed and looked at the orb, "I thought we were
just going to use my ship, though I suppose customs is somewhat annoying. Well, I
was going to check on Girmion soon enough anyways, and I would need his help
anyways. Time to go." The drake then closed his eyes, and then used his free hand
to touch the orb.

Myst quickly grabbed his barrel of milk, and then braced himself for the journey.

� Reply #246 on: August 07, 2016, 01:29:14 pm �

Re'Ni, being already tired from the encounter wiht the demon, was now exhausted;
She lied close to Tec, with her head placed over his shoulder and her eyes closed.
She tried mumbling something {"Mhm, definitely not last time, and feel different
already, but.. *Yawn* ..self tired. Goodnight love."} She licks his cheek and falls
asleep pretty quick, soon snoaring rather loudly.

As the old black drake touches the orb it explodes into a wave and starts forming a
giant bubble around all of the group. All ground is lost and filled with a white
emptyness; Xefr, Myst, Caprima and Cui float inside the bubble for a while, then it
suddenly pops and they all start falling in a body of water somewhere in Heord. Cui
rushes and catches Caprima mid-air "Damn, couldn't you do it more smoothly!"
Caprima smiled and turned to Cui and then to the other two dragons "Oh, my little
Cui cares! ..sorry about that, but I didn't want us to be stuffed inside a
mountain, so..."
� Reply #247 on: August 07, 2016, 01:59:03 pm �
Even with the snoring, Tec was happy and in a state of peace. He was quite tired
himself, and with a final look at Re'Ni, "Goodnight Re'Ni, I love you." Then, the
Shard closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

The group had landed in large lake, which resided at the base of a mountain. From
on-high, there was a waterfall which landed its contents right into the very lake.
Xefr and Myst just fell in, and quickly maneuvered themselves towards the coast and
swam. Xefr laughed once he got out of the water, "Haha! That might have been my
fault Cui. I was remembering swimming in this very lake in my last trip to Heord
when I touched that orb. Anyways, Girmion's home is accessible through a nearby
cave entrance. We just have to follow the psionic trial, for this very cave is also
where he trains young drakes to use their natural psionic power. He always did want
to start a school..." The Old Drake then began walking towards the mountain.
Myst however was watching a group of Golden Dragons in the sky, far off in the
distance, as they played around and did mock air-battles. And in the background of
them, was the massive fleets in orbit. He looked back to Caprima and Cui, "I'd
recommend not straying from us. Getting stuffed inside a mountain is bad for sure,
but you two aren't native to Iammelon, and Heord is a very important planet. Since
neither of you are Golden Dragons or Watrike, your presence here might be
questioned if you are found alone. At best, you would be brought in for being
unknowns, and at worst you could be found by the more overzealous defenders of this
world. Come on now, we got an Old Drake to fix." The Shard then started to follow
Xefr.

� Reply #248 on: August 07, 2016, 03:50:41 pm �

When Re'Ni woke up after a few hours, she looked over to see if there were any eggs
..she really didn't know a single thing about this situation, but she could not
just ask Tec about it. Suddenly the headache from earlier started making a comeback
..she crawled slowly near the end of the bed and tried to take a book without
waking up Tec and perhaps try to see if there were any pictures in it, but as she
took the book a few more fell and made a rather unpleasant sound.

Cui looked at Caprima, slightly unsure of what Xefr meant. Caprima nodded and
pattet Xefr again "Oh, it wasn't your fault! I had plenty of memories of Heord to
select from, but this seemed the most safe! Anyway, let's go meet this Girmion
little-ones!" She nodded indifferently at Myst's advice and moved alongside Xefr,
not really caring -or fearing- these Qoatl younglings of the new universe or their
planet ..she was now excited to meet that Girmion fellow, anyone wishing to open a
school can't be a bad person! Caprima started talking, though it was uncertain if
she was talking to Xefr, or herself "..I wanted to open a school too! Still want..
but the universe apparently conspires against that idea. Heh! Get it? Because we
have to save- oh nevermind..."

The tiny blue dragoness looked at Myst, quite sure of herself "Noted, but I doubt
these hatchlings over there pose any threat and, besides, I wouldn't lose this
reunion for the world!"

� Reply #249 on: August 07, 2016, 04:37:19 pm �

Tec didn't wake up at the sounds. He seemed to be pretty deep in sleep, dreaming
about pleasant things by the sound of the happy rumbles he gave off every once and
a while. However, it did seem that somebody heard, for only seconds later there was
a flash of light. And then, in the center of the room, stood another Shard. It
wasn't Guardian, since it lacked armor, but it had purple eyes in contrast to the
yellow eyes the rest of the Shards had, and it wore a little pendant around its
neck. The Shard then spoke out to Re'Ni in a private Psionic channel, seeming to
avoid waking Tec. The voice was lighter than Tec's and happy, "Hey there. You must
be the new blood Tec brought aboard. And judging from what Guardian mentioned
earlier and the scene I see before me, you two have gotten along well, which is
nice to see. Tec always was a bit down, though maybe that will be different now. My
name is Coll, I heard the sound and decided to greet you now that you are awake,
since it would have been rude to awaken you just to say hi."

Xefr simply smiled at this, and spoke to Caprima, "I get it. But don't worry, I'm
certain that when this is all over you can do just that. Girmion could even help,
he's a good fellow. Even early on in his life he wanted to help others reach their
potential, and his goal in my inter-galactic adventures was to gain as much
knowledge as possible so that he could pass all of it onto the young. I suppose
that is what is doing, as now he trains young Golden Dragons in the art of
psionics. Mostly healing and telepathy, but also self-defense. Though I suppose
that recently he has expanded to include other species as well. I'm sure he'll
gladly help you set up a school of your own if you ask."

Myst seemed unsure, but grinned at Cui's confidence. "I'm not worried about them.
I'm sure we could handle those younglings with ease, but that fleet behind them is
what I'm worried about. Dragons rarely combine well with orbital bombardment and
armies of overzealous enemy Dragons and their fanatical Watrike guards. Though I
suppose that's hardly a possibility. Hm, Girmion's cave is a bit further, and there
is a question I wanted to ask you Cui. You say you are a spirit Guardian, and you
said you were linked to Xefr. How exactly does that work? Are you only able to go a
certain distance from him, or is it simply that if he dies you do as well?"

� Reply #250 on: August 07, 2016, 05:36:39 pm �

Re'Ni being quite surprised by the new visitor shrieked loudly and threw the book
at him, missing his head for a few inches. After thinking what the purple-eyed
shard told she calmed down a bit ..but still discreetly forming a white energy
ball with her left paw in the case this was a trap. Her voice was cracking a bit
and her eyes seemed worried, even though she tried to smile {"Sorry for book, but
Valx crazy? Scared self to death! ...this Re'Ni. ...Tec and Re'Ni bonded, so self
stay here for long time and must meet Coll and others. Ehm..."}

Caprima's was beaming with joy and hope upon brining the idea to her mind, "[Oh,
that would be beautiful, my child! I could totally see myself teaching in here when
the time comes, but we still have a long and uncertain road infront of us to make
such plans. Anyway ...I sense me and Girmion will get along fine. Perhaps he could
help..."

Cui laughed and flied closer to Myst "No, I can fly wherever I want ..It's simple
really, I'm a resident of his soul; I am sustained by it, that's why my scales are
blue! ..so, if he dies, so do I."

� Reply #251 on: August 07, 2016, 06:33:26 pm �

As the book pass his head, it suddenly was caught in a purple energy, and slowly
floated back into its normal place. Coll smiled, "I don't blame you for that Re'Ni,
so you're forgiven. I've never been good at making my presence known, and that is
far from my first book thrown at my head because of it. I'm glad to hear that you
and Tec are getting along well. And I guess we've met now, even if this wasn't the
best way to perform a meeting. Either way, it's nice to know that we have a new
passenger aboard the ship, and I hope that I can make up for this in the future."
-

Xefr was pleased with this result, "I'm sure that you're right about that, you and
Girmion have similar characters. But you're right, first we must handle the near
future before we handle that which is too far to predict."

Myst nodded towards Cui with understanding, "Then you are closer to a Shard than I
first thought. I too am linked to Xefr's life-force, as are all the Shards. We may
all be individuals with our own thought and complete autonomy, but our origin lies
in that same body. All of our souls have a thread attached to Xefr, and if his soul
were extinguished it would only be seconds before the rest of us fade. That is why
we refuse to leave Xefr on his own, he cannot die. The death of one Shard is far
more acceptable than the death of all in one blow... Ah, and it seems we have
arrived."

The Group had arrived near a large cave entrance, built into a mountain. The
entrance was held up by steel bars, and it was all quite smooth. There was writing
on the walls to each side of the entrance, with hundreds of names in Draconic.
Above the names on both sides was the word "Graduates" in Draconic. The inside that
could be seen was a large hallway leading deeper in, with red carpet on the floors
and torches on the walls. The fires of those torches was not normal, and actually
blue, with traces of psionic energy. Xefr approached the Cave Entrance and looked
around, before flashing his eyes. Turning back, the Old Drake snorted with content,
"Alright, Girmion should be arriving sometime soon, I called him to meet us here.
He won't be long."

� Reply #252 on: August 08, 2016, 07:46:37 pm �

Re'Ni, although still afraid and unsure, smiled a bit and curled back on the bed
{"Yes. Well Re'Ni hope make up for throwing book in the future ...Self not good
with people, so, ehm... glad to meet more Tec friends - even if not show."} She
lowered her head, feeling rather awkward and suspicious.

Cui sighed and was unsure if she should explain further, but she did nonetheless
"..as for being a 'guardian spirit', that's about right, but I wasn't always like
that; I have many memories of a real dragoness ..though I think this isn't the
time to talk about her. Anyway, let's hope this meeting won't bring Xery down.."
She looked up the sign "This is how you write? Heh, it seems like primitive
Qo'Jacuhal ..no offense!"

Upon arriving, Caprima looked around and
own schoo "Hmmm, the energy torches seem
always loved to lit-up their places with
"How're you faring so far my child? ..if
It's no use to keep it to yourself."
started taking notes in her mind for her
a bit luxurious for my taste ..but Qoatl
flames, heh!" she turned to Xefr smiling
you're worried, I want you to tell me;

� Reply #253 on: August 08, 2016, 08:46:48 pm �

Coll's smile didn't waver, and he just nodded at her, "Nice to hear. I think we'll
get along just fine, and I'm assured everybody else will feel the same. Even
Guardian will open up after a while. But I can see that I'm making you feel
awkward, and I think Tec is about to wake up, so that's my que to leave. But just
remember Re'Ni, since Tec cares for you, we Shards are always here to help. So if
there is ever any trouble, don't be afraid to ask us to assist. But also
remember..." The Shard's gaze grew dark and serious, even if his smile was no
different, and his voice took on a deep tone, "That if you ever break Tec's heart,
we will gladly break you." Coll then returned to normal and waved goodbye with his
left paw, and then disappeared with another flash of his purple eyes.
Perhaps only a second after Coll's exit, Tec's eyes started to open. He raised his
head from the bed and shook it a bit, proceeding to look around the room. When he
saw Re'Ni, he dozily smiled. His voice was calm and a little tired as he spoke,
"Hey love, did I sleep in?"

Myst glanced at Xefr when Cui mentioned having the memories of a real dragoness,
but didn't pursue the subject. Instead he nodded and added a simple comment, "Xefr
likely came to Girmion for multiple reasons. It may be that needs him, but also as
emotional support. He enjoys connecting with his old friends, since they are the
people who experienced many of his worst memories alongside him." He then chuckled
at Cui's jab at Draconic writing, "Well, once our civilization learns how to build
universes, I'll make sure to suggest implementing your style of writing instead. In
the meantime, this primitive system works for us simple dragons."

Xefr seemed somewhat unsure, but looked back to Caprima with a slight smile, "The
torches are actually part of Girmion's lessons, I saw it myself. Teaching students
to make fires that never burn out, or something like that. He has hundreds of those
things, and places them around Heord for lighting as well. He's sentimental like
that. As for me... Well, I'm worried. I don't know how I'm going to do this... How
will he react? What do I even say? It's just..."

The old drake was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of another black dragon, who
flew down from above and landed with a boom and a loud laughter.
Spoiler: Girmion (hover to show)
The new Dragon jumps right next to and gives him a friendly hug, before speaking
out in a very loud yet still friendly voice, "Xefr! I got your message! So you're
finally ready to try huh? That's good, and I'm here to help you every step of the
way, and because of that you aren't leaving until I'm satisfied!" Still with a
beaming smile, Girmion turned around to look at Caprima and Cui, "Say, I don't
recognize either of you." He points as Cui, "You're certainly not a new Shard, even
if you feel like one, since you are female." Then he points to Caprima, "And I'm
quite sure I've never met your kind before. Who are you two? New friends of Xefr
coming to help him with the reconnection? If that's the case, then you're all good
in my book! Welcome to my school."

� Reply #254 on: August 09, 2016, 04:20:33 pm �

Re'Ni responded with a soulless {"Self Knows.."} to Coll. The black dragoness
stayed staring at the wall, right where Coll was before; she had not taken this
peculiar visit and threat well... her fear of herself, love for Tec and burning
hatred and suspicions for any possible threat were fighting inside her mind. She
remained silent for a few seconds, not responding to Tec ..and when she turned her
head, her eyes were pitch black, and her voice calmer than ever.. {"Fire!"} she
said and grabbed Tec by his shoulders, looking directly in his eyes while smiling
{"Fire, love! ..All between shall burn! No, Coll not break Re'Ni if self BURN Coll
and Demon! No worries anymore! HahahaHAHAHAha.. ha.."} her laugh slowly transforms
into crying, while her eyes turn into their normal almond and she starts shaking,
completely confused, fearful and ashamed...

Spoiler: You won't like her when she's angry! (hover to show)

Cui laughed and waved her claw like a teacher at Myst, slightly mimicking Caprima's
voice "Well, let me give you some advice my child! When you achieve this level of
power, watch out not to destroy your own universe." When she finished her sentence
she nodded as if she meant it seriously.
Caprima patted Xefr and was going to say something, but Girmion made her turn
around and face him as soon as he talked. She smiled and joined her palms "It's no
wonder you do not know of my species, my child; They're rather insignificant.
Anyway, this is Caprima ...and I agree wholeheartily with what you said! We won't
leave until this old Qoatl here feels better."
Cui flew near Girmion and performed her signature draconic wing-bow "And I'm
Cui'Hoamal ...Xery's new assistant. The answer to your question is complicated
good sir, so let's just say I'm a psionic being that met your friend by chance and
follows him around ever since."

� Reply #255 on: August 09, 2016, 05:09:03 pm �

Tec was supervised and somewhat afraid of Re'Ni's actions, and that reflected in
his eyes as he was simply stunned. However, after a few seconds the words processed
better in his mind, and he knew what had happened while he slept. Tec went close to
Re'Ni, and hugged her close. While looking straight into her eyes, he spoke in a
calm whisper, "Nothing needs to burn Re'Ni. Don't worry about the Demon or Coll,
neither can touch you. Not while I'm here next to you. Like you said before,
together we can handle any demon, be it in the form of Forbidden or Coll's
suspicion. Just don't think about them, and look at me. We can endure anything and
not be broken, but only if we do it together. You got that? Or do I need to prove
it to you?"

Girmion laughed loudly once more, still looking at Caprima as his voice boomed out
once more, "That's good to hear! With our combined efforts, there is no way Xefr is
getting out of it this time!" The happy drake then turned to Cui, "An assistant eh?
Nice to hear that Xefr is finally expanding his crew. And I'll take that answer for
now, since I doubt we have the time to hear the full story. But I do suggest
thinking up a better summary, you would sound like a stalker to somebody who
couldn't feel your connection with his soul. Regardless, you both seem like good
people, just what we need to get this done."

Finally, Myst spoke up, "Yes, yes. Now, I suggest we get to that sooner rather than
later." Girmion didn't seem offended, and just smiled before responding, "Straight
to the point as always Myst. But I agree! Let's fly, this way!"
Girmion then took to the sky, flying towards an opening in the mountain higher up.
Myst sighed and gestured to Cui to follow him as he went after the old teacher.
Xefr however seemed hesitant, and looked to Caprima, "Do you need assistance
getting up there? I can carry you if need be."

� Reply #256 on: August 09, 2016, 06:59:46 pm �

Re'Ni kept crying and shaking but nodded in agreement to what Tec was saying
..while her mate's words calmed her, her thoughts did not. As her crying came to an
end, she started talking again, now in a more calm and slightly apologetic tone
{"Yes, together overcome everything ...Just worried lot, and... and overreacted at
threat. ..but have to tell Tec something, because Tec loves Re'Ni and Re'Ni loves
Tec..."} her eyes darken a bit and she gives out a heavy sigh {"Re'Ni sick ..very
sick, and sickness combined with strong mind-power, dangerous and hurts soul -
Makes fear self. Even if Tec make Re'Ni feel hope and love ..after Coll visit,
self worry if possible becoming monster like Demon said."} the sad dragoness places
her head beneath Tec's {"Want Tec know self tries hard ..but do not know when fear
will stop. Hope soon, love."}

The capricorn chuckled a bit herself at Girmion's determination, she was really
glad that she would have some more help "Hehehe! That's the spirit!" Cui shrugged
while smiling, she looked at Xefr for a moment then back at Girmion "Well, even if
I was a stalker, I assure you I'd be the benevolent and annoying kind, not the
creepy kind!" As the group is about to go she flies to Xefr's shoulder "Okey, let's
do this".

Caprima patted Xefr again and smiled "Thank you sweetie! ...I can levitate, but I
think it would be better if we kept a low profile." With her last pat she sends a
discreet psionic message to the old black dragon {{"Don't worry, my child. You're
not alone in this."}}

� Reply #257 on: August 09, 2016, 08:51:52 pm �

Tec hugged her closer, trying to appear strong and hold back his own tears at her
sadness. So on the outside, he nodded and touched his head to hers, responding with
a calm voice, "If you're sick Re'Ni, then I'll make sure that I cure you, even if
it's the last thing I do. And don't worry Re'Ni, as long as you are trying, you are
doing everything you can do. All wounds take time to heal. And together we can make
that fear go away as soon as possible... But... just don't dwell on any threats
Coll made okay? He sees betrayal at every corner, no matter how unlikely... Though
you can damn well be sure that I'm going to make him see past his stupid suspicions
and see the same gorgeous dragoness that I fell in love with. I'm counting on you
to help with that." Then, Tec smiled and added something in a more happy tone,
"...And we both know what's going to happen to that demon downstairs one day. Like
you said, we shouldn't be fear him, he should be fearing us!"

Xefr nodded, "I suppose that's correct, now let us go." That seemed to be his
response to both of Caprima's statements. Xefr then leaned down with the shoulder
that Cui was not on, to allow Caprima to climb aboard. Once she was on, the black
dragon took to the skies, flying up to a large opening in the mountain up above
which only seemed to be accessible through flight. The inside was lit up by more of
those torches, but otherwise it was empty, except for Myst and Girmion that is.

The Old Teacher waved at Xefr when he landed, and walked up to talk, "I called
Dervis over for a 'student-instructor chat'. Should get him alone, without his
bodyguards. But of course there will be some time until he arrives, though he was
already coming to Heord for another reason. And since we have this free time..."
Girmion then looked to Caprima, and spoke in a more curious voice, "I can feel that
you are not exactly natural, Ms. Caprima. I cannot exactly pinpoint it, but you
come off very strange to my psionic senses. Are you willingly to explain?"
Myst was just stood off to the side, watching Xefr and Girmion very carefully. He
wanted to learn as much about this Dervis before he arrived as possible, to try and
put together what was so important to Xefr about meeting him.

� Reply #258 on: August 09, 2016, 10:52:58 pm �

Re'Ni had stopped shaking and was now completely calm physically in Tec's embrace,
but her mind was still not ...that thing Tec told about the 'Demon Downstairs' was
just what the Ghashyr were saying about her once, but what worried her the most was
that she feared it was possible for her to break Tec's heart like the purple-eyed
dragon said. She remained silent for a while trying to ease her mind, then started
muttering a few words while placing her paw on Tec's chest {"Mhm, but Re'Ni first
must deal alone with Demon inside ..Coll said Break Re'Ni if Re'Ni break Tec's
heart, self panicked more not because fear Coll, but because fear breaking Tec's
heart.. ..voices ..thoughts ..emotions ..not always clear - sometimes violent..
this sickness worse than any other; Sometimes not know what to believe ..what
reason and what madness. But know that love Tec and can trust ..Re'Ni never hurt
Tec, or self, or child ..never, in any way."} She moves her head back so she
could look clearly at Tec and gave him smile and a kiss.

-
Caprima petted Xefr's scales and jumped down, levitating a bit before she landed to
slow down her fall "That was nice! Brought back memories.." she then turned, facing
Girmion. She could not hide everything from everyone it seems.. "Oh, I will explain
then - it is better that way, though perhaps I may sound like a crazy old goat. You
see my good Girmion, I didn't want to unnerve you, so I concealed my soul
energy ..the reason is that it is very noticeable by psionics, since where I come
from we used positive feelings to maintain our psionic energy and you could say
that ..heh.. I love an entire universe." Cui chuckled at the last part, but then
immediately pretended she didn't understand ..shrugging and supposedly looking
confused.

� Reply #259 on: August 10, 2016, 12:43:13 am �

Tec returned the kiss, and gazed back into Re'Ni's eyes, "Since that's the case,
that means you'll never have to worry about breaking my heart. And don't fear
Re'Ni, you just reminded me of something. If you really are carrying our child...
That also means you are carrying a new future for both of us, a final declaration
of hope to bring light to the darkness and cure our ailments. A little extra
motivation not to hurt yourself any time soon eh?" The Shard's smile grows as he
finishes.

Myst noticed Cui's chuckle and following actions, but simply rolled his eyes and
didn't comment. Girmion glanced at her as well, though his eyes were friendly and
remained that way as he looked back to Caprima, "Emotions power your psionics?
Interesting. I know of similar systems, though yours is clearly different from what
I can feel. But I won't press you any further. My personal curiosity is not why we
are here after all..."

Myst suddenly interjected, "Speaking of why we are here... Care to explain it to us

Ess? We are here to help you get through this, but that will quite difficult if
only you and Girmion know what's about to go down." Xefr sighed in response to
this, but raised his head and spoke, "I suppose... You're right Myst. Very well, we
are here because I wish to finally make amends to another drake named Dervis, who I
have wronged immensely. And while only Girmion and my other friend Durazor knows
this... Dervis is my son, or at least he is Xefr's son. Dervis is the child the
True Xefr and Viol'ita gave birth to, only a year before she died and the first
shattering of Xefr's mind occurred..."

� Reply #260 on: August 10, 2016, 04:24:00 pm �

Re'Ni could not help but smile herself, she really liked the thought of having a
child and although she was slightly scared, this time it was an innocent fear..
{"Yes! That truth.. keep future safe, lay future, then grow, teach and enjoy future
together with Tec!"} The dragoness licked Tec's face and caressed his left shoulder
with her paw. After a few minutes she got up from bed and tried to pull Tec with
her tail {"Want breakfast! Then show Tec what Erhyna taught Re'Ni do.. ..helped
very during lonesome times"}

Caprima smiled and nodded at Girmion "It's ok! Curiosity is what powers the trip
for knoweledge." Upon hearing out Xefr her smile had faded away, she came close to
the old black drake and looked at his eyes from down bellow "I had suspected that..
..I know it's hard for you - it's hard for every parent and mostly for our
children. I also know however that he still loves you deep inside and even if he
doesn't show it, he will be really happy if you show him you care ...even after
many years of being detached as you said back in Zuan'lotl ..it's an opportunity
to make both of you a little happier."
Cui gasped and tried to say something, but feared she might say something stupid,
so she just patted Xefr. For a moment she looked back to Myst, since she had felt a
rather big interest from him regarding that person.

� Reply #261 on: August 10, 2016, 05:53:56 pm �

Tec let himself get pulled along, and got off the bed. The Shard nodded and smiled,
"Alright, we'll have breakfast and then you can teach me something new. Same place
as we ate before, come on." Tec then walked over to the door and opened it with his
paw. He stepped out into the hall, though waited for Re'Ni before proceeding.

Myst was standing there, shocked. His normal mask of calm had once again
disappeared from his face, and his words were that of confusion, "What...? That...
Well, it makes sense, but how? I'm sure at least one other Shard would remember
something like that..."

Xefr was clearly ashamed, eyes clinging to the ceiling, "Unfortunately, that is
correct. But fate is cruel. As you know Myst, we are not the first batch of Shards,
merely the third. But in the previous two groups, the variant of Forbidden that
appeared was the only one given memories of Dervis, and with his cruelty never
tried to help. He simply forgot, for it did not matter to him. In our batch, this
is the case as well, though this time I also remembered Dervis. But by now... It's
too late. A hundred years have passed..." The Drake then started to panic, his eyes
swirling with terror as he looked at his paws. Xefr's voice reflected this, as he
started to speak quickly in a scared tone, "Yeah, it's too late. I can't do this.
I'm just going to hurt somebody, just tossing salt in the wound. I can't let Dervis
see me, not like this. Not ready yet, too soon..."
This was noticed by Girmion, who ran up and grabbed Xefr's shoulders, "Snap out of
it Xefr! It's just going to get worse if you keep putting this off! You are not
running away this time!"

� Reply #262 on: August 11, 2016, 06:39:26 pm �

Re'Ni walked forward and followed Tec, for a moment she turned her head back to the
room and muttered something very silently ..as they were walking, she seemed happy
but her tail was shaking and frequently looked around for something while bearing
an angry expression. She decided to talk to Tec instead and stop worrying {"Hmmm..
Thought of ghosts before Tec? Re'Ni thought many times. Sometimes Re'Ni feels
surrounded by spirit."}

Caprima's expression turned into a frown. She sighed and snapped her fingers,
everything around froze and her and Xefr appeared in an empty white room "YOU Xefr
are a coward, and like all cowards you're going to accept that and continue
spreading misery to your soul and other souls around you, unless you change. Remain
silent for I have to show you something... I have to show you why you must see
Dervis, I must show you why we fight.."
Suddenly Xefr and Caprima appear before a dark vastness "This is Voss; my plain of
existence and universe ..your species' old home. It wasn't always like that.." she
waves her hand and both appear as ghostly figures in a small room. In the center of
the room stands a younger and terrified Caprima, and a Dragon with five other
dragons behind him, a dragon maid enters briefly the room and leaves a few cups of
tea, she bears a striking resemblance to Cui though her colour was a bright red,
instead of blue.
The dragon in the center starts speaking "Tommorow, the Qoatl Empire, protector of
the Benevolence of V'oss and greatest state within the seven Galaxies, will have to
declare its unconditional surrender to the Hyl and the adoption of the Ideal of
Descendancy and I, Emperor Acu'Tozac Qo'Atzel'Qoatl will abdicate in favour of the
Death-Queen. Soon the Hyl will reach the third core and with its power will destroy
this universe ..but there is another way my friend! I have found a way for all
seven of us to survive and build a new world as we envision it in a different
universe! ..we only have to destroy this one, High Mater."
The younger version of Caprima seemed shocked and disgusted, she sipped a bit of
tea and raised her finger to the emperor, "Never! ...Are you out of your mind? We
worked hard for thousands of years to save this universe and with what I'm building
we will manage to save it once and for all! You only have to wait! Besides.. I
would never leave my children to die alone. Hell I wouldn't even let my ex die
without seeing him for the last time."
The Dragon Emperor frowned "I expected this ..always the moralist, always being an
obstacle to Qoatl - We have waited long enough and apparently waiting is not
helping us! ..well, no more waiting, we will do this with your agreement, or not
..actually, it already has begun. You can decide though; Will you stay and die with
your world, or follow us to the next? What do you value more Cap? Life, or Death?"
the emperor reaches out his paw..
The scene changes into a tremendous blast of light, obliterating the entire
universe and leaving nothing behind; billions of species, stories, civilisations,
families ..all lost.
The illusion stops and both Xefr and Caprima are back in the empty white room.
Caprima sits in a chair that appears out of nowhere and cries inconsollably while
trying to speak "Y-you at least have a chance t-to say goodbye if everything fails
..don't waste it, like I did. ..running away solves nothing." Caprima snaps her
fingers again and they both appear at the exact position and time they left...

� Reply #263 on: August 11, 2016, 07:47:10 pm �

The second Re'Ni mentioned ghosts, Tec froze. His movement just stopped for a
moment, before he shaked his head a bit and caught up again. His eyes now looked to
the floor, though they were clouded by darkness and seemed to be focused on
something Re'Ni couldn't see. He did manage to get some words out though, "I've
thought about ghosts before... But never willingly, I try to avoid that topic,
especially the thought of one getting too close. It brings back... pain. Reminds me
of how weak I was, and how that weakness brings harm to the people I love most... "

Xefr didn't seem reassured at all, and his eyes just were consumed by uncertainty.
Then, his head fell to the ground and he grabbed the sides of it with his front
paws. Then, the shouting, "Stop it! Stop showing me these things! It's all too
much, I never asked for any of it! I... I'm not ready for any of this! People are
going to get hurt if I keep trying, I'm not going to let the happen! Somebody else
has to do this, save lives and stop the darkness... That's how people will avoid
harm, if I pass on the mantle to somebody else!" Xefr then quickly got up and
attempted to leap out of the cave entrance and fly away...
And when he jumped, Girmion grabbed him by the tail and pulled him back with one
arm. To prevent him from escaping, Girmion used his powers and wrapped Xefr's body
in psionic shackles, pinning him to the ground and only allowing him to wriggle for
movement as the blue metal wrapped over his torso and limbs. Looking to the
struggling drake chained to his floor, Girmion sighed then turned towards Caprima.
The old drake had a look of sadness in eyes, but his voice was firm and serious,
"Neither Xefr or Essentials normally acts like this. He only cracks under extreme
pressure... What exactly has happened to him? And what brought him to actually try
and reconnect with Dervis? I need to know, now."

Myst ran over to Xefr with concern in his eyes. And when he looked down and saw
Xef's eyes he loudly cursed in draconic. The old drake's eyes never stayed still,
and had a new color of blood red, and seemed almost gaseous. Myst looked up and
tried to explain in a very nervous voice, "It's that goddamn illness again! I'm
going to destroy Forbidden for causing this, and this is the worst time for it to
happen!"

� Reply #264 on: August 11, 2016, 08:47:32 pm �

Re'Ni stood infront of Tec and covered him with her wings while placing her paws on
his cheeks, forcing him to look in her eyes {"Listen love. Re'Ni not see weakness
in Tec ..see strong and good Valx that loves Re'Ni and fights hard for that love.
Both fight hard against any ghost, and world if need; ...Tec not alone, Tec has
Re'Ni now and Re'Ni protect no matter what ..no ghost can defeat that!"} She gave
Tec a sweet kiss and hugged him next.

Caprima didn't expect this, she fell to her knees in shock and covered her mouth
with her hands ..she then run close to Xefr and looked at his eyes "I'm sorry! I'm
so sorry my child ..I always screw up! I.. I..." she looked with tears in her eyes
towards Girmion "No, I can't tell ..this could happen again. I don't want
that ..it's too much." She then started panicking. Cui that had understood
perfectly what happened run close to her and slapped her with her wing, talking in
a worried and angry tone "Get hold of yourself! Fix what you did to him! That's
what you always did ..you're not some kind of powerless old hag!"
Caprima nodded and touched Xefr's head, she had now a full psionic connection with
the old drake {"I'm sorry ..we have time and we can take this slow ...I was wrong
to rush things ..don't blame yourself for this child."} in the meanwhile she
placed her other hand over Xefr's eyes and casted a strong pacification spell, Xefr
could see everything in beautiful serene colours and all sounds sounded melodic and
calm inside him. Noticing the eyes turning red she started breathing heavily, being
evidently worried, and casted a second spell ..this time far more powerful than
most normal psionics could ever achieve ..it seemed to have the same effects as a
euphoric drug.

� Reply #265 on: August 11, 2016, 09:39:18 pm �

Tec relaxed in the embrace of the object of his love, and then hugged Re'Ni quite
tightly. His eyes became alive and yellow once more, as he realized that he didn't
have to be afraid anymore, at least not as long as she was around. "You're right,
love. I'm not alone, I have you to protect me from those bloody ghosts. That
strength of yours is just another reason I love you Re'Ni, thank you for being with
me. Makes me feel a lot more safe. But even if I would gladly spend my whole day in
your embrace, I won't be letting you neglect breakfast, not when you have our child
in you now. Let's get to that now, yeah?"

Xefr slowly stopped struggling and his eyes started to return to normal, before
they eventually closed. Then, he was snoring. Both Myst and Girmion made sighs of
relief, and became less concerned. The Shard dematerialized and looked to Caprima,
"That worked. I should probably mention that Essentials here has a habit carried
over from true Xefr, which is napping after calming down from high levels of
stress. Guardian and Scout do it as well, so I know he'll be fine when he wakes up.
Well, he'll probably hate himself for freaking out, but otherwise no lasting
effects. Thank you." Girmion still seemed unsure, but nodded in agreement to Myst's
statement. However, the drake also looked at Caprima with suspicion, "If a mere
explanation is enough to do this again, I do not even want to know what Xefr got
himself into this time... But I still must thank you for stopping that freak-out, I
can't stand watching my friend act like that."

But then from behind them all, another voice spoke out. It was loud, confused, and
lined with a sort of restrained anger, "Just what in the hell is going on in here!?
Why are these people in your school instructor? And why is my scumbag of a father
shackled to the floor?!" And there stood a young Golden Dragon, glaring at Girmion
and building up Psionic energy with his left frontal paw.

� Reply #266 on: August 12, 2016, 01:14:19 pm �

Re'Ni smiled and kissed Tec again, nodding at what he said {"That also what Re'Ni
likes about Tec ..more strong than know. But to remain strong, Valx must eat good
breakfast ..so let's go!"} She got up on all fours while still covering Tec with
her left wing and waiting for him to move alongside her..

Caprima was about to deny all the praises for she was the cause of this outburst
and guilt had overrun her, but as soon as the young dragon appeared her eyes were
fixated at him ..not knowing what to say. Cui on the other hand stood close to
Xefr, having noticed the aggressive psionic energy and preparing to create a shield
just in case..
The goat woman moved forwards with her head lowered, her voice coming off as
somewhat sad "Calm down sweet heart, we're here for a good cause ..we wish no
harm"

� Reply #267 on: August 12, 2016, 01:47:22 pm �

Tec smiled and happily kept walking down the halls with Re'Ni. However, while he
was calmed by her presence, he was also a little happy to get off the subject of
ghosts. He wouldn't say it, but he was still afraid of them. He knew for a fact
that he lacked the psionic strength the other shards had, so he couldn't face any
truly dangerous specter by himself. But his beloved could, so all the more reason
to stay by her side.

Eventually, the couple reached the main mess hall, and it was mostly the same as
before. But this time, there was some activity. A ball of light blue Psionic Energy
was bouncing about the room, smashing and bounding off walls and furniture, but
doing little damage. Two of those Valorian guards were chasing the ball however,
jumping to dodge its chaotic movements and trying to throw these purple energy nets
to catch it, though it was always too fast. Tec however, didn't seem worried. With
a flash of his eyes, a small transparent psionic cube surrounded the ball, catching
it. Tec then pulled the cube in front of him, and spoke, "Scout... Why were you
bouncing in here? You know that you aren't supposed to be doing that in a room like
this."
As Tec spoke, the ball in the cube slowed down and eventually changed into the form
of a small dragonling...
Spoiler: The Scout Shard (hover to show)

The little Dragon just giggled, "Sorry! But it's fun!" Scout then looked at Re'Ni
and waved with one his paws, "Hi!" Tec just grinned, "Scout, meet Re'Ni. Re'Ni,
meet Scout. He's another one of the Shards aboard this ship."

Myst and Girmion also had their eyes on the new arrival, but the Golden Dragon had
his eyes on Xefr. Stepping forward the young Golden Drake spoke with a sinister
undertone, extruding nothing but hate, "Good... Then get out of the way and let me
take vengeance for the childhood I never had... The one that was taken from me!"
The buildup of energy increased, and he took another step closer.
Girmion however then walked over to block him, "You aren't doing anything of the
sort Dervis. We're going to talk, and you're going to see how much your father
cares about you. That's a goddamn order." Dervis then turned his hate to Girmion,
"Care? Care!? He never did care! If he did, he would't have abandoned me and left
me to grow up like a ****ing feral! You don't have authority in this regard,
instructor!"
While the two were yelling at each-other, Myst stayed quiet and close to Xefr,
preparing to help Cui with the shield if necessary.

� Reply #268 on: August 12, 2016, 02:38:27 pm �

Re'Ni looked at the bouncing ball wondering what the hell it was, but she wasn't
threatened by it seeing that Tec was pretty calm. Once the little dragonchild
appeared and waved at her, she had mixed feelings inside her; ..on one paw she had
to see a dragon child ever since her early childhood, her brother in particular, on
the other paw she could not feel anything but joy at the presence of this cute
dragonling ..mostly because she was getting a positive vibe from him. She extended
her paw rather hesitantly and patted Scout's head {"This Re'Ni - glad to meet
Scout! ..ehm, sorry for touch, but ..look very cute!"} She then turned her head
to Tec; while she said nothing it was pretty evident from her serene smile that she
wished she could lay those eggs sooner and have a child of her own just like that
one..

Noticing the tension, Caprima sighed and walked towards the two shouting Dragons,
armed with two minor pacifying white orbs in each of her hands "ENOUGH! You,
Girmion ..you can't order people to understand. And you, Dervis ...the moment you
kill your father will be the moment that will haunt you the rest of your life ..so
stop saying idiocies and see the bigger picture." She threw the orbs at both; each
dragon could feel a little bit more relaxed, however the spell wasn't as strong as
the one casted at Xefr previously and anger could still be felt..
The Capricorn started talking in a calm voice towards Dervis "I can't even begin to
imagine what terrors you have gone through my poor soul ..no child deserves this.
But all parents make mistakes ..sometimes bigger than permitted. Your father
however while what he did was wrong, when he realised what you went through, he
thought it was too late and would only bring sorrow to you ...his guilt is greater
than anything inside him and that says something about what he feels for you. I
know you probably will never forgive him ...but at least know that he tried to
risk and see you again, just because he loves you. ..and deep down I know you do
too. Just think about this." She turned looking at Xefr "His current condition is
unfortunately my fault, and I'm sorry about that."

� Reply #269 on: August 12, 2016, 03:22:17 pm �

Scout seemed to enjoy the patting, and made a beaming smile, "You're a nice
dragon!" Suddenly, the dragon child teleported and was then atop Tec's head,
prompting the larger Shard to roll his eyes and speak, "Scout, when was the last
time you took a bath?" Scout quickly leaped and took flight once Tec mentioned
hygiene, flying out the door and into the halls while yelling, "You can't make me!"
The two Valorians sighed and saluted to the mature Dragon couple before running
after the little one in pursuit.

Tec held back his laughter and looked to Re'Ni with a smile on his face, "That
trick always works. They'll all be fine, since Scout's favorite place to hide from
bathes is actually is the pool. To this day he hasn't realized what that entails.
Now then love, what do you want for breakfast?"

Girmion didn't seem affected by the orb, but calmed down regardless. Dervis,
slightly calmed by the orb, cycled his vision between Caprima, Girmion, and his
father on the floor. Finally, he sighed and with a snort sat on the ground. "Fine.
I'll give him a chance to speak for himself, and I'll wait right here until he
wakes up. In the meantime, you're all telling me who the hell each of you are. Not
including you, Girmion."
Myst looked like he wanted to speak, but when he tried he wasn't sure how to
explain what he was, and said nothing.
� Reply #270 on: August 13, 2016, 09:05:32 am �
Re'Ni laughed with her heart upon seeing the child shard running away at the threat
of a bath {"Hahahahehi! Oh ...so cute! Could eat up Scout for breakfast instead
but then die of diebetes!"} she then turns looking around, wondering.. {"..hmmm,
something light; some roast bugs perhaps! And bonemeal flakes, if have... good for
scales!"} then it got to her {"Oh! And some Suffar, wake-up drink, very strong!"

Caprima was joyful that she managed to calm Dervis, she smiled and joined her palms
"A good decision from a good soul! ..This is Caprima, Xefr's recent friend and
mentor!"
Cui flew over to Dervis and bowed "Enchantee! I'm Cui ..your father's assistant,
a psionic being and old acquaintance of lady Caprima" For a moment she turns at
Myst who looks rather awkward and silent "...and that's Myst, he's also a psionic
being ..and very good person too!"

� Reply #271 on: August 13, 2016, 12:15:36 pm �

Tec was glad that Re'Ni was happy, and now had an idea of who he could call in for
backup if he ever needed it. He thought about it for a moment, and then nodded to
her, "I think we have something like that, though I'm unsure about the Suffar. We
have some Icol, or Red Coffee as humans call it for whatever reason, which would
fit that bill, so I'll call for that." Tec then flashes his eyes, and the droid
servers bring out large bowls filled with roasted bugs and flakes of some
description as well as two barrels that have this red liquid in them.

Dervis snorted, and while he looked at the newly introduced his eyes then fell on
Myst, "...Hm. I'm not sure how my father garnered such a little group. Even from
the few memories I have, he liked the company of others but rarely had them come
with him. Though I suppose mentors, assistants, and psionic beings generally do
that anyways. But you there, Myst was it? You look a lot like my father, if he was
a ghost that is. And something tells me there is a reason for that." Myst sighed,
"That's correct. There is a good reason, but I'll let your father explain it. For
now, let's just say I'm part of the reason you were wrongfully left without any
parents." This caused the young golden Drake to snort in contempt once more, but he
didn't press the Shard any further. Instead he looked back to Cui, "So, you're an
assistant huh? What exactly are you assisting my father with?"

� Reply #272 on: August 13, 2016, 01:52:39 pm �

Re'Ni clapped her paws at the sight of the breakfast and turned to kiss Tec, only
to wage a full attack on the food a few seconds later {"Ooooh! Haven't eat this
long time - Icol smell nice too!"} she grabbed a few bugs and cereals with her paw
and started munching them, then she took a sip from the red coffee... {"Good!
..not as good as Suffar, but feel wake already!"}
Grabbing her barrel with one paw she turned looking back at Tec {"Wonder what baby
colour scales will have, probably black ..all Atzel black! Self start think where
grow young one.."}

The tiny blue dragoness was cornered a little by the question, but years in the
imperial Qoatl court during her past life had made Cui pretty resourceful
"Everything really! Keeping him from falling down, dealing with angry aliens - I'm
quite the diplomat you see! - that short of staff..."
Caprima felt worried and looked back to Xefr to see if he was getting any better.
� Reply #273 on: August 13, 2016, 02:21:11 pm �
Tec grabbed paw-fulls of cereal and tossed them into his mouth, followed up by a
sip from his barrel. He didn't seem to like getting close to the bugs. With a smile
he looked back to Re'Ni, "I also think the baby will be black-scaled, since both of
us have black-scales. And I doubt that this ship would serve as an appropriate
place to raise a child, even if it is sizable. Maybe Heord, since it is a planet of
Dragons. To be honest, I'm just happy that I am even fertile in the first place!
I... I didn't think I was even capable, considering what I am..."

Dervis knew she wasn't being entirely honest, with his profession constantly
requiring him to interact with businessmen and other corporate types he could sniff
out half-truths. But he also knew that he frankly didn't have the time to get the
full story, so he just snorted in response and looked towards his father.
Xefr started to show signs of waking, as his eyes slowly began to open. But as the
eye that could Dervis finally regained vision, he suddenly got up with amazing
speeds and turned to his son with a look of awe, "Dervis...? Is that you?" The
Golden Drake snorted again, and got up while looking at his dad with disdain, "Yes
father. I hope your eyesight hasn't been fading, now why did you come here?"

The Old Black Dragon didn't respond with words, and with a flash of his teleported
right in front of his son, and then proceeded to hug him. Xefr started crying into
Dervis's shoulder, and the younger dragon was visibly surprised, even taking a
combat stance before getting pulled in. With confusion in his eyes, Dervis started
to pat his father's back, unsure of how to respond otherwise.

� Reply #274 on: August 13, 2016, 03:52:43 pm �

Re'Ni was too happy as soon as Tec mentioned Heord, even though she felt something
strange as her mate finished his sentence. She drunk more of her coffee and
continued {"Ahhh! Thought Tec wanted to live in ship ..glad think Heord better for
young one too! ..but what mean 'considering what Tec is'? Tec sick?"} she remained
looking at his eyes, nothing could really spoil her happiness.

Cui hugged Myst with a big smile on her face, as she was watching the touching
moment, her blue colour was now a bit more light. Caprima on the other hand
withheld unsuccessfully some joyfull sobbing and remained completely silent with
her fingers crossed. It seemed she still got it in patching up relations...

� Reply #275 on: August 13, 2016, 04:11:06 pm �

Tec sighed, "It's not a illness. It's simply what I am... I suppose I have been
lying for some time now Re'Ni. You remember what Guardian said he was when you
first came aboard this ship? How he described that he was a Shard and not a Ghost?
Well, I'm also a Shard..." He then held up a paw, and dematerialized it to show
proof. As he put the paw back down it materialized again, but Tec still seemed
ashamed as he looked at the floor, "That's why I was unsure if I was fertile. I'm
sorry for lying, do as you see fit..."

Myst was watching the display, and then was quite surprised to find that he was
being hugged as well. And though he said nothing, he didn't actually mind. So
carefully he patted Cui on the back, and kept watching the father and son bonding
with a renewed grin on his face. Girmion was also watching with joy, but remained
silent as to not ruin the moment.

Dervis was still surprised that his father wasn't running or attacking like he had
expected, so his voice was layered with confusion, "But... You left me... I thought
you didn't want me...?" Xefr kept sobbing, but responded regardless, "I left you,
that's true, but it wasn't because I didn't love you. But now that I've got the
chance to hug the son fate tried to deny me, I'm not going to leave you alone
again. Just grant an old man that, would you?"

� Reply #276 on: August 13, 2016, 05:10:45 pm �

Re'Ni remained in shock for a few moments, then she started having various
thoughts, but as all the moments of her and Tec passed throug her mind she could
not remember anything malevolent, or any bad feeling ..in fact she knew Tec loved
her, even if he hadn't told her that small detail, but she was confused. The
dragoness shook her head, looking in Tec's eyes and reached Tec's paw, grabbing
them tight with both her paws {"What supposed do? Tec is mate, always.. but..
ah ..don't know what self think.. Self stand with Tec even if shard, Re'Ni loves
Tec and knows Tec loves Re'Ni ..but confused from not telling ..and ..and "} her
tail started shaking, she freed his paw, stood back and started breathing heavily.

Caprima's joyful sobbing started turning into a sad one, remembering everyone she
wanted to see again, but she wiped her tears as she realised what a nice thing she
was currently part of and kept watching the moving scene with a serene smile on her
face.
As Myst patted her, Cui felt surprised he did and looked at him with a satisfied
smile. However her eyes soon turned back at the two reuniting dragons.

� Reply #277 on: August 13, 2016, 06:02:06 pm �

Tec crumpled, his body falling to the floor and resting his head on the table,
�Heh� Failed again. Typical of me at this point right? Always something I forget,
always somewhere I screw up! It�s just like Forbidden says, I fail and others are
the ones who pay. Can�t even tell the truth. Who wants to have a Shard as a mate?
Nobody, that�s who. How do you even tolerate me Re�Ni? Just� How?� His eyes started
to cloud up again as he wallowed in shame.
-

Finally, after a while of sobbing and hugging, Dervis backed up and looked at his
father. The anger was gone from his eyes, though the confusion was still there as
well as in his voice, �But father� I think I have a lot of questions to ask you,
about all this.� Xefr smiled and nodded, �Of course son, and I�ll do my best to
answer all of them. But I think I�d prefer to do that in private.� The Old Drake
then looked back to the others.

Girmion got the hint first, �I think that makes sense. Come on everybody, the
reunited father and son need some proper bonding time. Let�s leave them to it.�
Myst nodded to this, and walked over to the same entrance that let them into the
cave in the first place. He waved to the others to follow, and then leaped and took
flight to land on the ground below. Girmion walked over to Caprima first however,
�Need a ride?�

� Reply #278 on: August 14, 2016, 07:27:03 am �

While Re'Ni was battling with her inner demons, with demons that told her that no
one will truly love her, that everyone viewed her as a tool and that she had no
chance living a good life ..however, she also started realising that even if this
was all a big lie, she wanted to live it, and for all that matters; deep down she
felt that Tec truly meant everything he said to her. She wasn't going to let her
illness dictate her life, no, not this dragon; with her eyes still unstable and her
tail still shaking she closed up to Tec without saying a word, her feet were
slightly stumbling and as she reached Tec she hugged him tightly ...she tried not
to think much, or anything at that moment, for if she started to think, nothing
good would come out of it. {"S-shut up. Not say bad things about who Re'Ni
loves.."}

Caprima smiled at Girmion and nodded in agreement while looking at the father and
son bonding again "Yes, I think I'd like a ride my child.". Cui followed Myst
closely as he left the cave, frequently looking at him while they were freefalling
..having understood what a 'shard' was, she worried a bit about how he felt at that
moment "You allright fellow spirit?".

� Reply #279 on: August 14, 2016, 09:45:07 am �

Tec recovered from his own freak-out when Re'Ni hugged him, which allowed him to
see what she was going through. He hugged her back, and was silent for a bit. He
didn't know what to say, his mind still clouded and telling him anything he did
would just make it all worse, but he did manage to get out a few words, "As you
say, my love. As you say..." He was barely holding back tears, as he was still
fairly certain this was his fault for lying.

Girmion grinned and moved his shoulder down to let Caprima get on, and once she was
ready he leaped out to follow Myst. The Shard already falling spent the freefall
thinking about Cui's question, and when Myst finally landed he responded, "I'm
fine. Just a bit... Awkward I suppose. It's strange to learn that Xefr had a son,
who is technically also my son as well. Consider how weird it would be to learn you
had a child, see that child, and then barely interact with the child at all. I'm
not used to being this uncomfortable..."

� Reply #280 on: August 14, 2016, 11:10:25 am �

Re'Ni closed her eyes while hugging Tec and caressing his back with her paw. She
soon noticed her head was trembling along with her tail and she tried calming
herself, she had to keep fighting it ..if she let her mind free now, everything
would fall apart and she knew it, but she had learned a new way: ...emptying her
mind completely and feeling it with mere affection; She nuzzled her head against
Tec's, while repeating {"All well, all well.."} a few times.
She then tried looking at him while not saying anything, her head was again
trembling a lot as she looked in his eyes ..she smiled and stood back while still
having her paws on Tec's sides, her voice was somewhat weakened, but better than
before {"Love well?"}

Cui shrugged and patted Myst "I can't understand ..I never got to have any children
during my actual life. But rest assured you'll be given some time with Dervis, I'll
take care of it."
Caprima while riding on Girmion leaned towards his head and discreetly started
talking "Well, it's always good to see two souls bonding. I can see you're a
psionic master of shorts.. so, I guess it would be foolish to presume that my
energy has gone unnoticed by you. I'll answer ..but when I do, you will probably
come infront of a great dillema ...sometimes, living blissfully is better than
trying to fight all creation. So, it's your decision..."

� Reply #281 on: August 14, 2016, 11:46:21 am �

Tec smiled and responded with a trembling voice, "Better, that's for sure. Thank
you my love." He then went silent for a moment, just looking into Re'Ni's eyes
while smiling, until he looked back at the table. Then his smile became more
nervous, "So... Want to finish breakfast? It's important for us both to stay
strong."
-

Myst grinned, "Oh, I'm sure you're quite capable of doing just that Cui, but not
now. Xefr needs this to go on, I don't. We're far from finished with this
adventure, and I'd prefer to see it through. Besides, I think it would be better
for Dervis to meet all the pieces of his father at once, rather than one at a time.
And I suspect that such an opportunity will arise in the future. But still, thank
you for the offer."
The Old Teacher smiled and shook his head, "Look around Caprima. I already made
that choice before. The fighting has always been left to my friends, both Xefr and
the other member of the black drake trio, Durazor. I've always been the one to
choose blissful ignorance over pain, it's how I keep going and stay sane. The life
I choose is one of passing on the good experiences I've already had to the next
generation, not finding new ones. Perhaps that makes me a coward, but that's my lot
in this universe."

� Reply #282 on: August 14, 2016, 07:32:43 pm �

Re'Ni nodded and gave a peck at one of Tec's cheeks {"No thank; Thanked already
with love.. and yes, breakfast keeps Valx strong.. ..both Valxes present need be
strong."} her look was still very confused and confusing, a mix of sadness and joy
..sadness for her mind's uncertainty and joy for her true feeling of love. Her
confused look finally broke by a peculiar sounding giggle {"Hehehi.. Tec and Re'Ni
both screw ups ..as if meant for together - Universe either wise ..or has very
evil humour!"} A glimpse in her eyes indicated that not everything was all right,
but at least the dragoness had now control of her own mind. She grabbed a few roast
insects with her paw, ate some and offered the rest to Tec..

Cui bowed her head, she had already started respecting Myst for his stance in every
obstacle so far ..but now she really admired him "From one spirit to another;
You're a good soul Myst, you know that?" She really wanted to give a small kiss at
Myst, but drove away the thought as something idiotic ...they were just spirits
after all, and even if it was possible; she had been dead for a long time - if
everything went right she would be again soon and for good.
Caprima smirked at Girmion's answer, perfectly understanding were he was coming
from.. "That's an option I never had the guts to take Girmion, perhaps you're truly
wise to choose it. ..as I was saying, total knoweledge can hurt; So let's just
say that I'm an old psionic master from a far away plane, sent to help yours
against some irregularities it is facing currently ..and let's leave it at that."

� Reply #283 on: August 14, 2016, 08:37:46 pm �

Tec still seemed a bit unsteady, but nodded, "The universe works in funny ways.
But... I think we were brought together to fix the troubles of the other, so that
maybe we won't be screw ups in the future. Yet that evil sense of humor is still a
very valid theory." The Shard seemed hesitant when offered the insects, but seeing
that it was Re'Ni who was offering he stopped being so reluctant and grabbed a
bunch of them with his paw. Then, he threw them all into his mouth, and ate them.
After finally swallowing, he shook his head a bit and chuckled, "Heh... Might be
good for me, but I've always felt strange about putting bugs in my mouth."

Myst shrugged, "Not my position to say whether or not I am a good person, but since
you're saying it Cui, then maybe I am." The Shard paused for a moment, evidently
thinking about something, and then looked to Cui with a renewed look of curiosity,
"Hm, you know Cui, when we first met you gave me a brief description of your
mission and did that transformation thing, but I never asked you where exactly you
met Xefr. From what I know, it was back on that Shyr planet in some tomb, but I
never asked how. You mentioned some Scion, and how Xefr got chosen, but I would
like to hear a bit more. It's good to know your allies, so you can place yet more
trust in them. Oh, and you also said that you tied your Soul to Xefr's, but what
about when we finish this little quest? Will that allow you to sever the connection
and do as you please?"
Girmion chuckled, "Something tells me that goes deeper, but my curiosity is sated.
We shall leave it at that" The Drake then landed and put his shoulder down to let
Caprima off, but continued speaking, "This was certainly a fun meeting, and thus
far I believe the outcome has been quite pleasant. Feel free to drop by any time."

� Reply #284 on: August 14, 2016, 09:10:06 pm �

Re'Ni had a much needed laugh at Tec's remark, then started mimicking an old
person's voice while waving her pointer claw at him.. {"Always finish off bugs!
Grow to become big and strong Valx! Much nutrients! Hahahaha"} as her laugh faded
away, she remained looking at Tec, bearing a silly smile ..it seemed finally that
no matter what life threw at them, they could overcome it together.

Cui didn't really want to think about it, but Myst was right ..he deserved to know
some things. She sighed and tried telling it as simply as she could.. "I was in the
orb in Zuan'Lotl, the orb was summoned by the Scion and I came along with it
..when the scion put the orb in Xefr, I connected with his soul ..as for the last
part; don't take this the wrong way, I'm already dead ..and this life is half-a-
life really ..what I want to say is that when everything is achieved, I'll
probably return to my natural state, but Xefr does not need to know this - it is
not certain ..and fluffybutts will try her best to keep me here; She's a really
stubborn old goat."
Caprima smiled and started talking in a joyfull tone "Oh, it was, wasn't it? And
perhaps I will ...I always wanted to be a teacher you know!"

� Reply #285 on: August 14, 2016, 09:43:52 pm �

Tec laughed at Re'Ni's impression, "Haha, yes Ma'am! No more skipping out on my
daily bug intake!" As he calmed down he smiled back at Re'Ni, that same look of
determination mirrored in his own eyes. After a few seconds, Tec noticed the table
was empty, and spoke in a calm voice, "So, that's breakfast. The day is still
young, anything you want to do Re'Ni? Or would you just prefer to sit down and
relax for a while?"

Myst nodded sadly, "Ah... Well, then I suppose you already know the taste of death
then, something I will never know. You might be half-alive, but I exist at the
midway point between life and death. Similar, but different. For in truth, what
real being could do this?" Myst then dematerialized his hand, and stuck it inside
his face, "Perhaps I should have chosen I different place to make my point with,
but this will do. Anyways, real beings cannot do this, nor are they lacking in the
need to eat and sleep. Such necessities to the living are luxuries to me." The
Shard sighed, and took his hand back out. "You know, if I had made my hand solid in
there, it would hurt and I would bleed, but I would not die. I am a spirit, so it
takes more to kill me off for good. An exorcism I suppose. Regardless, you are
right. Caprima has shown herself to be stubborn, and such knowledge would be likely
to impede Xefr rather than help him cope. So you have my word, I shan't tell unless
allowed."
Girmion grinned and snapped his claws, "Wonderful! You can come and teach here once
you are done with Xefr's little quest if you wish, or I can help you set up a
school of your own! I'd love to help you reach that goal."
� Reply #286 on: August 15, 2016, 05:29:36 pm �
Re'Ni tried relaxing, but she couldn't really ..she was overwhelmed by feelings
{"Not relax. Can't do that yet! Anyway; Promised show Tec!"}
With a swift move she took all of the barrel of coffee and drunk it all ..then
started laughing {"Hahaha! Re'Ni show what did to cave back in Shyr!"} all on her
indicated some form of minor episode, her smile, look and laugh were extremely
unattural ..she suddenly run towards the wall and looked at it for a moment then
breathed fire on it and started scratching the wall intensely {"Feel so free..
HA ..HAHAHA ..look! make Tec!"} she appeared to be scratching out a form from the
smoked wall, while her claws were being harmed a little she didn't seem to mind -
being completely overhelmed by sudden energy to even notice. After she finished she
remained huffing and looking at what she made, trying to calm down ..certainly not
in her best state, considering her body was shaking whole.

Cui raised her claw "I can do that and more too..." she enlarged her claw and cut
off her other arm, then put her cut arm's paw beneath her chin as in a thinking
position, "Actually ..midway between life and death would describe my state better
than I put it. While I hate the term, I believe most would call me a 'ghost'."
The capricorn's little fluffy tail was wagging and she clapped her hands in joy,
being excited at the idea of having her own school "You would do that for me? It'll
be wonderful; I will even have cooking lessons!"

� Reply #287 on: August 15, 2016, 06:10:02 pm �

Tec made sure not to display his discomfort at the wall being turned into a canvas,
however this quickly became unimportant when he noticed Re'Ni's condition. Most of
his attention remained on her while she worked instead of the wall scratching. When
she finished, he walked over and hugged her close while looking at the display on
the wall. He spoke with a calm, happy tone, "You know, this isn't bad at all,
espically considering that you did this purely by paw. Though if you do really
enjoy it, maybe next time we can find you some proper tools and a better wall, so
you can show me what you can really do. And it would also let you take better care
of yourself." As he finished, he motioned to her claws.

Myst grinned at the little display, "It's not like sticking my body parts in
strange positions is the limit for my spectral form, but it is the more comfortable
option to show off my incorporeal form. I do still feel pain of course. And I
understand what you mean by that, though I prefer the term 'apparition' for myself.
For that is what I am, a ghost-like image of a person no longer with us."
Girmion laughed and then smiled, "That does sound wonderful! And yes, I would be
glad to help you. It's great to see others willing to teach, and I would consider
it due payment for helping my friend in whatever mess he got himself tangled up in.
So really, it would be no trouble at all to assist you with your own school
Caprima."

� Reply #288 on: August 15, 2016, 06:54:02 pm �

While Re'Ni looked at her claws, her smile was soon taken over by a sad frown and
she started sobbing, while her shaking feet collapsed and she fell flat on the
floor {"Yes, this hurts.. sometimes not control self. Ehm ..at least outcome not
look bad."} She turned her head facing Tec, she seemed really tired mentally
{"Perhaps now good time relax with Tec."}

Cui smirked and made a defensive gesture with her paws, her arm being re-attached
to its original position now "Whoa, 'apparittion' now that's a fancy word ..I like
it! Hey, ever wonder if ghosts-sorry; apparittions!- can have some vacations
instead of following a great destiny, or other nonsense?" as she finished her
sentence, she raised her eybrow quite high.
Caprima was ready to burst from happiness, or even make a happy dance, but she
thought that would look silly and decided against it "Oh, I can't wait! So many
children to teach and help around! I just hope I won't make this mess Xefr has
gotten himself into a worse mess, before I manage to come back here that is.."

� Reply #289 on: August 15, 2016, 07:51:43 pm �

Tec knelt down with a sad smile on his face and nodded, "I think so. You've had
enough stress for now. Want to go to the observatory? Nothing in there but peace
and quiet. Come on, just stand up now." The Shard then kissed Re'Ni on the cheek,
and back up a bit so that he could offer his paw to pick her up off the ground.

Myst thought about it for a moment, and then responded, "I suppose I never have,
but I believe it should be possible. Just got to find the right moment, and get
permission from whoever it is that binds us to this plane. And if it isn't
possible, then we still have to try, considering that we totally deserve it. For
me, that means I'll have to go force Xefr to give me some time off after all this
calms down. I've been his caretaker for quite the while now, and the only break
I've really had was Shyr, though that was only because I had some... business to
take care of. Just like the truly living, I think we apparitions are vulnerable to
extreme stress and need to relax sometimes, wouldn't you agree?"
Maintaining his smile, Girmion was happy with Caprima's joy, "Oh, don't worry
yourself. I'm sure everything will go fine. You were able to reunite Dervis and
Xefr, something I've been trying to do for a few years now, in a day. I am certain
could only make that mess better, which also means that I'm trusting you to come
back and set up that school of yours. You got that?"

� Reply #290 on: August 16, 2016, 02:49:32 pm �

The stressed out dragoness placed her right paw on Tec's, and with his help and a
spoonfull of stubborness she managed to raise the rest of her three feet up. She
immediately hugged Tec, partially due to appreciating his love and also not to fall
down again.. {"Observatory sound nice ..good memories there."} She seemed far
better now, almost recovered from her minor energy outburst that took place
earlier.

The tiny blue draconic 'apparition' laughed and patted Myst "If I agree? Hah! More
than you can believe.. when all of this is over and if we're all here, I promise to
get us both a nice vacation in Zuan'Lotl! Just us, lots of coconut milk, the warm
sea, the shiny sun and the tropical trees!"
Caprima smiled and winked at Girmion "Got it! I'll make that school and cause many
headaches during exams for years to come!"

� Reply #291 on: August 16, 2016, 03:35:48 pm �

Tec held her tightly, trying to make sure he wouldn't fall again, "I thought so,
very good memories indeed. I'm right here, you won't fall again. Let's go, I'll
lead the way, just focus on clearing your head." He slowly positioned himself at
Re'Ni's side, using his wings and tail to give her support and keep her standing
upright. Then, he slowly moved forward, but waited for her to move alongside him.

The Shard smiled, "Well, I do love me some tropical trees, so I expect you to
ensure that happens. A vacation with a friend sounds like a wonderful way to blow
off steam. I'm looking forward to it."
Girmion chuckled and his smile grew, "That's the spirit! Lessons through pain!
Heh... Oh, and here comes Xefr now."

As the drake finished, Xefr and Dervis arrived. They landed together, with the
young Golden Dragon in front looking quite satisfied and much less angry than
before. Dervis looked over at Myst and waved, "Hey! Dad piece! When you're finished
with whatever strange quest you're doing, make sure you visit sometime. If my
father is now a bunch of different people, I'd like to get to know all of my
father. But later, you hear? I got a war council to get to right now." The Shard
grinned, "The proper term is Shard, my child! But I think I can accommodate your
request, once I can get all the Shards together that is. Meet all of your father at
once, and you can be sure that will take awhile."

� Reply #292 on: August 17, 2016, 04:15:05 pm �

The two dragons started walking, one assisting the other. Tec probably didn't know
it, but his help was more helpful in clearing his loved-one's head and filling it
with warm feelings, than actually helping her to walk. Re'Ni started smiling and
gave a playfull bump at Tec's snoot with hers {"Love Tec.. Heh, wonder if child
able do invisibility trick like dad!"}

As soon as Dervis and Xefr arrived, Caprima's
picture the the two dragons, father & son, in
Teacher position? Check! This was a damn fine
remained there bearing a great smile.. "I see
heartwarming!"
Cui was quite joyfull as well, and especially
dad.
eyes turned with an anxious look to
harmony. ("Family reunion? Check!
day") she thought to herself and
you both seem happy! ..that's
for Dervis aknoweledging Myst as his

� Reply #293 on: August 17, 2016, 05:06:30 pm �

Tec chuckled, "And Tec loves you. Hm, maybe our future will be able to that. I
don't know really, but I do know they will be a strong dragon. Maybe they will look
like Scout, but with a little more Re'Ni dashed in there. But we'll see soon
enough... Oh! What if there is more than one hatchling? Twins or the such?" Tec
seemed quite excited by his latest idea.

Both Dervis and Xefr nodded to this, though the Golden Drake also spoke, "Satisfied
is the word for me. I learned things that I have been trying to find out for some
time now, and the answers to my questions were sufficient. Thus, I suppose I am
happy. I didn't expect meeting my father to go like this, but I suppose it's better
than what my expectations were. But for now, I must go. Goodbye everyone." Dervis
turned and gave Xefr a quick hug, and then turned to salute everybody else with a
very military demeanor. Myst casually saluted back, and Girmion just waved.
Finally, Dervis took off and flew away.
Girmion seemed happy, and then looked to everyone else, "Well, he isn't the only
one who has places to be. I've got some work of my own, and ya'll need to get back
to your little quest. So goodbye for now. And Caprima, when you come back I do hope
you can teach me of that special Psionic power of yours." The Old Black Drake then
waved, and disappeared in a flash.

Xefr had a massive smile on his face, "This was a very good day. Quite a bit has
been done today. We should all have a bit of rest, eh? Well, besides me that is,
considering that I have been rendered unconscious multiple times now. Erhm, Caprima
can you do that teleportation orb thing again? Long-range like that is difficult
for me." Myst rolled his eyes, but he was also smiling."
� Reply #294 on: August 17, 2016, 06:06:11 pm �
Re'Ni's eyes beamed with light for a second, she really liked that idea {"Yes! That
lovely! Two little swcoundrels! ..guess Re'Ni and Tec then find more food and
make spare time, take care both good - not want one jealous!"} Her fantasy was
travelling ahead in time, already picturing the 'two scoundrels' {"Thought names?
Could name one Ca'Jaatotl ..nice name; 'Joy-bringer' ..or Erhyna, like mom!"}

Caprima smiled and discreetly rolled her eyes at Dervis' military mannerism, in
response she joined her palms together and bowed her head, "Take care good child!"
she then turned to Girmion as he finished talking and a little before he left "Oh,
I intent to! ...until we meet again, then!"
Cui on the other paw responded to both -and quite excitedly- with an old Qoatl
military salute ...and thus earning a slightly dissaproving look from Caprima.

Caprima was really happy and proud of Xefr managing to patch things up with his son
so quickly. She smiled and raised finger in the air creating a small light "Of
course ..the technique is not that difficult, you could learn it in the future!
Ah, anyway ..let's get going my kind flamethrowers!" She places the orb infront of
Xefr "Like I said before, you just picture the place you want to be in! Ehm.. just
wait a moment.. I have to create a safety bubble first, ok child?" with her free
hand she creates a big pink bubble around all of the group, "Now, we're ok!" The
entire group travels back in the beautiful tropical island in Zuan'Lotl, hovering a
few meters away from the beach and above the water ..the bubble burst, making them
all fall in the shallow waters... ..Cui started muttering something in Qoatl,
probably not something good.

� Reply #295 on: August 17, 2016, 06:44:29 pm �

Tec was happy she liked his idea, and took on a beaming smile, "Erhyna sounds nice,
and 'Joy-bringer' would be quite accurate. But let's wait to see what gender our
children are, before we start thinking up names... Huh, I wonder if we could do
that with psionics. Should be possible. Once you lay the eggs, we should try."

Myst groaned and swam to shore, and then spoke in a somewhat irritated voice,
"What's with that teleportation method and water? I might enjoy swimming
occasionally, but my scales are meant to get wet this often!" Xefr laughed, and
responded when he got to shore himself, "Oh lighten up Myst, it's not like you ever
go to the pool of your own volition, so we have to get you in the water somehow!
Anyways, I suppose we should be returning to Soul's Eclipse now. Will you be
joining us Caprima?"

� Reply #296 on: August 17, 2016, 07:25:33 pm �

Re'Ni laughed and bumped her tail happily on the floor "Haha! Will try mind-power
when lay eggs, but feel already one boy. Hmmm, perhaps Self rush ..but excited!
Also, no worry of gender; Ca'Jaatotl no-gender ..like Re'Ni'Terjal, all Atzel
names no-gender!"

As soon as she got out Caprima snapped her fingers and hot air started blowing at
her, fluffing her fur "Ugh.. damn hair!" she turned to Xefr "Oh, you want us all to
go in your spaceship? Well, ok, though you could bring your friends down here
instead, but ok!" She then somewhat sorry turns to Myst and Cui "...Also, sorry
about the water my children, just taking precautions ..you never know if something
goes wrong and materialise inside a tree.. you could get stumped for life! Hehm.."
Cui made a very loud groan and layed down on the sand.

� Reply #297 on: August 17, 2016, 07:58:30 pm �

Tec smiled, "A boy huh? Good to know what to be ready for. All Atzel names are
genderless huh? That's handy, maybe you could give some ideas, since I'm already
liking Ca'Jaatotl. I suppose we'll give them your last name too then, only fair.
And Re'Ni... I'm excited too. This is something I thought I would only experience
in dreams before. Thanks for making it a reality"

Myst groaned as well, and sat down on the sand. However, Xefr seemed to appreciate
it and chuckled, "Heh, I'll have to remember that one. Well, I would try and bring
the other Shards down here, but I know a few wouldn't really like to do that. Tech
loves that ship, Scout would miss certain parts of it, and Guardian wouldn't be
able to look at his... exotic collection of pictures and magazines he uses to
comfort himself. And there is also the crew of the ship, as I don't want to leave
them on their own. I trust them of course, but it is very necessary for Guardian to
remain nearby to respond if certain threats aboard cause problems, which only he
can really handle. Besides, much less tiring and it has portable beds! Good for
taking naps... That came out more selfish than I intended, I'm sorry."

� Reply #298 on: August 18, 2016, 08:49:05 pm �

Re'Ni was nearly crying from joy while hearing Tec, she kissed his cheek very
gently and spoke in a calm and somewhat serious tone {"No. Re'Ni thank Tec ...Self
never even dream of that; Never hoped ..thought last of Valx. This child, or
children, be both Tec and Re'Ni ...perhaps time let Atzel name in past where
belongs - only brought misfortune."}

Caprima was happy that someone appreciated her humour in this part of the galaxy
"Not selfish at all... Let's head for your spaceship my child. I can tell you what
you have to face over there too"
A sigh was heard from a basking little blue dragoness in the beach "I guess
vacation time is over then..."

� Reply #299 on: August 18, 2016, 09:09:33 pm �

Tec nodded, "Very well then, Re'Ni. You are very welcome. But we got time to decide
both the first and last names. We'll get it right." And then, they arrived. The
obseravatory was almost in the same condition as before, including the scratches
from the first visit. However, the panels were different and hid more than before,
so it seemed that somebody else was here before. Tec didn't seem to really mind,
and simply walked over to the terminal to open all the panels and allow full vision
of the stars. Then, he looked at the scratches and laughed, "Good memories. That's
one I'll be keeping for quite a while."

Myst looked over to Cui, "There will be more time in the future. Then, we'll get to
see these beaches and trees once more Cui." Xefr nodded, and flashed his eyes,
prompting the ship to teleport them all aboard.

The teleporters brought them all aboard, but placed them directly over the pool,
dropping them all into the water once more. Myst cursed, and Xefr laughed. However,
the old drake was not the only one enjoying this, as on the side of the pool sat
Scout, who was giggling at the unexpected entrance. The little Shard then waved at
them all, "Hi! Are you all hiding from bath time like me?" His postive aura was
very strong, since he was pleased with himself for his expert hiding skills.
� Reply #300 on: August 21, 2016, 07:48:19 am �
Re'Ni looked at Tec with a sassy look, while pointing at the scratches with her
claw "Mhm, fine floor decoration... Perhaps need add more around starship." She
winked and then stood close to Tec, waiting to see the stars with him.
She had calmed a lot ever since her minor episode, and let her guard loose for a
while; What could possibly go wrong?

After they were dropped within the pool of the Soul's Eclipse, Caprima swam to the
side of the pool and near Scout, bearly withholding her giggling "Not really, my
good sweetiepie; I guess.. hehm.. Xefr pooled a prank on us!" then she bursted into
laughter.
Cui on the other hand started cursing along with Myst and bumping her tail on the
water in protest, while floating with her wings.

� Reply #301 on: August 21, 2016, 02:30:58 pm �

Tec blushed at Re'Ni's words but smiles and nodded regardless, "That sounds
divine... Erhm, but I'll save those thoughts for blissful dreams. For now, let's
lie down for a bit and watch the stars above." He then walked over close to the
scratches and layed down. He looked over to Re'Ni with a grin, but then suddenly
his face changed into one of shock. Tec then finally shook his head around a bit,
and took on a nervous smile, trying to act like nothing happened, though he wasn't
very good at it.

Xefr laughed and Myst groaned in reaction to the pin. Finally, both Shard and Old
Drake jumped out of the water, near Scout, who didn't seem to get it and just
looked at Caprima with confusion. Now out of the water, Xefr spoke, "Let me
introduce you all. This is the Scout Shard, the semblance of True Xefr's childhood
memories. Scout, this is Caprima and Cui. Say hi." The little Shard waved and
yelled out excitedly, "Hi! I'm Scout!"

� Reply #302 on: August 21, 2016, 04:39:53 pm �

Re'Ni really liked the stars, they meant much to her ..for the most part of her
life she would stare at the cave system's ceiling and watch the rocks, all of them;
granite, tonalite, dacite, andesite and all the other 'ites' ..even a geologist
would get sick of it at some point! But the stars where different, always vast and
mysterious ..perhaps she would visit most of them at some point. Having layed down
next to Tec she had all that she wanted {"Re'Ni go to big blue star there with Tec
one day! But.. sense love feel bad ..Tec ok?"} She turned to him and placed her
paw over his shoulder.

Caprima got out as well and gave a big smile to Scout while patting him "Awwww,
you're such a good little Qoatl!" she then attempted to pinch his cheeks to which
Cui responded by coughing loudly and flying in between Caprima and the kid-shard,
preventing a minor disaster "And I'm Cui! Heh don't let the size fool you; I could
be your great-great-grandma!"

� Reply #303 on: August 21, 2016, 06:41:00 pm �

Tec smiled while Re'Ni looked at and spoke about the stars, but that faded when she
finished speaking. With a sigh and a sad face, he responded, "I won't hide
anything, so I'll tell you that I'm not really okay. I just felt something, a
subtle signal that I've picked up after feeling it so many times. It means one of
two things is happening, neither are good. Though from what we did before, I think
it's Coll... I wonder what kind of damage this episode will have... But I gotta let
Guardian handle it, I'd only get in the way." Tec then seemed to descend into
thought, remembering when he tried to stop Col that one horrible time.

Scout enjoyed the attention, and beamed at both Cui and Caprima, "You two seem
nice! Like the Dragon Lady! What's a grandma?"" Myst looked over and spoke, "Be
careful not to entertain his questions for too long. They do not end." Xefr
chuckled at this, remembering Myst's own encounter with Scout's curiosity.

But then, in the doorway, there was a flash. And standing there was Guardian, clad
in his armor wearing his naturally serious face, and with his bottle in hand. He
started talking to Xefr, "Ess, glad you finally got back. Avoid the secondary
hanger for a bit, I gotta... Oh." The Warrior-Shard looked over to Cui, Caprima,
and Scout. Seeing Scout, he made the bottle vanish, and then spoke, "More new
arrivals? Now who might you two be?"

� Reply #304 on: August 21, 2016, 07:06:12 pm �

Re'Ni shuddered at the thought of meeting that dragon who outright threatened her
earlier.. her tail started shaking again, though now quite subtly {"Hmmm. Self see
..this not good. Perhaps Guardian help ..seem good Valx."} she then turned with a
worried look in her eyes towards Tec {"What mean ..episode?"} the dragoness leaned
closer to him, gripping her claws nervously as she felt a slight fear of what could
happen if she met Col again...

Cui nodded at Myst and while smiling tried responding to Scout "Well a grandma is a
really old dragon; the parent of a dragons' parents.." however her look turned to
the new acquaintance pretty fast and a glimpse overrun her eyes "Mmmhm! Grandma
approves!" she flew close to Guardian sporting a smile and giving him a rather
soultry look "I'll be damned! A strong warrior Qoatl finally appeared in this
universe ...name's Cui, charmed. I remember an Imperial guard with the same built
that I used to f-" Caprima suddenly coughs and while frowning points discreetly to
Scout. The goat woman then approached herself the new dragon and bowed her head a
little while joining her hands together.. "Pleased to meet you my child, I'm
Caprima ..I'm trying to help Xefr with a small task, so I'll be hanging around in
your ship for a while."

� Reply #305 on: August 21, 2016, 08:11:23 pm �

Tec noticed Re'Ni's nervous claws, and pulled her in with his wing. With a sigh, he
continued explaining, "By Episode, I mean wrecking the ship and hurting anybody who
gets in the way. He goes crazy, but he's a good person and Guardian knows a
technique to calm him down... You saw his eyes right? Purple? It comes from his
job, picking up stray memories and energy from when the Shards came to be. Not all
of is good. So sometimes, the dark energy overwhelms him, and when triggered it has
bad results... Um, did you happen to see his backside? Or did he hide it from
view?"

Guardian grinned at Cui, "Heh, you seem like the agreeable sort. My name is
Guardian, and the pleasure of this meeting is all mine. I would love to hear more
about this Imperial Guard sometime..." Then the Warrior looked over at Caprima,
"Pleased to meet you as well, Ms. Caprima. If Xefr approves of you, then I am in no
position to object. Just make sure not to go anywhere the Guards don't let you go
and we'll have no problems. Now then, introductions done, I will be going to handle
that problem if there is nothing else." He flashes a smile at Cui as he finishes.
Myst rolled his eyes at Cui's and Guardian's exchange. Scout seemed disappointed
that Cui didn't get to finish her sentence, and did a bit of pouting. Xefr seemed
to be thinking about something, and muttered something about "lost pieces".

� Reply #306 on: August 22, 2016, 06:17:08 am �

While Tec's wing-hug made her calm a bit, what he said afterwards did not... ..She
started trembling a bit as she spoke, always having in mind what happens when
violence gets in her way {"No.. not.. r-remember much from incident with Col.
Concentrated on th-thoughts ..Tec understands. Hmmmm ...not good ..not good at
all. Not sure if self can handle facing wrath and violence ..both Col's and
self's"} she seemed somewhat sad and anxious as she placed her head next to Tec's
{"Better call Guardian.. ..fast! No take risks"}

Caprima nodded and crossed her fingers "Oh, don't worry my child! I don't mean
trouble!"
Cui blowed out a kiss at Guardian as he was leaving and spoke in a really flirty
manner "We'll talk about that guard sometime all right! See ya later!" Caprima
glared at Cui for a moment to which Cui responded with an annoyed facial expression
and a quite angry tone "Hey, it's not a crime! Stop looking at me like that you old
goat!" Caprima rolled her eyes and turned to Xefr "So my child, do you want me to
explain to you what will you have to face? ..or perhaps later would be a better
time?"

� Reply #307 on: August 22, 2016, 11:25:50 am �

Tec turned his head towards Re'Ni and spoke with a calm voice, trying to comfort
her, "Don't worry, if I was able to pick up that signal, Guardian would too. He'll
already be on it and the damage will be minimal. He's done it many times before, so
he will most certainly be able to calm Coll down. Guardian is quite strong, even if
he is a bit grumpy and inclined towards his booze." Tec then gave Re'Ni a kiss on
the cheek, "Just don't let this get in the way of your relaxing. Coll can't destroy
the stars.

As Guardian teleported away, Myst rolled his eyes again to Cui's flirting, "Oh
Guardian, you've never one to miss a good opportunity. Guess I'll have to keep
Scout away from Guardian's room when that intellectual discussion goes down." Scout
had stopped caring, and leaped into the pool to swim around some more. Xefr snapped
out of his mumbling and responded, "Well, if you believe the pool is an appropriate
area for that, I see no reason to wait. Unless of course you wish to eat or rest,
because in that case I could be patient."

� Reply #308 on: August 22, 2016, 04:09:41 pm �

Re'Ni calmed a bit and tapped her paws on the floor a bit while kissing back Tec
{"Tec right! Noboy can destroy beautiful bright blue star! Wonder if aliens live
there... now that Self free want to travel, but first to Heord! Want to see future
nest! Self wonder... Tec visited many worlds?"} Among the stars a tiny and sudden
flash of light could be seen for the split of a second ...seemed quite peculiar.

Cui noticed Myst's dissatisfaction and felt a bit bad about how she handled this,
but she really liked that warrior dragon's fit body and armour. She flew close to
Myst, while rubbing her paws awkwardly "Hey.. mr. Apparition ..sorry for that,
didn't really think with my head ..the vacation is still ok, right?"
Caprima was about to respond but she had a very sudden and strong headache,
prompting her to grab her face with both her hands and mumble something, when she
recovered her eyes where adorned by a bright white light and no cores "We'll have
to talk here and now, but not about the Hyl ...a presence near made me lose my
focus from keeping them asleep ...a presence that is of MY universe. A third Vossi
is in this ship! Tell me where the Vossi is ..for we could all be in tremendous
danger as we speak." She seemed extremely angered and determined, completely unlike
her normal self.

� Reply #309 on: August 22, 2016, 08:40:32 pm �

Tec was happy that she calmed down and that the topic was changed, "Heord sounds
like a wonder first stop! I'm sure you'll love it. And yeah, I've been around. Seen
lots of stars, planets, and aliens. Some bad, some good, some horrible, and a few
wonderful ones. The Universe is a very interesting place, with so much to see. I'm
just happy that as a Dragon, I can see so much of it. And now it's your turn Re'Ni.
I'll gladly help you through it." Tec noticed the flash, though he didn't want to
alarm his mate so he discreetly kept an eye on the flash's direction.

Myst looked at her quizzically, but then sighed in acceptance and returned to his
normal demeanor, "I can understand that. You aren't the first female to act like
that with Guardian, quite a few like him, even quite a few non-dragons. Hell, there
was also that one other male as well... Anyways, don't worry about it. Just don't
let your flirting get in the way of our vacation. I'm still looking forward to
that." Myst grinned as he finished.
But everyone looked over as Caprima spoke, even Scout poked his head out of water
with a nervous look. Xefr seemed worried, "Are you sure you're alright? But to
respond, I couldn't know who you speak of. I doubt the Vossi would be a Shard or
Valorian, so it could only be two others. Either that Dragoness that Tec took a
serious liking to, or Tetrix, the last True Psion who requested to be locked away
in the brig... Both are strong Psionics users, from sending alone, and they are
both new to the ship with mysterious pasts. Do either ring a bell Caprima?"

� Reply #310 on: August 24, 2016, 04:31:31 pm �

Re'Ni started kissing Tec repeatedly and slightly aggressively, then calmed down a
bit and looked at him with a very happy smile {"Love Tec so much! Travel together
in many places ...where think Re'Ni would like be after Heord? Self needs hear
more of alien worlds!"} She moved her head and her eyes really close to his,
expecting his answer with much anticipation.

Cui smiled and hanged her head down, feeling somewhat bad "I promised us vacations
and Qoatl don't lie. I said it before ..you're a good soul Myst." However, she got
awfuly worried as Caprima mentioned that there is another Vossi on the ship, nearly
losing her balance and falling to the ground from these grim news ..could it be
them?
Caprima, with her eyes still bright as the sun tried calming down a bit but it was
fruitless ..her tone was clearly filled with worry and confusion "A dragon you
said? Where did you meet them? Did you see any of the two having their eyes turning
bright? ..or perhaps felt an unnatural psionic aura from them? W-what colour are
the Qoatl's scales? Please, this is important my child ..Sorry for my questions'
bombardment, but I have to deal with that quickly, or everything is futile!" She
grabbed her face again trying to think, worrying Cui even more and causing her to
comefly close to her fast and pat her, while trying to understand herself "..please
calm Capry, you're making me worry!"

� Reply #311 on: August 24, 2016, 05:17:07 pm �

Tec enjoyed the affection, even if it was slightly aggressive, and beamed with joy.
He was excited that she wanted to explore, so quickly thought up some planets she
could enjoy, "Hm... Well I got some ideas. You said you enjoyed flying over
deserts, so Trikorn could be a good idea. Lots of open space, interesting wildlife,
and a populace respectful and welcoming of dragons! Or maybe Tenochita, it's like
Heord but just a bit smaller and some more aliens. Both got plenty of places to go,
and nobody would stop us from visiting either since they're safe as well. Anything
specific you want though?" He was running his head through all the planets he knew,
thinking up places he could take Re'Ni, and seemed to be enjoying it.

Myst also walked over and tried to speak with a soothing tone, "Cui is right
Caprima. You need to calm down, and explain this so that we all know what we're
dealing with. I'd rather nobody got hurt because of withheld information or
panicking."
Xefr also tried to keep her from panicking by responding with a calm tone, "Don't
worry so much. Neither have caused any harm just yet, so do not fear that the Vossi
has hurt anybody. Now, I'll tell you. The name of the Dragoness is Re'Ni, and she
has black scales like me. We met Tetrix when we came to us on a city world, and
another Shard named Tec met Re'Ni on a world called Shyr. I've seen Tetrix brighten
his eyes, constantly actually, but I can't remember Re'Ni doing it in my time with
her. However, she did have a strange aura, while Tetrix doesn't. Just calm down, we
can find either with ease. Tetrix is in the brig, and Re'Ni should be with Tec if
the... psionic waves I felt before were any indication. Though I have to ask what
you intend to do Caprima." Scout also jumped out of the water, worried. He came
close to Caprima and spoke with a concerned tone, "Are you okay nice lady?"

� Reply #312 on: August 24, 2016, 06:05:28 pm �

Re'Ni clapped her paws in excitement and looked at the stars "All sound wonderful,
want enjoy with Tec ...self would love see great desert in Trikorn, and see new
places too! Like great sea and aliens and two suns and eat weird animals and..."
the dragoness was lost in her thoughts and her imaginery travels with Tec in all
these places as she was gazing the stars.

Cui froze at the mention of the Dragoness' name, she really didn't expect to hear
that word...
Despite what Caprima heard worried her even more, seeing the confusion and
uneasyness she was causing to everyone with her stance, she tried her best to calm
herself and handle the situation as she always did; calmly and ny thinking first.
She turned to Scout with a smile and patted his head "Don't worry my child ..this
old lady is just a bit silly and overreacting, that's all." She then turned back to
Xefr, her eyes had slightly returned to normal now.. "I won't hurt her, I would
never.." her voice went softer and more quiet, as if she was speaking to herself
first, than Xefr "A dragon named Re'Ni ..this cannot be a coincidence, Re'Ni
means 'Dark Sun' in Qoatl, but it also is a metaphor for someone passed away.
Though none of the Qoatl that passed into this universe beared that name, her
scales' colour, her name and her psionic aura can mean only one thing; From what
you describe ..this dragon is a Vossi Qoatl; a renmant of the imperial
family. ...I might have to contain her, you don't know what an Atzel is cabable
of."

� Reply #313 on: August 24, 2016, 07:23:46 pm �

Tec was very happy for Re'Ni, and hugged her closer. He then gave her a kiss and
spoke with an excited tone, "And soon, it won't just be us. With that egg, a few
younglings will be joining us in our little adventures. And not to mention all the
'decorations' we'll be giving those worlds to show it. It's going to be great...!"
-

Myst noticed Cui, and kept an eye on her while watching Caprima. Scout still seemed
worried, but not so much now. Xefr sighed, "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't
be worried, but I am now. This ship is built to keep powerful Psionics users under
control, but the ship is controlled by Tec, the Shard who has taken a serious
liking to her. But I suppose you are right, she could be dangerous and you have a
right to see those of your own universe. Do you need us to show you to Re'Ni? I
sense that Tec is in the Observatory, and isn't alone. Just... Be careful. Tec may
very well not react well if you hurt her."

� Reply #314 on: August 26, 2016, 09:14:36 pm �

With her tail twirled around his, Re'Ni started kissing Tec's face again and again,
although less aggressively than before {"Mmmm, Re'Ni like thought *smooch* ..travel
with younglings *smuch* ..decorate new places. But want decorate this some more now
*smooch* ..not much time to decorate when egg hatches! Heh.."}

Cui said nothing, she started munching her claws and looked back at Myst with a
look filled with fear and anxiety...
Caprima frowned and waved her finger to her black scaled champion "No, nothing like
that ..I don't hurt anyone my child, and never will - You should know that by now,
sweetie. But we have to face the Atzel, so; guide me to her and I will handle
everything myself ...one way, or the other." She gave a somewhat unnerving grin at
the end that could worry some, especially those that do not know the old capricorn
well.

� Reply #315 on: August 26, 2016, 09:57:52 pm �

Tec took on a mischievous smile as she finished, and used his tail to let the
twirling get tighter, "You are very right about that, since we'll have to focus our
attention on the little one. So... Let's not waste any time before then..." He then
pulled her into a deep kiss, and that energy build-up began once again...

Myst was quite worried himself, but wanted to appear strong. So, he looked away for
a moment and put on one of his many masks, taking on a look of confidence. He tried
to look at Cui in a manner that said nothing was wrong, though the false demeanor
started to falter as he finally looked upon the small blue Dragoness. He tried to
say something, but stopped before he made a sound.
Xefr however, did not hide his worry, and Caprima's grin didn't help. With a
nervous tone, he responded, "Alright then... Follow me then. And see you later
Scout, we got some business to handle upstairs. As usual if you need something just
tell Tuio, he should also have a lunch prepared. Come on." Scout responded with a
little thumbs up, before descending back deeper into the water. With that, the
Black Drake turned and walked out towards the Hallway, wearing a somber look. Myst
gestured to the others to follow before doing that himself.

� Reply #316 on: August 26, 2016, 11:03:28 pm �

Feeling somewhat threatened flying all alone, Cui flew close to Myst and sat on his
shoulder, muttering very discreetly something... "Keep your eyes open, and keep
Xery protected ....damn Atzels." she slowly patted him with her wing,
understanding he was worrying too.
No one seemed to talk as they walked the hallways - the general mood was not really
good, as various worrying thoughts had occupied our heroes' minds. Caprima just a
little before the observatory and feeling the Atzel's dark psionic aura, stops. She
suddenly made a signal for the rest to go behind her "It's definitely an Atzel
..stay back" and while forming a very bright combusted orb of white psionic energy
walks up to the two dragons. She immediately turns her look to the side, blushing
and feeling tremendously awkward <"Ehm, sorry ..I thought you were eating him. Now
remain, ehm, calm and I won't have to contain you ..I just need to talk.">. Re'Ni
was extremely surprised and shrieked at the sight of the orb-weilding capricorn.
She started instictively forming an orb of her own ready to throw it to her..
{"WHAT? WHO?"}

� Reply #317 on: August 26, 2016, 11:54:22 pm �

Myst made sure to balance himself so that Cui would be at least a little
comfortable, and appreciated the patting. But all he could do to respond was to
nod, unable to really say anything on the trip to the observatory.

Tec was also quite surprised at the interruption, and yelped. Quickly standing up
and assuming what could be interpreted as a defensive stance at Re'Ni's side, he
began to build up some psionic energy once he noticed the orb. He also sent out a
signal, though only he would know that it meant to prepare the Ship's security
systems and forces. He calmed slightly after seeing Xefr and Myst, but still was
visibly very irritated, "Xefr? Myst? What the hell are you guys doing up here!?
Didn't you get the notice not to come up here? I was very careful to make sure
nobody would disturb us again! It was awkward enough with just Guardian... And you
there, Lady! Who the heck are ya, busting in here without permission!? And you..."
Tec's eyes finally fell on Cui, and then some fear was added to the confusion and
anger, "Ah! Myst is that a ghost on your shoulder!? Get it away!" Tec's buildup
became stronger, and two bolts of pure psionic energy formed near his head, though
they were not thrown just yet, waiting for the explanation. Though his eyes were
not taken off Caprima, and were watching her carefully for any movement.
At first, Myst was a bit angry at how Tec treated Cui. However, he calmed when he
remembered Tec's reasons for disliking ghosts, and his own reasons for hiding those
emotions. So instead, he spoke in an understanding and calm tone, "Steady now, Tec.
We mean no harm to you or your... Erhm, mate. We just gotta talk. This on my
shoulder is Cui, Xefr met her on Shyr and she came with us. By now I think you of
all people understand best that Dragonesses from Shyr have a good track record thus
far. She's not a ghost, and is more like us Shards than anything else. Just calm
yourself, " Xefr was also quick to move forward and speak, though his speech was
aimed at Re'Ni, "Hello again, Re'Ni. Xefr again, I am quite sorry that we had to
meet under such circumstances once again. And of course I'm sorry to have
interrupted you and Tec while you were bonding. But this is just like last time,
with a very good explanation for it all. We all just need to calm down, not go
rashly using any of our powers, and talk it out. Caprima here just needs to sort a
few things out with you and Tec, nothing drastic."

� Reply #318 on: August 27, 2016, 01:38:11 pm �

Cui was too worried at the sight of an Atzel to even take offense on Tec's
phantasmophobia, she anxiously looked at Myst then back at the black Dragoness
..ready to create the strongest psionic shield she could muster if it was needed.
Re'Ni didn't understand any of this, the only thing she understood was that the
universe once again was conspiring to stop her from enjoying her life in peace.
Furthermore all of this pacifying talk and people telling her to calm down did not
persuade her at all ..she knew that such were the ways of tricksters and that
these ones probably wanted to return her back to the caves {"Good reason? Why self
trust Xefr, goat and friends? How know not want keep Re'Ni in cell like monster
down bellow? Re'Ni not fool ..can tell."} she kept a firm stance by Tec, and
though she tried not showing to the goat and the others, Tec could understand she
was really worried and scared as her tail was shaking behind them and next to his.
Caprima tried walking but Re'Ni hissed, so the old goat woman tried a different
approach by gripping her orb in her hand, hiding it - the energy was painful, but
she could neither approach her without any protection, nor show signs of
aggressiveness <"Relax my child! You're not a monster ..I see a good Qoatl infront
of me, a Qoatl in love - I can feel that! And even if you are an Atzel, this does
not mean you want to cause harm ..isn't that right, sweetheart?"> she then turned
to Tec "And you, would you please stop creating those bolts? *sigh* they're not
even properly shaped! I'll have to teach you.."
Re'Ni still didn't seem persuaded {"NO! Tec not listen ..goat hids strong mind-
power sphere in hand! Lies"}. The capricorn was caught off guard and backed down a
little, she raised slowly her hands and showed the orb again ..soon she vanished
it as a move of goodwill <"No, I'm not lying my child ...look, now you see I have
no orb, no? Will you lay down yours? Please?">
Re'Ni seemed confused and looked at Tec, not knowing what to do herself she was
about to panic.

� Reply #319 on: August 27, 2016, 03:59:43 pm �

At first, Tec was conflicted between siding with the other Shards or his mate, but
that changed when Caprima tried to hide the orb, and fear gave way to anger.
Sensing his mate's worry, he became protective and covered her with one of his
wings, while turning the two bolts into a shield in front of them. Slightly more
confident now, Tec looked on Caprima and spoke with a clearly agitated voice, "Stop
it! It's not my fault I happened to be the Shard who isn't very strong with
Psionics! But I do have other skills, don't force me to use them... Because I will
if you don't stay back. If you just want to chat, then do it from there! It doesn't
matter if Xefr and Myst are alright with you, you still need to stay back from us.
Just say what you want with Re'Ni, or I will use whatever I need to stop you from
hurting her! So move no closer and stop lying!"
Myst remained calm, and kept speaking to Tec, "Don't be irrational Tec! We're happy
for you, finally finding somebody worthy to love, and for your mate there. You know
better than anybody that if we wanted to throw Re'Ni in the brig, we would be going
about this very differently. We just need to be calm, all of us. I can feel how
strongly you care for the one beside you, we would never wish to take your
happiness from you! And your mate as well and..." Myst then akwardly paused after
doing a better reading of Re'Ni, before finally speaking to her, "And from I sense
there, you two are very close to realizing one of Tec's dreams... Astonishing
really. I didn't even believe it was possible for us Shards... Which means I have
been so wrong for so long. Relationships with a Shard aren't entirely fruitless for
the other..." Myst trailed off there, and akwardly glanced back at Cui before
remembering the situation, which prompted him to subtly prepare a shield of his own
if Caprima or anybody else was attacked, including Tec and Re'Ni.
Xefr dropped the calm facade, becoming visibly worried but still speaking to Re'Ni,
"Re'Ni, if I thought you a monster we wouldn't have taken you off Shyr, much less
trust you with Tec. But we did, and if Tec showed you that monster than it means he
truly trusts in you, so I have no reason to doubt that you are certainly not a
monster or fool, but a good dragon. Now, I won't force you to move or lower your
defenses, nor do I wish to remove Tec from your side, but I merely ask that you
listen. That's all, and what happens next is your decision." Xefr then seemed to
stop his own buildup of power, just standing there instead with pleading eyes.

� Reply #320 on: August 28, 2016, 09:51:48 am �

Caprima nodded to Xefr and moved even more back while looking at the dragon couple
"I'm not lying, my child ..and I would never hurt anyone. Let me explain; You are
an Atzel, you know what that means? You have tremendous powers my child ..powers
that must be controlled."
The black dragoness knew that the goat did not trust her and what she meant by
that. Re'Ni started having second thoughts ...now was the chance to get rid of the
enemy; it would be quick, painless, direct ..only thing she needed was to unleash
her powers, let her take control, then nothing could stop them - No one to stand in
their way and manipulate their lives. She remained there looking Tec and then
turned her head slowly facing Caprima, she started giggling and then outright
laughing with her eyes closed, as she opened them they were clear white and bright
{"Hahaha! Think idiotic not know self name, no? So what will Goat do? Set Re'Ni in
chains because fear ancestors' powers? Not even know Re'Ni, yet feel loathing and
fear from goat... ...and perhaps felt more if knew more of Re'Ni"} she then turned
to Xefr and then Myst {"Perhaps wrong to trust. And other valx; if like what see,
leave self and love alone! ..leave or die!"}
Cui's feet-claws gripped on Myst's scales as the situation was getting more tense
and her left front paw was in position to create the shield.
Caprima opened her arms wide, walked a bit forward and gave a serene smile "I think
I like it here! Go ahead and strike if that's what it takes for you to be
happy ...I'm already dead anyway my child."
Re'Ni didn't know what to do; the voices inside her told her to strike, get rid the
problem, let [them take control ..but the other part was certain that she would
lose everything if she did that. She looked at Tec and muttered very silently
{"Self can't.."}

� Reply #321 on: August 28, 2016, 04:04:22 pm �

Tec noticed that Re'Ni was troubled, and was a bit uncomfortable himself with her
threatening his friends, and decided he had to do something now. So he looked at
Re'Ni, and spoke in a low voice, "Hey, just let me handle this. After-all, we came
up here so you could relax. I gotta pull my weight in this relationship somehow
right? Like I told you before, nothing needs to burn, we aren't monsters. Nothing
is going to hurt you, Re'Ni, so just calm down and let me sort this out, without
Psionics or Violence." Then he gave her a kiss on the cheek, and moved in front of
her, spreading out his wings to entirely shield her with his body. Looking down at
Caprima, there was a tint of that red tint in his eyes, the same color that Xefr
had when he freaked out back on Heord. He appeared confident, though in truth he
knew he had no idea what he was doing. But his voice showed none of that
uncertainty, "Controlled huh? There aren't too many ways to control immense Psionic
power really, or at least that many methods I know that would be acceptable in this
case. I don't want to hurt you, Miss, but I also have no intention of letting my
mate be dragged away in chains. So, why don't you tell me what you intend to do...
And I'll tell you what I think of that. But until we can reach an agreement we both
can work with, you aren't coming a step closer to Re'Ni. This ship is mine, and I
have plenty of ways to get you off of it that don't involve killing or even hurting
you, as I don't think pain is necessary. So you're going to tell me how you intend
to control Re'Ni, and why I should let you do that in goddamned first place!" The
red grew more intense as he went on, slowly overshadowing the normal yellow of his
eyes, becoming darker and more gaseous in appearance, though unlike Xefr he didn't
seem interested in running.
Myst seemed to be worried by the new color of Tec's eyes. His words mirrored that
worry, seeming nervous, "Both of you need to clear your minds. You need to have a
clear mind, or you will make mistakes. But if it would help, I'll go. I can
understand if there are too many of us here at once, it makes you nervous and feel
threatened. As such, I will leave you be." Myst prepared to turn...
But before that could happen and before Xefr could speak, something interrupted
them. The echoes of a loud roar from below could be heard, shortly followed by
traces of dissipating dark psionic energy. Xefr, Myst, and even Tec all turned
towards the source of the sound, worry on their faces. But it wasn't long before
Tec resumed his firm stance, though his face still had traces of that discomfort
due to the roar. Xefr finally looked back at Tec and Re'Ni, "So you remember now,
Tec? What happens when you let those dark feelings overcome your senses and
outmatch your good side? Both of you need to calm down, or you'll end up like that.
Dueling for control every day and every night. Perhaps you do that already, to some
extent, but it can always get worse. And eventually, the battle can no longer be
won anymore, and you become a monster. Neither of you are monsters, not now and
hopefully not ever. I can see that both of you love eachother, so just focus on
that positive emotion and what would happen to it if you let yourselves be
consumed."

� Reply #322 on: August 28, 2016, 06:26:15 pm �

Tec's kiss and offer of handling the situation was a true gift to Re'Ni, she was
really confused and in a mental battle over what to do ..if there was any way that
the two could vanish from the ship and end up in a nice warm home in Heord she was
praying for it to come into her mind. She relunctantly nodded to Tec and lowered
her orb, letting him do the talk while standing behind him and trying to fight back
her own thoughts {"Just ..just not let take Re'Ni in dark place."} While standing
back Xefr's words brought some warmth in her heart, but she still feared the
possibility of it all being a trick to get rid of her...
Caprima was about to respond to Tec, but the roars down bellow made her extremely
uncomfortable as she realised that someone even more dangerous was on the ship -
she had not encountered that much of a dark energy ..nevertheless she tried
talking, only for Xefr to say pretty much what she wanted to, making her feel quite
proud that her pupil was making such great progress.. "Xefr is right, you're not
monsters, I am ..but this is a talk for another time. Calm down my child; I assure
you that I will not hurt you in any way, no one of the three ...never! But I have
to make sure that this young Atzel named Re'Ni won't destroy everything we fight
for ...if you both don't let me contain the Atzel's power right now, If you just
pretend and want the same thing your ancestors want, Re'Ni ...I will be making a
great mistake, but I guess it's high time I take my risks and perhaps make a new
great mistake instead of repeating the same mistakes of the past..." the capricorn
started coming closer to Tec with her hands held high, so he could see that they
contained no psionic power.
Re'Ni's tail was shaking worse than ever before however, slowly getting to most of
her body.. she started muttering to herself very discreetly, amidst some whimpering
{"Stop! Not Atzel! not asked this ..stupid black scales! Stupid family ...not
Atzel! No ..not burn ..said no! No, lies! Not want that ..just peaceful life. Go
away, go away, go away..." she started crying behind Tec and placed her head over
his back.

� Reply #323 on: August 28, 2016, 07:43:45 pm �

Tec was unsure, but Re'Ni's crying reaffirmed his stance. His eyes had slightly
calmed, but they were still filled with anger, "Stay back! I told you, no coming
close until we know what you want! So just say it! How the hell do you intend to
contain her power!? If it's not so bad, just explain it or go away! Atzel or no
Atzel, we just want a peaceful life dammit! Can't a Shard just enjoy his life, or
do we always have to suffer!? I won't let you take Re'Ni until I am positive you
don't intend to lock her up or take her away from me!" With every step Caprima
took, those eyes got darker and darker.
Myst had resolved to stay, due to what was happening to Tec. So, he tried speaking
as well, "See reason Tec. We would allow people to only lock up monsters aboard
this ship. Re'Ni does not fit that requirement. I don't blame you for protecting
your mate, in fact I commend you. But you can't let your mind be clouded, just look
at yourself. Neither of us want another to become like Coll, just think about how
that will interfere with your relationship! I can sense that child, you know. Both
of you have to stay strong and purge the dark from your head, for the kid's sake."
Xefr nodded, "And it is because of that child you can both be assured that we don't
intend any harm. Remember Re'Ni, we have known and loved Tec for years. If you make
him this happy, and are able to bring about his dreams, then you can be assured
that we are on your side. You're literally carrying our hope for our own futures
inside you. You aren't our enemy, we know that, but we need you to accept that we
aren't yours. We just want to have a calm, rational talk so we can all come to a
suitable solution. Once we are satisfied, you and Tec can get that happy and
peaceful life you both want. It is not our intention to get in the way of that."
Xefr was still looking at Tec, though he also made sure he could keep watch of
Caprima. The old drake wasn't sure of what she was doing, or how she had reacted to
the roar.

� Reply #324 on: August 28, 2016, 08:08:49 pm �

Caprima stopped and with a slightly sad expression, she tried explaining "I won't
do anything now, I just want to come close to you and her, just so you can trust me
..If I wanted, I would have had her in a psionic bubble in no time, which isn't
hurtful at all - I apparently believe that even this is not needed."
While not in the situation to actually know what was happening, Re'Ni noticed Tec
geting angrier and pulled him back to her while crying {"Not hurt no one Tec! That
what wild animal wants - not Re'Ni! No, self not talk about Goat ...just let goat
come. Self cannot deal with- I SAID NOT BURN! Not Voss, lies all! Arghhh..."} her
shaking intensified and her eyes turned back to a bright white while she was now
evidently in pain, covering her head with her paws and curling up ..all these
being visible to Caprima , who gasped and tried to run close to help "Let me
through, I can help her!"
Cui gathered up some strength and decided to act, Caprima had told her to never
interfere in such matters, but she didn't want to see her being roasted by a big
angry dragon unless that dragon was herself.. "She really means it, she's a good
goat ..heh, she's the reason you're all here.. Look; if that goat tries anything
smart, we'll have roast chevon for breakfast, I guarantee that!"

� Reply #325 on: August 28, 2016, 09:09:22 pm �

Myst looked over at Re'Ni with worry and then looked to Tec, "Cui's right. Caprima
is trustworthy, and she wouldn't last long if she tries anything. So just let her
help!" Xefr looked over and just nodded. Tec was conflicted, he didn't know what to
do. But finally, with Re'Ni in pain and Caprima promising to help, he snorted and
jumped backwards to Re'Ni's side. He then just hugged her side as best he could,
and started speaking, "I'm not going to hurt anybody. I said we could do this
without violence or burning people, and I truely believe that. So yes, nobody is
going to burn. You hear me? I'm right here, nobody is going to hurt you!"
Xefr looked over at Caprima while Tec was doing this, and opened a private channel,
"Do it now! Before she gets aggressive or Tec changes his mind! Stop her pain!"

� Reply #326 on: August 28, 2016, 09:44:14 pm �

Re'Ni remained curled up in Tec's hug and in shock, still shaking and unable to
speak much {"stop it.. please!"} All her thoughts had become a big mess, she could
trust no one but Tec, and in the meantime she didn't want all of these burdens
..she just wanted a family - nothing to prove and no one to hurt. But she still
feared; she hated that fear more than anything, for fear is the mind-killer.
Caprima being given permission, rushed close and was about to make her usual
pacification spell, but then she noticed something and decided to outright force
her into sleep with a different spell; She removed Re'Ni's paws from her face and
saw her eyes being near-black and filled with tears, she nearly froze at the sight
"By Shiva that's serious!" ..the capricorn took a very deep breath to calm herself
and put her hands over the dragonesses eyes forcing a her white psionic energy to
combat the darkness, immediately after she used her spell by touching her forehead
..this time the spell would act as an anaesthetic instead of a sedative, plunging
Re'Ni into a deep sleep.
She turned to Tec "She'll be allright ..I think."

� Reply #327 on: August 28, 2016, 10:30:19 pm �

Tec kept hugging for a bit, and then finally relaxed and stepped back. He looked
over at Caprima with a depressed look, "I really hope so... Now, are you done? Or
can I take her back to the room so that she can rest in a bed? Today's been a hard
day, and I don't even want to see what that roar was about. We just want to be left
in peace, and not have to deal with all the troubles the universe keeps throwing at
us..." Myst walked up to Tec and put a comforting paw on the depressed Shard's
shoulder, "I know Tec. This is what you've always wanted. Just remember, we're here
for you, always." Tec seemed to be suppressing tears, but Myst's words did seem to
help.
While Myst handled comforting Tec, Xefr walked up to Caprima. After looking at
Re'Ni's sleeping form for a bit, she turned back to the goat woman, "So, what
happens next?"
� Reply #328 on: August 29, 2016, 06:00:26 pm �
Caprima sighed and patted the sleeping dragoness while trying to comfort Tec,
speaking in a calm tone "You can take your wife to rest, she really needs it ..but
what I saw in her eyes scared me; perhaps this is just the beggining, but I don't
know ..you will have to take great care of her my child. She's troubled and she's
a being of tremendous powers that if unleashed to the world could cause much harm.
You must know she's an Atzel ...the protector of the kin of Qoatl- a great line
of Emperors that ruled over the seven galaxies of Voss. While I sensed in her that
she knows it ..I didn't feel any other ambition in her other than her great love
for you and her small passenger." she then turned to Xefr "Now, it's time for me to
explain to you what you will have to deal with ..but first I need to know about
the malevolent spirit you're carrying and its relation to your ...'brothers'. All
of it."
Cui turned to Myst slightly happy with the outcome "Well, at least it didn't end up
like the last time ...you really don't want to be in the middle of a battle between
Caprima and an Atzel."

� Reply #329 on: August 29, 2016, 06:43:54 pm �

Tec nodded to Re'Ni, still a bit sad but mostly calmed down by now, "I can do that.
And thank you for telling me that, even if I have no idea what a Qoatl or Voss is.
I'll do my best to keep her happy and safe, and try to keep those powers from doing
any harm. I got no other questions really, so I'll be off. Goodbye for now Miss.
Caprima, may we meet under less extreme circumstances next time. I need to clear my
head... Doesn't help that I got cockblocked too..." With that, Tec's eyes flashed,
and both he and Re'Ni's sleeping body disappeared in a flash of light, to land atop
the bed. With his mate sleeping beside him, he decided he needed to rest himself,
and drifted off to sleep.

Back in the observatory, Xefr seemed satisfied until Caprima brought up the topic
of Forbidden, even if she didn't know the name. After freezing for a second as
memories came to light, he sighed and looked at Caprima with a sad face, "Very well
then... I suppose I would have had to talk about that eventually. Both you and Cui
needed to learn of the monster down below, who has caused nothing but trouble for
this ship and its inhabitants. But before I do that, you are aware of what a Shard
really is, Caprima? You must know that first before I can even get started with the
Corrupted one."
Myst simple nodded, "Considering what I sensed from this encounter, I can tell one
that actually gets into fighting would have been much worse. Especially since Tec,
and therefore this entire ship, would have been on the Atzel's side. Lots of the
security probably would have gotten hurt by either of them, due to their lack of
fear and willingness to sacrifice. It helps keep the monsters below at bay, and
speaking of which... You may want to listen closely to Xefr, Cui. He is about to
explain the biggest threat to himself, and we both have an interest in keeping him
alive and well."

� Reply #330 on: August 29, 2016, 08:01:10 pm �

Cui nodded at Myst and turned her eyes looking Xefr "Hmmm, I hope Xery doesn't
worry Cap with what he reveals ..she gets frustrated easily."
Caprima sighed once again as she looked Tec leaving with Re'Ni, she really didn't
know how to handle this situation.. ..now however, she had equally important
matters to attend to. The capricorn smiled at Xefr's question and raised her
eyebrow quite sure of herself "My child, I'm a being that travelled to another
universe and had a psionic being as a companion for quite a while in this one ...I
think I can understand what a shard is. I mean, besides cloning there's no other
explanation other than a psionic break-up; ...I've avoided mine quite many times.
So, please tell me of Xefr's darker self."

Re'Ni was still in a deep sleep; the battle over her mind seemed to have ended by
now, but who won is unknown.
� Reply #331 on: August 29, 2016, 09:10:06 pm �
Myst looked over to Xefr and Caprima as well, "We shall see, since I know as well
that what comes next is not a light topic. Let's be ready to act, so listen
closely."
Xefr nodded and then spoke to both Cui and Caprima, "Seems you already identified
what that monster is. Alright, I shall tell you its tale. True Xefr was strong, in
psionics that is. When he was a explorer of the magical arts, he was the leader of
the group that he and his two great friends were part of. You two have already met
one of them, which was Girmion, and the other would be Durazor. Girmion was the
talker, and Durazor was the strongest physically so he was the muscle and generally
handled physical tasks or intimidation if it was needed to avoid combat. But if a
fight were to break out, Xefr was the leader and the one who handled it with his
pure psionic strength. But... that power was not stable. Xefr himself had great
potential, but purposefully limited himself. He had lots of dark power within him,
due to a curse that was inflicted upon his family by a very grumpy and annoyed
Golden Dragon shaman. We believe that Xefr did not harness the power because of his
morality, so he never reached his full power. But still, he was strong, which is
why there are so many Shards. Yet now that leads to our current problem." Xefr
sighed, and then continued, "We call it Forbidden. Forbidden is the corrupted
Shard, having memories of nothing but violence, pain, suffering, and such things.
He is a being of utter malice. Problem is, that Dark Power went to him when Xefr
shattered, without the morality. As such, he uses that power as he pleases, and
easily is the most powerful Shard. But because he has no plans except bringing pain
and misery to as many people as he can, we locked him away. He sits in a cell,
which is has multiple layers of dense materials and Magi-Dampeners to keep him in.
It keeps him from escaping, but as I said he is very powerful, and his powers grow
with each day. So sometimes, he gets powerful enough to send a piece of himself
outside, which tries to escape. We call them Shades, and they clearly intend to get
out so they can grow powerful enough to come back and break the main event out of
his jail. That is probably what you felt with that roar, since Guardian constantly
watches for and destroys every Shade, as we cannot allow even a single one to
escape. Not just because they might come back, but because they are pieces of him,
and will inevitably pass the time by wrecking havoc and causing misery. Any
questions?"

� Reply #332 on: August 30, 2016, 05:37:59 pm �

Caprima remained there staring at Xefr with a dumb look on her eyes. However when
she processed the new information, she shook her head and approached Xefr to pat
him "No, I don't have any questions my child. In fact I now understand why the
tests manifestated that way and they were so hard that only a few souls would be
able to pass them. You don't have to fear the dark shard escaping as long as I'm in
this ship ..but also rest-assured that when all this is over you won't get rid of
me so easily; you're stuck with this old goat until we patch everything up!"
Cui felt somewhat worried about the whole situation ..her life was at the hands of
a broken up and unstable soul, but at least she could count in Myst and Caprima
"So, I hope this evil shard won't interfere when we come across the Hyl"
Caprima nodded and continued talking in a more serious tone "I do as well, my dear
Cui! Speaking of.. perhaps it's time we speak of the Hyl and what we'll do about
them, no?"

� Reply #333 on: August 30, 2016, 06:08:30 pm �

Xefr grinned, "Heh, that's good to hear. It's always nice to have somebody else
keeping that cage shut. And I suppose it won't be too hard to get used to having
somebody else aboard."
Myst looked at Cui with a confident smile, "He won't. If we need to, we can just
call Durazor or Girmion, they both know the stakes and have the power to get rid of
Shades. Besides, he'd be as much of a threat to them as he would to us. He actually
quite likes this universe, in a sick way really. I listened to him say it myself
actually, 'Without any Universe or Life, there can be no suffering. Where's the
damned fun in that?' He disgusts me... Anyways, I think that's right Caprima. Let's
hear about our mutual enemies, and so I can actually get a better idea of what
we're doing." Xefr nodded at this, and looked back to Caprima, "I had actually
forgotten to ever really explain what the Scion told me to Myst, so he has been
going in blind this whole time. But I think this is a good time, since the ship
isn't threatened, as the Atzel is sleeping and Scout is just swimming in the pool.
No better time for it really."

� Reply #334 on: August 30, 2016, 07:12:29 pm �

Caprima nodded and closed her eyes. With a swift move from her hands various lights
formed like comets' tails ..soon an aurora was surrounding our heroes. "Listen my
childs and listen well... for I have a story to tell you, of how when you think
everything's perfect, vanity hits you hard and reminds you of your place as a
mortal..." the image appeared of Caprima and a few more capricorns and Dragons
shaking hands and paws "...After many years of strife, us V'oss managed to put
aside our differences and unite in peace by using our psionic powers feeding in
positive feelings to build a brighter future ..and mostly thanks to the Qoatls'
agreement in dismissing their hedonistic militarist life for a more ...pious one.
Not everything was perfect, but life moved smoothly ..but Shiva, what you call
'white psionic power', as every great power is a double-edged sword - for every
cure, there also is a poison; a few Qoatl decided to use their powers in search of
immortality by using the souls of the dead." an image of a few Qoatl turning black
can be seen "No one really understood back then that this would lead to our demise
and when we did it was too late; ...this disturbance of the cosmic cycle had
attracted the harbringers, beings of tremendous powers that oppose all immortals,
mortals and life, including theirs."
Spoiler: A Hyl is depicted flying above them (hover to show)
She shaked her head, slightly in pain and angry and continued.. "These beings
consider that no living being should have the right to choose for themselves a path
to their own demise, wishing to destroy all existence once and for all ..so far
their powers allow them to destroy one universe at a time by gathering the souls of
the dead caused by destroying a universe's galaxies. As they did with ours and wish
to do with yours."
A collection of Galaxies, stars and planets is seen fading and being destroyed in a
massive explosion.
"Having learned a new lesson but forgotten the old ...The Qoatl, being always the
'proud warriors' tried fighting them in all of the seven galaxies ..however it was
futile, since no one was pure in the heart enough or strong physicaly, to stop the
Hyl. So, I came up with a plan ..if the Hyl could not be beaten in psionic, or
physical strength, then we would beat them by simply making them see -for once in
their egotistic existence- things OUR WAY!"
The old capricorn opens her eyes that now brightened the room as if they were two
small suns "Love, Understanding and Respect of One's Independence of Thought! ...I
tried gathering all positive thoughts of all peoples in the entirety of my
universe, every laugh for a newborn and every serene cry for someone lost ...every
artist's creation, every bad pun and every parent teaching their child! I included
them in this orb that is within you Xefr ...and if you may not share all the
thoughts of this old universe you carry near your heart, you'll make sure that the
Hyl will!"

� Reply #335 on: August 30, 2016, 07:49:28 pm �

Xefr seemed stunned, but after a while processed the words and held a paw to his
neck, now aware of what exactly was inside of him. With a nervous tone, he
responded, "Well... Now I feel some pressure, but I suppose it's only makes sense
that a Shard would carry memories and thoughts. It's what we are anyways. And if
you really think this will work, then I suppose it makes sense to try. How exactly
am I going to be delivering these thoughts to the Hyl at large? I doubt we can just
go around and jam the orb into each and every one of them, way too impractical."
Myst seemed oddly calm, seeming to understand it almost instantly and far faster
than Xefr, "Interesting. I wonder where these Hyl originally came from, and what
drove them to think that way... I would highly doubt that any species just came up
with that train of though out of nowhere, had to have some sort of cause. Perhaps I
can ask them once we change their minds."

� Reply #336 on: September 03, 2016, 08:13:13 am �

Caprima was quite eager to explain her plan, she created with her hands a figure
representing Xefr and another of the Hyl Queen out of pure light and started
talking in a soft and slow tone for everyone to be able to catch up "I'm glad you
asked my child ..you see, as long as I and the rest will hold off the Hyl
warriors, you will have to get inside their hive and find their Dark Queen, and
with a technique that I will teach to you shortly, you will pass the orb unto her.
She will try to hurt you, allure you, even persuade you to join her - so you must
remember all the tests I've placed on you ..but most importantly sweetie, in
order to do this, you must be at least partially balanced emotionally. When the
time comes; remember the faces of the people you love during their best hours, not
their worst ..and not worry, we all carry a little bit of sadness within, myself
more than you."
She then turned to Myst "We do not know precisely ..though from very few Hyl that
we managed to capture, they talked of some vision and that we had awoken the
monstrous 'Other' and that they were 'liberating us'. The poor thing killed itself
before we could learn more solid information other than our speculations.
..supposedly they are universe-jumpers."
Cui raises her claw and starts talking too "Yeah, that ..they also are undefeated
in battle ..they only can be hold off, nothing more. Many Qoatl died to stop them
by force. only Fluffb-err ..Caprima was able to stop them for a long time."
Caprima crosses her hands and turned back to Xefr "Soo, if you have any more
questions, I'd be glad to answer ..though I'd prefer if you landed your ship in
Zuan'Lotl; it's safer for all of us there."

After hours, back in Tec and Re'Ni's room the Dragoness has a very uneasy sleep,
sprouting random words like {"No!"} {"Burn!"} {"Leave"} and even cried a little at
some point. She suddenly woke up and shouted {"NO TEC!"}, her expression filled
with fear and sadness.

� Reply #337 on: September 03, 2016, 12:32:05 pm �

Xefr thought about what Caprima said for a moment, and then responded, "So that's
why I had to endure those tests... And I suppose that we have dealt with that
balancing emotion part as well, for I feel more confident and assured in myself now
that I know my own son doesn't hate me. Many good memories have come to light, and
I shall come upon those."
Myst nodded with understanding, "Interesting indeed... And I suppose that's another
reason we choose this course of action to stop them, as fighting doesn't lead to
much success. Thankfully for us, we have Ms. Fluff Caprima with us here, and we
shall also be there to support her. I think that should be able to give Xefr all
the time he needs to reach the Queen."

After Myst finished, Xefr spoke up again, "I have a few more questions, but they
are more specific to the operation itself. So for now, let us try and land on
Zuan'Lotl. I just hope there is room..." The old drake flashed his eyes, and the
ship began to move, descending towards the planet below. With a satisfied nod, Xefr
continued speaking, "There we are. We can now teleport to the surface, or simply
walk out through the hangers."

Tec was lying beside Re'Ni, carefully watching her and the room to make sure nobody
came in. There would be no more unwelcome guests, and the guards outside agreed.
But when she shouted, Tec jumped and hastily turned to look at her, "Re'Ni! You're
awake! How are you feeling? Are you alright!?" His face was filled with worry, as
he wasn't exactly sure what the goat lady had done to her.

� Reply #338 on: September 05, 2016, 02:46:53 pm �

Caprima was all too happy to hear it from Xefr himself that he had found some
balance through his reconnection with his son "That's wonderful to hear my child!
But now you will also have to learn emptying your mind completely ..and after that
learn to use your positive memories as fuel for your Shiva!"
Cui, sported a forced smile as if she was unsure and sad "Hehehe, yes she will, and
I hope I can be more usefull in this universe than the previous ..not that
cleaning chambers and serving tea is not an important job!"

She pointed at her feet "Allright ...let's walk and talk, we have legs don't we? So
what did you wanted to ask Xefr-alam?"
The ship had landed in the main island, where Caprima had her small hut, though
somewhat away...

Re'Ni grabbed Tec with her paws and brough her close to her while covering him with
her wings {"Just nightmare, but promise not attack goat! Rembered things... ..goat
not evil, but not to trust .. Tec and Re'Ni better leave and travel away; soon
egg."}

� Reply #339 on: September 05, 2016, 03:37:10 pm �

Xefr began walking, and spoke to Caprima, "Learning huh? Well, Xefr spent most of
his life doing just that, so it shouldn't be too hard to get the hang of it. And I
did have some questions, though I suspect most of them will be answered throughout
the course of this training. But I have two I wish to present now since you're
giving me the chance. First, what does 'alam' mean? Second, how is giving the
memories to the Hyl Queen going to solve this? I know that she would obviously be
their leader, considering her title, but how does that make converting her solve
the whole problem? Wouldn't at least a few Hyl stick to their conviction?"
Myst, being experienced with faking expressions himself, was quick to notice that
Cui was forcing her smile. So as they walked, Myst closed up to her, "Is there a
problem Cui? If something is troubling you, I'm here for you if you want to talk
about it. Does it have something to do with your past life? You haven't told us
what that is, though I suspect it has something to do with tea and cleaning."

Since they had to walk out of the ships first, Cui and Caprima could notice strange
scratch marks, holes, and burnt metal in the walls of the lower decks, all of which
seemed recent. Xefr and Myst both did their best to ignore it and not bring it up.

Tec, while glad she seemed okay, was a bit surprised at what she said, "Already?
Wow... But, what do you mean by leave? You mean, leaving the ship so soon and going
to Heord or the such? Without telling anybody first?"

� Reply #340 on: September 06, 2016, 10:44:03 am �

Caprima noticed the scratches, holes and burnt metal, and she very well knew what
caused them too ..but it seemed she didn't worry that much about Xefr's evil side,
as long as his main side was half-balanced and in a good mood. She was fully
concentrated on her mission to teach Xefr and prepare him for his great task ..as
well as keeping certain greater demons asleep. "Oh, Alam is just an epithet my,
ehm, species used ..it means someone kind and friendly - I somewhat used it
without thinking much. ...as for how transferring the memories will save the
universe? It's simple; While the Hyl are individuals, they all share the thoughts
and memories of their undead Queen, making them quite hivemind-like in nature ..if
their Queen finds balance, it is more than likely that most of them will too.
Cui dropped her smile and almost froze ..she really didn't want to think much
about it, but as time passed, she couldn't help it "Ah, well...since it's you that
asks. You see, remember I told you that I might die for good after all this is
over? Well, eh ..I don't really want to ..and ..and I really want to go to
these vacations with you and do new things in this universe. All my previous life
-which wasn't that long- I was just a red Qoatl maid in the Imperial palace and if
I wasn't there at the right time and Caprima hadn't grabbed me ..I wouldn't be
here at all. But the spell she used to save me ..is consuming half the orb's
energy just to keep me alive, or whatever my condition is called. You
understand...?" She seemed really sad and nearly ready to cry, but she didn't want
to unnerve Xefr, or Caprima.
The group was now walking at the beach, heading towards Caprima's small lair.

Re'Ni seemed unsure about whas she said, she really didn't know anything about her
species reproduction ..and the Ghashyr friends she had, never really discussed
about such things. On the other paw she was extremely embarassed that she didn't
know and had to ask Tec {"Yes, want leave ..go live easy life with Tec away from
goat and Forbidden and all that. As for eggs, ehm..."} She lowered her head and
started looking awkwardly to the side {"...Self not know; No one taught. Just felt,
so... .ehm, how long Valx make to have egg?"}

� Reply #341 on: September 06, 2016, 11:39:31 am �

Xefr seemed to enjoy the sand beneath his feet. It was good to get off the ship and
not go to some barren planet. So he remained calm as he responded to Caprima, "Ah,
that makes sense. Like how Guardian sometimes uses eskali in his speech, even
though it's been long since we actually interacted with our homeland. And I can see
now how this will work. We balance the Queen, she passes the memories onto the rest
of the Hyl, and if there are any stragglers they won't be in enough number to
overwhelm us and we can slowly get to them one by one. Eventually, the whole
species finds balance and the threat is averted. Hm... But I suppose that in order
to do this I have to learn how to use this Shiva stuff right? Shouldn't be too
difficult, I hope, because I don't really know how much time we have to spare."
Myst simply nodded to Cui and patted her on the back in an attempt to comfort her,
"As best I can without directly being in your situation. It's entirely natural for
you to not want to die, no shame in that. And perhaps you think less of yourself
because your survival was a 'coincidence'. But Cui... I really want to have that
vacation with you as well, so you can be assured I will do everything in my power
to assure that you get your chance to do those new things and live a new life. We
will find a way to keep you around, I'm sure of it. Doesn't seem too far-fetched
really when you consider that we're also on a quest to save the universe from a
species that already killed a universe. In fact..." Myst seemed to have an idea,
and his face lit up, "What if we could give you a new source of energy? One that
won't be destroyed by the time this quest is over? One still powered by excessive
positive emotion, and beneficial to everybody with you taking the strength from
it?"

Tec seemed embarrassed, as he wasn't quite sure himself. Guardian was the one who
knew about Eggs, so Tec tried to remember something he said, "Uh... I think it
takes a week or two to lay the egg, and like 70 days for it to hatch... I think
that's it at least. Maybe I'll have to ask Guardian, he knows a-lot about eggs. Or
at least that's what the moaning would mea..." Tec shook his head, as he was
getting off-topic, "Anyways, I suppose I could leave, if you really want to go. I'd
just have to tell Guardian, and then we could use that experimental long-range
teleporter to get to Heord. Away from all the perils of this ship and life. I'll do
it if you want it, Re'Ni."

� Reply #342 on: September 06, 2016, 05:45:31 pm �

Caprima lost her smile, besides that she could feel Cui's strong sadness, she also
realised that she was letting Xefr think all this was so simple and easy, when in
reality it was a battle of mind against the gods ..a battle that she herself had
lost a long time ago. "Yes and no, learning to control the Shiva and persuading the
Hyl will be as difficult as your soul wishes it to be ..and don''t worry about
time, it is merely a dimension out of many." she closed her eyes and grabbed Xefr's
foot that was next to her "Listen the waves my child, feel the warmth of the sand
in your paws. Such serenity... Savour this moment and hold it dear; for it will
save you when everything will seem lost." She then opened her eyes and smiled back
at Xefr "We're almost here, let me grab something for us to eat and we will head to
the mountain alone. There I will show you 'Shiva'; what lies within..."
Cui started crying and laughing and hugged Myst's neck with her tiny paws "Perhaps
you are right, perhaps I don't need the stupid orb. I will have those vacations no
matter what ..they've been postponed for an eternity now. Thank you Myst."

Having calmed down a bit, Re'Ni smiled, however she didn't take her paws of him, or
her tail off his {"Oh! Ask Guardian then, but ...female Valx should know such stuff
..self feels somewhat stupid. ..and yes, Heord! That please Re'Ni ..not feel
very stable close to Goat, or Forbidden. Cannot hold many thoughts ..remembered
things too."} As she finished her speech, her eyes turned pitch black for the split
of a second and she muttered something very silently in a peculiar language...

� Reply #343 on: September 06, 2016, 06:41:21 pm �

Xefr closed his eyes for a moment, and breathed out, letting his face curve into a
happy smile. He then looked back to Caprima, "Done. And Caprima, don't go thinking
I'm underestimating the threat. I can tell this will be very difficult, but I'm
simply not letting it get to me. Because last time I let that happen... Well, let's
just say I have no plans of forcing you to have to deal with seven more Shards. But
alright, I can wait for you."
Myst was a bit surprised by the reaction, but smiled and looked down at the little
dragoness on his neck, "Your welcome Cui. I'm your friend, and I will ensure you
get that vacation you rightfully deserve. I'll think of or find something to
replace that orb, I swear that on my half-life."

Tec noticed this, but thought it best not to bring it up right now, "Alright, guess
we'll have to ask Guardian then. And don't feel stupid, I know how to build a
spaceship but even I don't know how long it takes to lay an egg. It's something you
got to go searching for in order to find out, or experience it for yourself before
hand I suppose. And... I guess if it helps clear your head then I suppose we'll go
to Heord right after talking to Guardian." Tec looked off to the side for a moment,
and with a more nervous look he turned back to Re'Ni, some discomfort in his voice,
"Um... You said that shouting you did as you woke up was because of a nightmare...
Could you tell me what the Nightmare was about? Unless it's painful of course! You
don't have to tell if you don't want to talk about it..."

� Reply #344 on: September 07, 2016, 04:00:02 pm �

Cui smiled and remained there hugging Myst's neck "You being too great of a friend
to this little psionic AI with a dead dragon-maid's memories. I swear to my half-
life to not ruin our time in this place by crying like some hatchling! Let's bask a
little and head to the sea!"
Before she left to get supplies, Caprima patted Xefr and smiled "I'm sure you won't
let it get to you ..The cosmic powers didn't choose you randomly, but because you
have a strong and big heart ..big enough to hold an entire universe" She walked
inside her small cave near her hut and came bearing some seeds and a small bottle
bearing a light blue shiny liquid, as well as two rags.
Coming back to Xefr, she first approached Myst and Cui "I see you two like each
other a lot! And no need to be blue my little Cui, I will not allow what you think
to happen. ...Me and Xefr will head for the mountain top now ..I think you two can
relax a bit in the beach."
Cui seemed a bit awkward at Caprima's mention of her liking Myst, but as soon as
she mentioned her deepest worry she smiled, though not exactly very truthfully
"Yeah, I know.. ..I will try to relax. And if I had a coin for every time I've
heard that pun from you, I'd be a quadrillionaire."
Caprima smiled and pinched Cui's cheeks "Awwww, you're cute when you're all fired
up! If you want coconut milk, I have some in the cave next to the pile of
Multiversepolitan issues!"

Caprima closed up to Xefr with the seeds, colourful rags and the small bottle. "Ok,
I got our supper! Now, let's go up the hill Amal" her eyes seemed to fade into pure
white as the sun started to set. She started walking towards a trail leading to the
top of the island.

Re'Ni's happiness after Tec's agreement in moving to Heord was lost when he
mentioned the nightmare that she forcefully had decided to bury. She froze there
for a moment - her eyes' white turning slightly grey, but then started talking in a
soothing, re-assuring tone {"Just nightmare ..not reality, but very painful;
First saw truth long forgotten, saw stars and goat and ancestors and ..betrayal.
Then saw Tec attack goat, and Goat hurt Tec a lot ...but then Re'Ni became goat and
not able stop self from hurt Tec. Very painful for heart.."} she started sobbing on
tec's chest, and although her eyes were still grey, she seemed to smile {"But in
realm of reality Re'Ni not allow that. Tec here next to self ...and self have egg.
...Re'Ni take care of Self, Tec and child, and if demon and universe not
agree ...universe face worst nightmare."} As she finished her eyecores had turned
white, while her eyes' white completely black.

� Reply #345 on: September 07, 2016, 07:19:17 pm �

Myst nervously chuckled at Caprima's mention of them liking each-other, though deep
inside he did really hope it was true in a more serious way. Myst made sure to
respond before Caprima left, "I think I'll take you up on that, both the milk and
the relaxing. Safe journeys." After she went off to talk with Xefr, Myst looked
back to Cui, "Hm, trees, milk, a beach, just the two of us... It's like a little
preview of our future vacation. I say we go grab some of that milk and enjoy it
while it lasts. I think we've earned at least a little downtime by keeping Xefr
alive in those trials, eh? Come on, let's go." The Shard began to move in the
direction of the cave, but waited for Cui first.

Xefr nodded and walked alongside Caprima, watching the scenery around him. He was a
bit concerned about the shiny liquid, "Caprima, what exactly is is in that bottle?
And why are you bringing seeds as supper? I understand seeds are considered a snack
by some people, but it seems woefully inadequate for a meal. What's special about
them?"

Tec lightly hugged Re'Ni, and while her eyes made him slightly uncomfortable he was
more worried about her being happy. He responded with a reassuring tone of his own,
"That's right, that was just a nightmare. No bearing on reality. I'm right here,
nothing to worry about. And you're also right about taking care of our entire
little family. I know you are strong enough to do that. But there's no reason to
worry about the demon or anything, we're going somewhere safe. Nothing needs to
burn." He went a few seconds in silence, to let his words sink in, before finally
moving back a bit and looking into her eyes, "Now come on, let's go ask Guardian
how long it will take for that egg to come out. I'd like to know how much time we
have to ourselves before duty calls."

� Reply #346 on: September 09, 2016, 02:48:54 pm �

Leaving Cui and Myst, Caprima winked and waved at them in a rather cute way...
With the capricorn gone, Cui smiled widely at Myst and tried shrugging her worries
away; this was truly like a small preview of their future vacations and she wanted
to enjoy every bit of it "That's what I think too Myst ...we can have some fun
before the apocalypse comes-No! We must have some fun!" She flew quickly past next
to him and into the small cave ...there were a lot of things inside; a small
bookshelf, a kitchen smelling coconut and burnt butter, a sofa with some plushies
of a flower and a smiling skeleton, on a small corner there was a small photo of
Caprima with a child capricorn and a male Capricorn by her side, and right in the
middle of the 'room' - next to an armchair; a small table filled with sewing tools,
a half-made sweater, balls of wool and her glasses ...it wouldn't take them much
time to find the coconut milk barrel which was right next to a small pile of
multiversepolitan magazines, just like Caprima said. "Okay, let me get some straws
and we're off to the beach!"

Caprima wasn't surprised at Xefr's question at all, being evident -from her
excitement to respond- that she wanted him to make that question "Aha! You consider
them too small, lacking in proteins and all? not approrpiate for a meal! no? Well,
my child, some things may look special and some not ...it's what we want to be
special that truly is; Look at me, I'm just a small goat, just like these seeds..
but if you give small things your care and love, they will respond by giving you
back their love with many fruits ..and not just once but for many years to come!
..oh! And the bottle is filled with a small refreshment." She looked up, they had
nearly reached the peak; the highest point in the island where you could view the
beautiful sea playing games with the setting sun's lights as far as the eye could
see ..there weren't any trees on it, only some gravel and a few lillies shaken by
a warm southern wind. "We're here! There take this rug ...I don't want my little
dragon getting uncomfortable."
While looking quite small when folded, the rug was actually large enough for a
dragon to sit upon.

The dragoness smiled and gave a kiss to her loved one {"Self and Tec go see
Guardian ..must know after all. Worst mom if not!"}Before getting up, Re'Ni
nuzzled on Tec's chest for a while somewhat asking for a bit of caressing, her eyes
still black with a white core and open wide ..her tone was very silent and soft,
almost melodic as she spoke those few words to calm herself {"Yes ..nothing need
burn. Nothing..."}

� Reply #347 on: September 09, 2016, 06:42:39 pm �

Myst nodded to Cui, "Alright, I'll try and restrain myself until you find them.
Everything has to be just right after all." So, he spent the time looking around,
preparing his mental notebook. Most of the room didn't really stand out to him,
except for a few key things. He saw the plushies, and while he couldn't get their
meaning to her right now he knew they had to hold some sort of relevance, so he
logged it in his head. However, he did have some understanding of what the small
photo depicted. The image in it answered a few of Myst's mental questions about
Caprima, but also gave way to many more. But he would not pry. He knew from
experience that sometimes it was better to be slow and take what you could get
instead of blunt questioning, not everybody wanted to speak of their past. Besides,
there was the matter of the break time with Cui, which half of his mind told him
was more important than learning more about the mysterious goat lady. Though he
also silently thanked the universe for being a Shard, thus having complete control
over his body, as well, or else another part of his lower body would be
entertaining the idea of alone time with Cui as well but in a more vulgar manner.
He was going to keep that particularly inappropriate feeling bottled up for sure,
since he didn't want to ruin this for Cui. So finally, he just waited for Cui to
find the straws, and was ready to go to the beach.

After the rug was rolled out, Xefr sat down upon it, and was slightly impressed by
the size-trick. He looked around a bit, and smiled before turning back to Caprima,
"You know, the little part of that sentence is generally part of my lines. But I
digress, this is a very nice view. And I understand what you mean, but do you
really intend to grow a tree for supper? In some gravel no less? I suppose Shiva is
powerful and all, but it is really good for the plant to grow in these conditions?
Oh, and I suppose refreshment is good. How long are we going to be up here?"

Tec obliged, and used his paws to caress Re'Ni's neck and head for a short while,
before finally getting up and off the bed. He then walked over to the door, and
opened it to the empty hallway outside. He looked back to his mate, and spoke with
a smile, "Come on, Guardian generally spends quite a bit of time in his room, so
that's the best place to start. Then you can ask him whatever you like, so we can
be ready to do our eventual duty to our child."

� Reply #348 on: September 12, 2016, 11:44:34 am �

After a bit of searching -and avoiding creating a mess- in the kitchen, Cui emerged
with two big hollow sugar-canes in her right arm, while with her left paw she
created a psionic link between her and the barrel, raising it above the floor "Ok
ready! There's some wood out of the cave, near Cap's petunias ..go grab them so we
can lit a fire in the beach! I'll go wait you by the sea!" she gave a big smile to
Myst and flew past him with the straws and the barrel full of coconut milk
following her.
While alone in the beach she placed the barrel in the sand and put the straws in it
..she was about to crack hers in the middle, but a thought crossed her mind ..she
shook it off, but then the thought came back again "Oh what the hell!" She lied
down in the sand and tried transforming into how she originally looked ...while
her size easily turned to that of a normal dragon, her scales' colour could not
change back into her beloved red. She shrugged and walked right into the sea
..with only half her head and snoot being visible - her yellow eyes having a
sinister glimpse on them. She wondered how Myst would react...

Caprima giggled and then looked at Xefr with a big smile on her face, that dragon
was certainly acting like every student she ever had "Bored already are you Xefr-
Alam? We are going to be up here until you grow one of these seeds into a
tree! ..and don't worry for the plant, if you give it your love it will foster
wherever you place it ...feelings are capable of miracles my child; It is the
only power uncontrolled by the void of time ...souls are what make life unique. If
you learn to listen to your soul and others' souls too, you will grow from a small
plant into a great stable tree ...wherever you are." She picks one of the seeds
and kisses it, then puts it slowly in the ground next to her ..she closes her
eyes and moves her hand above it, a lot of purple energy starts pouring from her
chest unto the seed ..slowly a sprig appears out of it, the spring starts to grow
and soon it forms into a small tree with many yellow apples on it, Caprima cuts one
of the apples and munches it "See child? *munch* Everything is possible in the time
continuum *gulp* ..you only have to try!"
-

Re'Ni felt a lot better now, her eyes had started returning to normal ..all those
thoughts were being extinguished one by one by the imaginery picture of her little
baby dragon. She stood up and walked close to Tec, somewhat stumbling a bit and
gave him another kiss {"Tec best mate... not know what self do without. ...To
Guardian!"}

� Reply #349 on: September 12, 2016, 05:22:07 pm �

Myst smiled and nodded as Cui flew off, happy that she seemed to be enjoying
herself thus far. He then exited the cave, and went for the wood near the petunias.
As soon as he spotted them, his eyes flashed and he picked the pile up with his
mind, and carried it behind him as he moved off towards the beach. When he got
close, he was a bit surprised to see the barrel sitting alone on the sand, and no
Cui. But he noticed the snoot and yellow eyes in the water, and his mind started
making connections instantly. Remembering back to the time he first met Cui and how
she reacted to him being a tad bit rude, he grinned to himself as he figured out
what was going on. He was going to have some fun with this. So calmly, he walked
over to the barrel, and sat down and pretended not to be aware of Cui in the water.
He dramatically spoke aloud, "Seems Cui has wandered off, ah well. If she does not
want of this drink, I suppose I will have to drink it all myself." So, he moved his
head down near the straws, and subtly kept an eye on the yellow orbs in the water
for a reaction.

Xefr was impressed, because while he knew many psionic techniques for nurturing and
making plants mature faster, none of them worked so quickly and were powered by
something like emotion. After watching the new tree for a few seconds, he looked
back to Caprima, "Well, I've listened to the speeches of many souls. Ghosts can go
on about anything for quite a while, since they don't have lungs which can get
tired. But... I think I get what you mean. I just wish my soul was still in one
piece... But I guess I have to try." Xefr picked up one of the seeds with a flash
of his eyes, and floated it over to the ground next to him. He picked it up
carefully with his claws, and put it into the dirt. Then, in a confused manner, he
pointed at the spot with his paw, "Uh... Grow please...? I have no idea what I'm
doing..."

Tec noticed the stumble and made sure to stay close to Re'Ni so she could could use
him for support. He chuckled a bit at what she said, "Heheh, I think best is
overselling it a bit, but I'll always accept a compliment from you. And yes, to
Guardian." With her by his side he advanced out into the hallways, which were
mostly empty mind a few drones floating around. The walk was quite short, so there
wasn't really time for talking, as the halls that held Guardian's room were close
by. Soon enough, Re'Ni and Tec stood before another large door, with the letter 'G'
inscribed upon it. Tec walked up to it, and held his ears against it for a moment.
Finally, with a content snort, he stepped back and looked to Re'Ni, "Just checking
to hear some certain sounds. Didn't hear anything, so I think it's safe to go
inside."

But before Tec could open the door, there was a polite grunt from behind. And there
stood Guardian, clad in his armor and bottle-in-paw. Tec looked back and jumped,
being a bit surprised, but quickly regained his composure and spoke, "Hey
Guardian! Didn't see you there... You busy?" The Warrior Dragon just shook his
head, "Not at all, just finished my rounds and was coming back to make a social
call. But I can put that off, so tell me, what business do you two love-wyverns
have with me?"

� Reply #350 on: September 12, 2016, 08:49:08 pm �

Cui watched as Myst approached the beach, he couldn't tell but she was smiling with
all her heart beaneath the water ..she hadn't such childish feelings in a long,
long time. Hearing Myst she nearly laughed, but withheld it.. ("That cheeky
rascal") she thought, slowly understanding he too was in a playfull mood. She
snorted and rushed out of the water, causing quite many waves since she hadn't
considered her recent enlargement... "HOW RUDE! Not waiting for me! That's no
proper behaviour.." with a big smile on her face she flew-jumped right on Myst
while shouting a proper Qoatl warcry "YAAAAR! Liberate the coconut milk!". Having
succeeded in stopping the hideous theft of the coconut milk she rolled over and
layed right next to the thief, bopping his snoot with her paw "Hah! You thought you
would get away with it milk-thief?"

Despite Xefr's efforts the seed didn't seem to take his plead seriously...
Caprima tried not to laugh as she didn't want to give the wrong idea to Xefr, but
she couldn't help it ..she giggled and clapped her hands to cover the sound
"Hehehm.. ...that is a really good first effort my child! Speaking to the seed may
seem silly, but it means you give it worth ..but you first have to transfer a
strong positive emotion to the seed for it to grow! Let me give you some
help.. ..say, how do you feel about eggs? As a dragon you must feel positive about
an egg ..now think of the seed as a small egg! A cell nurturing a young life, a
young life that may grow and become something beautiful and magnificent like any
being - nothing else exists, the entire universe is that tiny seed of life.
Concentrate on that feeling yourself with your eyes closed and your paw close on
your heart and then slowly move it towards the seed ..then try to feel its soul,
its being, and transfer your feeling to its soul and your wish for it to bloom and
become a strong and healthy.."

Re'Ni was anxious enough to meet Guardian again, but when he appeared unexpectedly
she shrieked and backed a bit {"Hi Guardian. Ehm ..want ask ..err"} she lowered
her head, evidently ashamed that she didn't knew that, even though she was 30
millenias old.. {"..want ask ..about egg and hatchling. Ehm.. how long takes?"}

� Reply #351 on: September 12, 2016, 10:57:20 pm �

Myst was a bit surprised by the unexpected war-cry, but on the ground he was
smiling and laughing. After laughing for a bit, he looked over to Cui, "You caught
me officer. I was trying to get away with the milk and take it to my lair to ensure
you could never taste it. But all my devious schemes are foiled, and I beg you to
be gentle with my sentence, for now I am defenseless." Myst just chuckled as he
finished, and still seemed happy as he continued in a bit of a more serious manner,
"So you can choose your size! I had a feeling that was the case, ever since our
first meeting. But I suppose you choose to be... practically sized, as you put it.
Which I don't blame you for, size isn't always everything. So... Is the water any
good?"

Xefr seemed a bit annoyed, but sighed as Caprima spoke and relaxed himself,
"Alright... Let me try that." He closed his paw, and brought it to his chest. He
focused on the idea of that seed sprouting into a big tree with apples dangling
from it, he was hungry. So, he thought back to the best meals he could remember,
with family and friends around him, just all having a good time. He focused on
those feelings, trying to channel them into his paw as he slowly extended it
towards the seed's location. He tried to establish a mental connection with the
seed, willing it to grow and bloom. Still, he had to stop himself from verbally
pleading with it.

Guardian seemed confused for a moment, but then understanding appeared in his eyes,
"Ah right! I forgot that your carrying an egg. Congratulations to both of you on
that by the way. Good on you for accomplishing your dreams Tec, you can be sure
I'll catch up soon enough though. Anyways, on the topic of eggs. Let's see... It
takes about two weeks, give or take a day, for the female dragon to lay the egg.
Once it's out, it can take up to a month and a half for it to actually hatch. But
generally, it is far less. Even cases of it only taking a week, though you'll want
to aim for two weeks at least. Under that number, the hatchling might be unhealthy
at first, and require additional nurturing and treatment to bring up to normal.
Just keep it warm, either with placing the egg on a fire or heating it up every
three or so hours with a quick snort of flame, and that won't be a problem."
Tec nodded in content, "Thanks for the advice and help Guardian! Though I do wonder
how you know so much about eggs, does it have something to do with those social..."
Tec was cut off by a loud warning snort from Guardian.

� Reply #352 on: September 13, 2016, 05:18:21 pm �

Cui laughed and playfully moved the sand with her tail, she really enjoyed seeing
Myrst ramble! The night was starting to be replaced by the starry sky, and she
closed up to Myst ..one would think that she would try something more romantic,
but instead she just moved the barrel right infront her and drunk a bit of the
coconut milk, then got even closer to Myst and suddenly sprayed a bit of it on his
snoot "Heh, coconut milk in your face! No one escapes officer Cui! Also.. the
water's actually very warm, it'd be a pity to enjoy this alone." She smiled at
Myst, she wasn't sure about it but she wanted to lick that coconut milk off his
face...

Meanwhile in the top of the island, a seed seemed to tremble a bit...

As Xefr focused on his feelings, Caprima could feel his Shiva forming which made
her excited. However it was perhaps too early for him to channel it, but they would
try.. "Good! Don't just focus on the feelings; Feel them! ..there's only one
universe out of many ..one feeling out of many ..shiva! ..think of the seed,
concentrate on it!" Caprima had joined her hands and tried helping Xefr mentally
without interfering with Shiva. With her eyes closed she started making a slow
circle move with her head and muttering something that sounded like a wind's breeze
rather than words... ..Xefr could picture his soul's feelings, all kinds of
colours but mostly blue, moving around.

Re'Ni seemed a bit confused and nervously stomped her front feet a little, though
she certainly seemed happy {"Ahh! Two week inside ...two week laying ..firebreath
every three hours. Difficult be mom ..mhm! Thank Guardian! Be uncle!"} She said
and patted Guardian with her wing. The dragoness was relieved to know ..even
though still ashamed she didn't knew already, she wouldn't let the fate of her
child be decided by mere chance. She turned to Tec and gave him a kiss {"Sense
Guardian need 'alone' time ..no?"}

� Reply #353 on: September 13, 2016, 09:04:59 pm �

Myst laughed as well, and while he did seem pretty happy himself he also didn't
really try anything romantic, or at least not on purpose. With the milk on his
snoot, his tongue came out and he tried to lick it all up, though some of it was
missed, "Nice taste isn't it? You can see why I tried to snatch it. But if the
water is still warm, I suppose we could go take a dip, though I also want to finish
this milk. Hm, well Cui I think this vacation belongs to you more than me, so the
choice is yours. Together, we can either drink Coconut milk on the beach, or swim
in the water by our own choice instead of being dropped into it. Both are fine, and
I can assure you that you won't be allowed to enjoy either alone." He then
maneuvered his head to take a drink of the coconut milk as he awaited the answer.

Xefr kept his eyes closed, but seemed a bit disappointed that blue was the
predominant color. He didn't really like that color very much, though thankfully
his actual favorite color was not the predominant color either. He couldn't bare
remembering another bad memory, though he quickly vanished those thoughts. He
focused his thoughts on the seed, and the idea of it sprouting and blooming into a
nice big tree, but all in its own little universe. He let the positive thoughts
fade into the background, so as not to focus on them but let him feel their
positive vibe resonate within him. So thus, he held his paw out further, trying
again.

Guardian grinned and chuckled, "You're welcome. And being an Uncle doesn't sound so
bad, wouldn't be much different from dealing with Scout at the worst. You are also
very right in that. I have an appointment to enjoy, so alone time would be nice."
He chuckled again, and looked at Tec, "But first, you should probably take this
Tec. I know you didn't think I wouldn't notice the long-range teleporter charging
up, so I got those for you in advance. Have a good honeymoon you two." The Warrior
Drake then disappeared in a bright flash, and some keys dropped from the sky and
onto Tec's snoot.
Tec grabbed the keys with his right paw, and smiled as he inspected them, "Well,
would you look at that? I wasn't expecting him to hand these over so easily, and
this will make staying on Heord a lot sweeter." He looked up at Re'Ni, "It's the
keys to a summer home on Heord that Guardian was given as a gift for saving this
important Drake's life at one point. Gonna have to ask him about that story later.
But anyways, It's a nice place, so it's another option for a place for us to stay.
But you can ask more along the way. Come on, the teleporter is ready, but the walk
is a little long." He quickly returned his mate's kiss, and then started walking,
though made sure to move slow until she followed.

� Reply #354 on: September 14, 2016, 04:03:52 pm �

The blue dragoness had many thoughts in her mind ..thoughts that she tried
dismissing one by one, for she didn't knew if she would live long enough, and
didn't want to hurt Myst more than he would be hurt if she was lost now, but she
really couldn't help it. She smiled and drunk some more of the coconut milk "Mmmmm,
it's really tasty, more tasty than Cap likes to drink that's for sure! I guess we
can relax a bit more out here ...just let me light a small fire; I barely can see
you!" see moved the pile of wood near their backfeet by using her psionic power and
breathed fire on it ...shedding a warm and soothing firelight on the sand, Myst
and herself "There! Much better... say, Myst ..I haven't talked to anyone about
myself ...and you're one of the few people I consider friends ..one of the two
actually, heh!" she closed up to Myst, watching so that the fire would not touch
her tail "I lived most of these years here in Zuan'Lotl with Fluffbutt ...it was
nice, but it still wasn't what I'd consider ..'normal'. Caprima is the most lovable
old goat in the universe, but I still missed the company of someone that doesn't
call me 'child' and treat me like one all the time. Anyway, there isn't much to
tell, I was just a maid in the Emperor's service ..the Qoatl Emperor! I'd serve
tea, keep the palace clean and fix beds and all that jazz ..but I had more
aspirations. ..I never got to meet someone that I could connect into a more
spiritual level. So, you can tell me a bit about yourself and ask some things about
me ..if you'd like that." She started making circles with her claw in the sand
"...or we could play a game of Ik'tza."

The seed broke and a tiny blue leaf appeared, Caprima smiled with all her heart at
this sight and clapped out of excitement "Great! That's great my child! ..you sure
are a gifted student! Most would take months and years to do this! But I see you're
not very steady ..and your soul is very unbalanced to connect with it fully at
this stage ..I mean, my soul is unbalanced as well, but it takes a technique to
learn to use a highly unbalanced soul. ...now please come a bit closer, so we can
try to reach Samat together; the state of having full concioussness of your being
and the cosmic powers ..they're after all, one and the same! You may ask any
questions before we try to do this..." Sensing his disappointment and hunger from
earlier, she cut another apple from the small apple tree next to her and threw it
upwards for Xefr to catch and eat..

Re'Ni was overhelmed by positive feelings, a house in Heord where they could be all
alone! Now that was more than she could hope for, she would certainly spare
Guardian when the time would come ..nah! Shoo! She drove that thought away, it
wasn't something she was planning to do anyway, there was no reason to divide
people into ones that she would 'spare' and 'others' ..just her silly thoughts
ringing her mind's bell that was. Re'Ni gave mutliple kisses to Tec instead {"Mmmm
Love Tec! Mmm this wonderful! ..all alone in Heord! Many time to have fun until
egg arrives!"} She followed Tec closely, as always.

� Reply #355 on: September 14, 2016, 05:31:28 pm �

Myst gulped down his milk, part of him quite anxious due to how close Cui was now
with her larger form, but he made sure to show as little of that as possible and
not let it effect his thoughts. He didn't want to ruin this for her with foolish
thoughts, since she clearly liked Guardian. So Myst thought for a moment, and
responded, "One of two huh? And the only other person to have received such a feat
is Caprima? Well, considering that, I'm honored to be your friend. And the
Emperor's maid huh? Explains the story with that Imperial Guard you mentioned..."
Myst quickly caught himself from feeling jealous, and put on a bigger smile, "But
thanks for opening up Cui, and I'll return the favor now. There's not too much of
my history that really matters. I'm a Shard, but apparently I'm the most stable of
the seven. So, I'm one of the few Shards that leaves the ship on their own. But
unlike Coll's missions to find lost memories, Tec's lessons in starship care, or
Xefr's adventures, I got stuck with errand duty. I do the basic stuff, like get
food. And I also do the more exotic item collecting, like when Tec wants a certain
mechanical part or Guardian wants a... specialist item for use in the bedroom, I'm
the one who goes and gets it. That's also why I normally am assigned with being
Xefr's caretaker, so he doesn't get himself killed. A boring life, so I'm very
happy to have gotten this vacation with you, Cui. You break the monotony, in a good
way. Though I'm not sure what I could ask you, except for two things. First, have
you gotten off this planet at all before you got stuck with Xefr? Second, what is
Ik'tza? And I suppose I'd like to know how it's played, if you want to play a
game."

Xefr was a bit disappointed to he could only get a leaf, but was quick to notice
the apple and forget about the dissatisfaction. He grabbed it with more traditional
psionics, and hurtled it into mouth, where it quickly was chomped. A bit happier
now, he decided to take pride in what Caprima said about him being faster than
normal to grasp it, and he very much understood his soul being unbalanced. So, he
followed instructions and came a bit closer to Caprima, and brought the rug closer
as well. He did seem a bit confused when she mentioned Samat however, "Ehrm...
Samat? And how would one go about the process of achieving Samat? I doubt it's just
closing my eyes and meditating."

Tec was overjoyed to hear that she approved, and the kisses helped as well, "It is
wonderful, you're most certainly right about that, my love. Just us, and I can
think of many ways for us to have some fun with just the two of us and some
privacy..." He finished his statement with a kiss to Re'Ni's cheek. The walk
continued and nothing interrupted them, and the only activity was some drones
flying by as usual and two of those guards happening to pass the couple by. The
guards however would merely stand to the side and salute the dragons as they pass,
not moving until they were past them. Tec spoke up again whilst walking, "We're
getting close now. And then I can show you how to use the teleporter. But... I
never really expected to be doing this, leaving my brother Shards behind whilst I
go somewhere else. Normally, I'm the one who stays behind. Then again, it's not
like they can't visit, and Guardian will tell them where we went, so I'm not
feeling guilty. And thankfully, since we're going to Heord, there is one Shard we
both will never have to deal with or even sense ever again. That is one great
positive."

� Reply #356 on: September 14, 2016, 09:26:08 pm �

Cui was smiling at Myst with her eyes half-closed as long as he talked, she really
hadn't a personal discussion in ages and really liked Myst's voice. While she
didn't want to bring Myst to a difficult position she understood from his tone that
he was quite jealous of Guardian ..any guardian. She looked down at her paw doing
circles at the sand and then back at Myst "Seems to me like you're the most mature
of the shards then ...which matters to me more than some muscled wings. And if
one's loving more this vacation time here that's probably me ..I don't get the
chance too often either and probably..." she stopped there, she didn't want to
wreck this.. "What I'm saying, is that it's good to share this time with you...
Anyway, back to your questions... No, I haven't been anywhere else in this form
before I got stuck with Xefr, yet I still love this place ..it has something unique
about it. As for Ik'tza, it is a game where you say something that's true about the
other player ..if you succeed you get to dare them to do something, if you fail
they get to dare. Want to play?" she made a slightly smug smile as she finished her
sentence, and kept making circles in the sand with her paw. She had forgotten all
of her qualms now, the atmosphere was just too warm and soothing to think anything
of the future, Myst was there beside her ..and he looked dreamy under the light of
the small bonefire.

Caprima was slightly displeased that Xefr used normal psionics to catch the
apple ..she would prefer if he had tried to grab it with his paw and fail.
Nevertheless she smiled and tried explaining "Samat can be achieved only if you let
yourself completely free ..if you see yourself as a seed, a fish, a baby dragon;
every being having a soul. I think I'll have to teach you the idea behind Shiva for
you to understand ..you see my child, imagine there are many worlds and universes,
and part of a greater plain - while matter and flesh -including our brains- can be
affected by normal mental powers like psionics ...they're limited to a single
universe, as are psionics. Souls are part of that 'greater plain', they can affect
everything in a much greater way than you could imagine ..and so can Shiva." she
thought to herself that perhaps she was too aggressive and that she didn't actually
answer her student's question "So, in order to achieve Samat you have to use all of
your mental powers and usual psionics, and try to conect with your soul ...you do
this by first emptying your mind completely of any thoughts, then focus on your
being as a singularity, part of and the universe itself ..you do this by focusing
on the territory of your heart, but not your heart, it's just an organ ..there you
might feel the feeling of emptyness; your canvas. You try and stay in that stage
as long as you can, if answers and thoughts arise during it, take them and analyse
them ..don't try to dismiss them ..then when the canvas is truly empty, you
paint! You think of the seed; of it becoming a tree, of giving new seeds, of dying
as the new seeds become trees, all in a cycle." she closed up to Xefr "Sometimes,
it is easier to start by feeling other people who have reached Samat and note a
reference ...you could try by pressing your paw between my chest and neck and try
to feel my spiritual energy by concentrating on your feelings and me." She seemed
to be very serious by now, though she still sported a small serene smile.

Re'Ni bumped Tec with her bum playfully {"Tec thinks too much what other do and
think less self. This not smart. ...others manage get things work, while Self and
Tec have fun in Heord and wait for egg! Away from Coll ..away from monster ..away
from goat."} She gave him another kiss and looked to the front {"Heord awaits!
Second chapter of many adventures of Tec and Re'Ni!"} ...Re'Ni was overwhelmed
with feelings, she really hoped this trip to be the tombstone of her old life, and
the hatching of her new one.

� Reply #357 on: September 14, 2016, 11:34:38 pm �

Myst grew even more anxious before she stopped. On all regards, he was happy she
was happy, but he was very happy to hear she was enjoying his company. He didn't
really know how to process these emotions, since he had kept them bottled up for so
long and wasn't quite sure how to express them, or if he even should. On the
outside, this struggle was slightly visible in his tail which was fidgeting, but
otherwise did not show anywhere else. His face simply had a big smile as he
listened to Cui, finally responding as she finished "Um, I suppose I'd like to say
that I'm also enjoying this time with you Cui... But, uh, back to the subject at
hand! This planet does have a feeling of peace, doesn't it? Almost tranquil. And I
suppose I'd like to play a game of Ik'tza, sounds like a game I once saw a group of
humans playing. I'm unfamiliar with the processes of it, so how about you go first?
Let's see if you can guess something true about me."

Xefr was silent for a moment as the words processed, until finally he responded,
"Alright, I think I understand. But I suppose if it makes it easier, I'll take your
suggestion. Achieving balance sounds... like a good change of pace, so I'll do
whatever I can to get it in a reasonable amount of time. Let's try this then." So
the drake raised his right and pressed it on the area between her chest and neck,
trying not to accidentally do anything inappropriate in the process as well. Once
he got it down, he focused on those happy feelings again while this time also
focusing on trying to connect with Caprima's spiritual energy, to feel it with his
own soul.

Tec smiled, "Heh, I guess you're right. I do a lot for others, but little for
myself. But I don't really intend to change that, yet I will change who I am
helping. All the Shards, except for the one below, were good friends and family to
me, which is why I hope they visit occasionally. In the second chapter however,
I've got to focus on my mate and future child. Come on then, let's flip the page."
They had finally reached another door, which Tec quickly opened. Inside was a room
with a lot of computer panels and big open tube-like zones with strange floors. The
largest however, was the one in the middle, whose panels and floor tiles were
glowing in anticipation for usage, though it only seemed big enough for one dragon.
Tec seemed satisfied, and looked to Re'Ni, "Alright, here are the teleporters. The
long-range one that will get us to Heord in a literal flash is the one in the
middle. It can only take one drake at a time though, so you should go first Re'Ni,
since one of us has to operate this thing. Just stand on the glowing floor, and I
will send you through to Heord, dropping you right in front of the Summer Home. But
don't worry, I'll be seconds behind you, and I know this thing is safe. Me and Myst
used it a week ago to get a toy for Scout, just had to go one at a time. Now go on,
Heord awaits." Tec then gave her a kiss, and walked over to the panel next to the
teleporter, waiting with a smile for Re'Ni to step on.

� Reply #358 on: September 16, 2016, 08:24:16 pm �

Cui noticed Myst's tail moving nervously, and she thought of it being very cute and
endearing ..she herself was feeling a bit nervous but for different reasons, still
making cirles in the sand with her claw. She looked up to the starry sky and
started to hum as she tried to think of what to ask, then turned looking back to
Myst "Hmm, ok! Let's see... You're a very tidy dragon; you can't stand it if things
and situations aren't in the correct order, or exactly how they're supposed to be!"
She gave Myst a smug smile, being sure that she had won that round ..her tail
twitched a bit, as she felt it getting warm by the fire and being close to
Myst ..mostly due to the second.

Caprima tried to reach Samat for Xefr to feel it, she relaxed and focused on her
being ..as well as Xefr's paw, to create a link. "Close your eyes my child and
focus; focus on your feelings and me; my feelings" As the seconds passed by Xefr
could feel something, sadness mixed with love. Soon he could envision a dark blue
cloud of sadness, massive guilt and regret, fighting and being entangled with pink
waves of unconditional love and hope ..this stemmed from within Caprima's body;
While Xefr held his paw on Caprima, he could sense within him the multitude of
emotions dancing with each other ..and beyond this crust of emotional mess a great
white emptyness, there was no description to describe that emotion ..it was
..reliefing, calm, as if encompassing all feelings and simultaneously anulling
them.

Tec's words really expressed everything she felt ..she too was thinking about
others and less for herself, even though in a different manner. She felt as if she
was the luckiest dragoness in the universe besides him; having someone to
understand and love her! While initially she hesitated, having a strong fear with
machines since that one incident in her childhood, she dismissed all thoughts, gave
Tec a big hug and kiss, muttering {"Yes, turn page.. ..Love Tec so much!"} before
stepping on the teleporter with her tail shaking.

� Reply #359 on: September 16, 2016, 10:48:06 pm �

Myst chuckled, his smiling face still trying to keep up the facade of calm, though
his tail continued to betray the truth of his nervousness, "Heh, perhaps I
shouldn't have let you go first, because that is correct. Being the caretaker of
the Shards, I've gained an appreciation for keeping things orderly and clean.
That's why I'm one of the few Shards with a clean room. Well, you've won the chance
to give me a dare. What task must I perform to celebrate your temporary victory?"
Myst tried to keep up the mask of total calm, but now the rest of his body was
beginning to show the truth as well now that he was anxious about Cui's dare,
having no idea of what she planned. Didn't help that she was this close as well,
because he kept having to dismiss naughty ideas.

Xefr focused on that mysterious, indescribable emotion. He suspected that this was
Samat, and following instructions he tried to connect with and feel it for himself,
so as to better understand it. Still, he didn't how to feel about this
overwhelming, consuming calm. On one hand, it was something he wanted to feel and
felt he needed to. But on the other, it was an idea entirely foreign to him. As a
Shard, true calm was an emotion unknown to him, and that unknown unnerved him
slightly.

Tec smiled, "Don't be nervous, my love. You're going first so I can ensure nothing
goes wrong, you'll be fine. Now, stay still, and just watch as the scenery changes
around you. Welcome yourself... to Heord!" With that confident yell, Tec flipped a
big switch, and the panels lit up. Re'Ni could feel things getting a bit dizy, with
the device distorting her vision slightly but everything became a white light, not
blinding but all-consuming. But that lasted not even a moment, as Re'Ni now found
herself in a forest clearing. Little alien birds, tiny lizards, worms, and even
something resembling a deer but slightly smaller and with bushier fur. Of course,
there was something not of nature directly in front of her. It resembled a fairly
large castle, built into the bottom-side of the mountain, though its size was
nothing in comparison to Soul's Eclipse. It had great towers, but it was clear that
the bulk of it was built on the inside of the mountain. No activity could be seen
or heard, though the lights were on. Re'Ni could find herself standing in front of
the mighty door that led inside, and there seemed to be a tiny keyhole so much
smaller than door here as well.
Her time alone was short however, as a few seconds after she arrived Tec arrived in
another burst of light, though there was no sound it seemed. The Shard grinned as
he looked around and saw Re'Ni, "See? Perfectly safe. Oh, and here's our home. I
always wondered how Guardian was able to pay for it."

Re: Xefr's Adventures: The grey meatbags

� Reply #360 on: September 17, 2016, 03:25:46 pm �
She bumped her tail in the sand happily and cheered a bit "Hah! I knew it!".
Nevertheless, the blue dragoness was still feeling a bit nervous herself ..she
wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing, but then she remembered Caprima
talking to her about how her own love brought her suffering, but it did and always
feel and be right, and she would do it all over again nonetheless even if nothing
would change in the end. Cui gulped and tried starting with something simple, as
she didn't wanted to scare Myst. She smiled and adopted a pompous tone, to make
clear her victory "Since you're tidy, I have something radical for you! ..I dare
you to drink some coconut milk from my paw!" she took some coconut milk with her
left paw from the barrel and moved her paw carrying some milk carefully close to
Myst..

Caprima, sensing Xefr's difficulty to concentrate, grabbed Xefr's arm wit her hand
and tried creating a more strong link with a mystic soul-spell {"Ease your mind my
child.. ..don't think of yourself; dismiss your memories and thoughts, empty your
mind completely ..forget this body, and be one with Shiva ..one with the
universe!"} She then concentrated heavily on her own Shiva, in an effort to make
clear to Xefr the feeling of being in a state of Samat; completely free and truly
divine, not just a mortal, but part of the moving force of all realms.
If able to focus Xefr could feel that emotion arising stronger and clear in his
mind, it was a clear white view of peace ...time seemed to have stopped in that
state, nothing seemed to be able to hurt him there, all universes; the past, the
present and the future all coming together and forming that pure orb of light. And
in the center there was the head of Caprima smiling {{"Savour the moment, my
child!"}}

As soon as Re'Ni arrived on Heord and opened her eyes, she remained there standing
in complete bliss with a distant look in her eyes for a few seconds, she hadn't
seen such a sight ever since her first years in life when the shady figures of her
parents would fly with her above Northern Urva ...all that nature and clear skies
above! ..She started flying around happily, poking any animal she could come close
to, and then landed right on Tec and hugged him with her wings {"This wonderful!
Better than self imagined ...much land for child to play, lots nice animals too!
And castle beautiful.. ..but skies, skies mean much to self.."} she looked at
Tec's eyes {"Feels like ...Home"}

� Reply #361 on: September 17, 2016, 06:54:04 pm �

Myst seemed more than a bit nervous, since his face finally broke and seemed
unsure. But he quickly rebounded, assuming a confident demeanor, even if this was
something he was entirely unsure about, "I doubt I really have a choice in the
manner, eh? Very well then, this may be quite unsanitary but I shall comply with
your victory demands. Here goes nothing." Myst then leaned his head down towards
the milk-carrying claw, and started to lick the milk with an extended tongue. He
started carefully, and then paused for a moment. He chuckled as he realized just
what he was doing, and then finished the job, drinking up the milk. Finally he
raised his head, and with a confident grin he spoke, "Done. Good enough for you Ms.
Taskmaster?" Despite the choice of words, his tone was friendly. Myst was enjoying
himself, though he wasn't sure if it was because he liked the game or for another
reason to do with that task...

Xefr finally focused, clearing his head. Under normal circumstances, seeing
Caprima's head on its own would have unnerved him, but it didn't this time. He
simply took it all in, forgetting his body and mortal concern, feeling that utter
peace and calm. It was a wonderful feeling to one like him, to finally not feel his
troubles anymore. He would probably stay in this state as long as he could.

Tec gleefully smiled, happy to see Re'Ni so alive, "I think that makes sense,
because this is our home now. And the skies are yours to explore. Nobody in their
right mind would try and stop you, since the skies of Heord are free for all and
this is our property. And someday I'll take you out to the Great Quith Desert, so
you can fly over for miles, just like you said you wanted to. But for now, we've
got a few choices for you in how to settle in. There's the forest around you, if
you want to see the nature and wildlife here. We could take a look inside the
Summer Home if you want, so you can our new housing." With this, Tec flashed his
eyes and the keys he held flew over to the door, into the keyhole, and unlocked the
door. He seemed pretty satisfied with being able to do that on the first try, and
the smile on his face only grew more apparent, "Door is open if you want to look
inside. Yet if you feel like flying and meeting some other dragons around here we
could also go visit one of my best friends and allies. He lives a while over, at
the nearest civilization center in the cave network of Datrio, and I need to pay
him a visit to tell the good news. We'd need to fly since Datrio isn't really that
close, we're fairly secluded here. However, if you don't feel like meeting anybody
new, I can go alone while you go look at the house. The automated servants should
be able to show you around without my help, if you feel like separating for a bit."

� Reply #362 on: September 18, 2016, 03:55:26 pm �

Cui was smiling and looking nervously at the side, while her tail was twitching;
she was feeling a bit silly as Myst was drinking the milk off her paw, but she did
like that nonetheless ...it was all in good fun and having Myst be so close to her
was just what she wanted! When Myst finished his task, she gave out a small laugh
and turned her head looking back to him while pinching his cheeck with her paw
"Heh! Good job, I bet you liked it too! ..now's your turn to ask me." she looked
at his eyes, anxious to hear what he had to ask about her. Something inside her
wanted him to make a more bold and adult question...

Sensing that her student had reached Samat and finally had understood, Caprima
smiled widely and let him be in that state for a while by creating a time bubble
around them - within it every moment could last for an hour. After a while in the
real world she burst the bubble and hugged the great dragon through her Shiva ..it
seemed as if her aura's hug was far larger than Xefr, and covered him in a warm and
motherly embrace "I'm very happy for you, my child!". She looked at him, still
smiling "...now that you know, you may try again helping that sprig grow into a
tree ..and get a juicy apple too!"

While Re'Ni was excited and really wanted to see the house and explore the
surroundings, however the voices in her head insisted that Tec could disappear and
never return ...she wasn't ready to live alone even for a few hours, she was
living alone for so many thousand years that every moment with Tec was holy to her.
Besides, she really, really craved the idea of flying and the freedom she felt
through it.. {"Self can wait; Think better if see home later with Tec ...and Self
want stretch wings a bit! So follow love to friend!"}

� Reply #363 on: September 18, 2016, 05:17:58 pm �

Myst normally would not have appreciated having his cheek pinched, but since it was
Cui doing it he just chuckled. He wasn't quite sure what to ask, though just like
Cui something inside him was telling him to be bold and get into the good stuff,
but he didn't think Cui would appreciate that so he dismissed those thoughts for
now. Finally after a moment of thought, he got an idea of what to ask, "Perhaps I
did enjoy it. As for my question, hm... Oh, I've got something for you! Taking into
consideration of what I've seen you do, you must be interested in military code!
That's why you used that war-cry and had a military salute! Uh... Did I do that
right?"

Xefr appreciated the good amount of time in Samat, and was pretty peaceful when
coming out of it. He also enjoyed the hug, and that could be seen through his
voice, "Alright... I'll try again. This time I make my own apple!" With that, the
old dragon moved out of the hug and towards the little sprig, and he closed his
eyes. He brought one of his paws up to his chest, and tried to reach that feeling
of indescribable peace once again. As he held out his paw, he tried to form a link
with the plant as he cleared his mind, emptying it of unnecessary thoughts as
focused on a single image of that sprig growing into a nice, big tree with many
apples hanging from it.

Tec smiled, he was happy she decided to come along. He didn't really want to
desperate from her just yet, and this would be a good time to introduce her to the
other people that might come around to visit, "Great! Normally, I would just
teleport there, but this is a good chance for you to see the scenery and know the
path there. Besides, I also want to stretch my wings, and this is our first chance
to fly together. Come on, this way my love." Tec then took off into the sky, flying
up and moving towards the East, though he made sure to stop long enough for Re'Ni
to follow alongside him.

� Reply #364 on: September 19, 2016, 10:30:19 pm �

Cui sniggered, she was certain Myst enjoyed it.. and not because he was some
weirdo with a paw fetish, but because she was getting a vibe from him of feeling
both awkward and very happy about the whole affair. Hearing Myst's guess, Cui
looked at him in a strict way, though still smiling, and with a sudden strong hit
of her tail on the beach's sand, she gave a salute with her paw "Affirmative,
Ja'cuar Myst! All Qoatl were required to serve in the legions of the Emperor, so I
did as well ..and I admit I liked my time as an imperial legionary, including
salutes and warcries. But most importantly; I wasn't the only one required to clean
up beds and cook! Heh.. Re'jauit Azgan Qoatl Chio'jac; Army Make Dragon Humble!"
she patted his paw with hers "Ehm, now it's your turn to dare me!" She was rather
uncertain where all this would lead, and some thoughts of hers tried erasing this
uncertainty ..but she got a little ashamed and dismissed those thoughts for later,
when she would be alone.

As Xefr focused and linked with the plant, transfering his Shiva to it by using the
calm feelings of Samat, he could feel its fibers extending and the small cracks on
the ground by the thickening roots. The feeling that was transferred back to him
from the plant was so fresh and positive... ..all of this were interrupted however
by an excited Caprima who rushed close to Xefr and patted him, this time with her
actual arms instead of her Shiva's aura "Look! Look my child! ...this is so
wonderful! I'm very proud of you!"
A small tree had formed before Xefr, bearing three apples ..it seemed less
impressive than the bigger apple tree Caprima had made, but this was not important,
he had achieved a miracle and he should be proud of it.
-

While she wasn't very fond of the idea of meeting other people, by the time Tec
mentioned flying together and rose up to the sky ..she cheered and flapped her
wings to reach him. Perhaps she flapped them too much, because in an instant she
bumped on to him and playfully tried hugging him and kissing him mid-air {"Like
dream! No, better than dream!"}

� Reply #365 on: September 19, 2016, 11:40:42 pm �

Myst grinned, "I thought as much, and as per usual Myst is right again! You'll have
to tell me about that time in the service sometime then, sounds interesting. Now
let's see..." The Shard was wondering what he should do with the dare, immediately
dismissing the ideas created from those more naughty functions, he really didn't
want to alienate her with something lewd like that. Finally, he snapped with two of
his claws and took on a confident smile, "I got it. So you were in the military,
you must have done some training exercises and drills. And I remember watching
Guardian do this flight exercise, so I want to see you do something like that. Take
to the sky, and put on a show. And, uh, I promise not to look anywhere I
shouldn't..." Myst took on a more nervous demeanor now, not really sure about his
dare, "If that's not too much to ask that is, not certain how far these dares are
supposed to go... I was never really involved when the other Shards or the ship
guards did these sort of things. I've always been the distant one..." As he
finished, he seemed a tad bit sad, as he started thinking about the past.

And Xefr was proud indeed, using his already extended paw he picked one of the
apples from the new tree, and inspected it for a bit. After a moment, he smiled and
spoke to Caprima with a happy tone, "To think... In all my years I never learned
anything about that state... I was missing out. This really is wonderful. Thank you
for teaching me about Shiva, Caprima. This was certainly a very nice experience.
Hm... So, what's next? I highly doubt that this is all there is to Shiva, I'm
certain there is more to it. Growing apples simply cannot be the limit." He then
tossed the apple into his jaw, enjoying it quite a bit. It tasted better, but not
because it was any better than the one Caprima grew, far from it, but it just felt
better since this one was nurtured by himself. He wasn't normally a prideful drake,
but this was a special occasion.

Tec was slightly put off balance by the sudden bump, but quickly adjusted himself
so that he could still fly even with Re'Ni hugging him mid-air. His head looked
over to her with a smile, "Just look around, and then you should decide if this is
a dream or not." The Shard then returned a kiss, and then looked around for
himself. Around were the great forests of Heord, with birds flying around, chirping
in blissful glee. One could spot smaller creatures dashing around through the
clearings, and in the distance mountains were abundant, and one could almost see
the silhouettes of other dragons playing in the skies around those mountain peaks.
After a bit, Tec spoke again, "I suppose that I should explain where we're going.
As I said, it's the town of Datrio, a fairly small but unique settlement of Golden
Dragons. It's built in-between and inside of three separate large hills. Two of
them are just entrances to the larger residences and businesses underground, but
the third one is the place we're going. There is a clearing just outside the town,
so we could avoid entering the market, if you'd rather not talk with anybody but
the friend I intend to meet."
Tec's words were true, for the in far-distance ahead, the image of Datrio was
forming. Three massive hills, with giant cave entrances bored into them, stood like
points of a triangle around a little valley. The valley seemed to have market
stalls, trees, and just seemed to be a community center. Tec however, was
manuvering himself towards a clearing on the side of the nearest hill, the one that
seemed to have least traffic going into it but also the largest.

� Reply #366 on: September 21, 2016, 01:32:32 pm �

Cui should know by now that if someone was to hit up things that would have to be
her ..however she wasn't dissapointed with the dare; she saluted Myst with her
wing "Aye, Ja'cuar Myst!". Then the blue dragoness stood on all fours and after
checking her tail's balance she jumped as high as she could while also flapping her
wings ..in less than two seconds she was above Myst, then she closed her left
wing and only flapped the right ...continuing the same drill with her other wing.
After finishing that she shouted "Ma'chatl!" and remained stable while flying
backwards a little above Myst. With a sudden move of hers she snarrled and teared
the air with all her claws while firebreathing, one time to the left and one to the
right ..as she did, her tail was swinging a little above Myst ..not to mention
Myst could have quite the view as she used her legs' claws to tear the air left-
and-right. Finishing the second part of the drill she shouted "Itzen'ja!" and flew
as high as she could then she closed her wings and started falling like an arrow
towards her friend ..but just in the right time she stirred left and bypassing Myst
like a comet she cut off a small bunch of fruits hanging together from a tall tree
and threw them on Myst's feet before laying right next to him by the bonfire.
"Soo... Did you like what you see?"
Spoiler: Cui doing Qoatl drills (hover to show)

Caprima giggled a bit, as she thought of Xefr's question "Oh, and I thought you
were here for a botanology lesson! Hehm.. ..you're right my child; there's more to
Shiva ...or 'everything', to be exact - Imagination is your limit! ...You
learned the basics of Samat and soul-linking which will be usefull when you'll meet
the Hyl Queen ...but now you will learn how to pass certain memories and feelings
unto others. Though beware; emotions are a dangerous and strong weapon if used
malevolently... ..I'll demonstrate how it's done, my good dragon" She closed her
eyes and extended her right arm, placing her thump right on Xefr's chest, while
waving slowly in circles her free arm - creating a purple aura and then placing
both of her hands on Xefr's chest, as she opened her eyes they were beaming with a
pure white light and everything around them was lost ...Xefr could see Caprima
with her husband and her child living happily, with her baking some short of pie
with snails - the feelings surrounding the pictures where those of love and Samat
...an otherworldy voice could also be heard "{This is a memory of mine, a very old
one ...in order to pass it to you, I had to grasp the feelings I felt then ...but
this is not just a memory"} Caprima in the memory's scene looked at Xefr "It's
bottled reality.." her son also turned facing the dragon as well "Hi, ehm ..mister
Atzel!" ..the connection was shattered immediately as her son talked, and back in
the real world Caprima's eyes were dark and blue-tinted for a moment before she
looked back at Xefr with a forced smile "..pass this ark of memories within you to
the Hyl Queen ..you only have to think of your Samat and the orb. The problem and
safeline is that you cannot force anyone to remain, or accept said memories for
more than few seconds without their will, so I compressed all those memories hard,
for them to pass to the Queen in an instant. Any questions?"

Re'Ni really liked this trip, but she had her limits ..as meeting an entire
village of Dragons, while exciting, was also terrifying for her. {"Village seems
lovely, but.. think better avoid village for now. After Coll ..not feel ..very
certain about things ..agh, no! Self said... no one!"} she stopped for a moment and
shaked her head, she tried maintaining a smile even though she was about to cry;
she really didn't want Tec to know who she was talking to.. {"...not worry Tec.
Just headpain"} Her eyes flashed for a second and Re'Ni seemed to have her mind
travelling a bit {"Yes ...fly friend for now."}

� Reply #367 on: September 21, 2016, 07:07:58 pm �

Myst's little moment of sadness simply disappeared as Cui began her demonstration.
He was especially impressed with the precision of the fall, and it was hard to
dispute the view. So when she finished he did some clapping with his claws, "Bravo!
Magnificent display!" He stopped clapping ans sincerely smiled, "Yup. I very much
liked what I saw, as from that viewpoint I had a multitude of things to admire in
that performance." Then his confidence broke as he realized what he just said,
becoming incredibly embarrassed and looking to the side for one moment. He still
seemed quite ashamed of himself as he turned back and spoke, trying to capture that
calm he had before but failing in his voice, "Er... Anyways... Uh, let's get to the
next round eh?" It was quite obvious to see that he was trying to go on without
making a fuss, though the shaking of his tail just got worse.

Xefr quite clearly picked up on her forced smile, carefully looking and speaking to
Caprima, "Hm... I see. And I know the power of emotions, as they are an enemy I
fight everyday. But before I ask any of my questions on the memory-transfer...
There is one important thing that needs addressing. Caprima, if something is
troubling you, you need to address it. I know as well as any other what happens
when you keep things behind closed doors. But, once you accept the loss, it becomes
much easier to bear the regret. Appearing strong can only get you so far. I know
that very well..." The Old Black Dragon started giving off little feelings of guilt
that could be sensed, as he remembered Vi and her own death.

Tec noticed that Re'Ni was clearly having some problem, though he wasn't able to
place the true trouble. He did silently curse Coll's paranoia, though he couldn't
blame his fellow Shard for that problem, it was beyond his control. So, Tec flew up
to Re'Ni and spoke with a reassuring tone, "Hey... It'll be alright. We're not
going to meet anybody besides my friend, somebody we can trust. I have my own
reasons for not wanting to go into this town, so I won't pull any surprises on you.
If your head hurts, we'll get this done quick so we can go back to our new home and
let you rest, explore the forest, fly in peace... Whatever makes you better. Come
on, the clearing is right over here, I'll be fast." He then gave her a kiss on the
check, and flew down to land in a small clearing, waiting for her to land before
moving on.

� Reply #368 on: September 22, 2016, 05:23:54 pm �

Cui heard exactly what she wanted to hear, even though she didn't expect it.
Neverthelsess she had some doubts, perhaps Myst was just talking about her
brilliant drills ..but considering his stance and how he reacted afterwards she
dismissed those doubts and regained her confidence; She was about to strike that
poor dragon's heart hard. She put on a cool mask and pretended that everything was
normal, closing her tail to his "Hmmmm, ok ..let me try this. I think I'll win
this one as well." she closed up even more to have a clear view of Myst's eyes
"You're into blue dragonesses!". As she said that she started feeling extremely
awkward, perhaps she said that too fast ..or perhaps she shouldn't have told that
at all, but she really wanted to! She remained looking anxiously in Myst's eyes,
waiting for a response.

Caprima's facade broke and her smile vanished, she sighed and caressed the black
dragon with her hand, a deep feeling of sadness and tremendous guilt was
overwhelming her "Perhaps now it's the time to learn more about me ..I hesitated.
I didn't know how you'd take it, but.. ..you have the right to know." She closed
her eyes and sighed again, this time more heavily, barely withholding her tears.
She opened her eyes again, this time they were yellow with a red core, and both
Xefr and Caprima were not on the top of the island but above the Galaxy - amidst
supernovas errupting and stars being born, while comets flew close "I'm different
than all of you you see ..even though I want to be just like you. And due to that
wish of mine, I doomed one universe, and I brought trouble to this one too.. ...in
a way, I brought doom to my own family" She looked at Xefr, our poor dragon hero
was probably confused at all of this, but she would make sure he would
understand... "As there are many galaxies, there also are many universes and realms
..time and space rule over all of them, but they do not rule a select few. These
select few are the realms of the Haelyonim, the 'Great Ones', ten souls with
control over Shiva ..far above the realms of space and time, ruling the
multiverse. These ten souls agreed on a pact; they would not affect the matters of
mortals, unless mortals affected the matters of the Haelyonim ..but as many voids
and creations passed, the powers entrusted to them by Shiva, the 'Eternal' started
to lose balance and transform as nothing remains the same, but Shiva; the circle of
life itself ...as such, they had a choice; to either ascend to a higher plane of
existence, or remain for a little longer as rulers of the multiverse by usurping
the souls of mortals ..like predators." ..the view changed and showed the shady
ten figures, using their Shiva to guide the souls of the dead and hold them,
shortening the lives of mortals "However, this abnormality was noticed by a mortal
species, called the Il. They misunderstood that their entire existence was to be
cattle for some higher beings ..that their lifes did not matter. Half of them
decided to become predators themselves, while the more noble ..the Hyl, decided to
end this circle once and for all" the view changes again, Xefr could see
Caprima ..only she was different, she seemed far more soulless..
Spoiler: Goatlike indeed (hover to show)
"I was one of them ..still am, but different. They sent me to stop the Hyl from
destroying the multiverse, and it was an easy task ..but as I descended to the
mortal realm ..I started to think like a mortal, to feel like a mortal, to love
like a mortal ...I wanted to live ..like ..a mortal. So, I decided I would
breach the pact ..I would teach Shiva to the mortal species, I would bring peace
to their lives, I would teach them to live as long and peaceful as they
wished. ...I taught the Qoatl and the other species of V'oss all I knew,
breaching the pact by giving mortals the forbidden knowledge and earning the
damnation of the Haelyonim, taking away my ability to travel through realms. The
Haelyonim then guided the Hyl -without the Hyl knowing it- to destroy V'oss first,
and thus seal me to the void of time. But the Qoatl found a way to travel to
another universe along with the forbidden knoweledge ...the destruction would not
end there. Even having lost everything, even if I'm responsible for all of this
..my heart could not bare ...to have another universe be destroyed. To see my
child's face again vanishing. I just could not let it. Even if I was sealed, the
Great Ones would hunt the Qoatl down and destroy many universes ...I have to put
an end to this, but I cannot do it myself. Besides that my shiva is unbalanced, a
mortal has to do this ..and then the Haelyonim will understand ..they will
understand that you are not cattle ..that they must let go and ascend. And then
the circle could forgive them, and perhaps forgive me.. ...I will never see my
son's smile again, I only wish I could, but I hope.. I.." Caprima and Xefr where
back at the top of the island, she was crying inconsolably, her clear white tears
falling on the ground and forming tiny crystals.

Re'Ni nodded and kissed him back {"Feel better ..self thinks."} She flew downwards
and landed right next to Tec ..she was really curious about that 'friend' of Tec's
..but she guessed that if he was like Guardian, he wouldn't be bad. She started
tapping her front right paw on the ground, anxiously waiting to meet the new
dragon.

� Reply #369 on: September 23, 2016, 12:57:17 am �

Myst went wide-eyed as Cui said that, knowing that he had no way out of this one,
and the best way to survive would be to address it. So, with a nervous face and
tone, "Heh... Is it that obvious...? Well, you're right, in a certain fashion at
least. I am, erhm... into a very particular blue dragoness. But I suppose that
still means you win, uh..." In a nervous glance, he looked back at his own tail to
check how it was holding up, and then he noticed how close her tail was to his,
making the trembling worse. He didn't move though, and slowly looked back into
Cui's eyes, "So... You won. I'm into a blue dragoness... And I think it's her turn
to make a dare." He tried to look collected and smooth, though he failed
tremendously with the nervousness easily overcoming the attempt.

Xefr was quite shocked by the experience and dump of knowledge, though he did
understand the Hyl's wanting to destroy the cycle, something he had seen for
himself and his full self wanted to stop. Though it wasn't quite because of this
truth, so it still surprised him. And that image of Caprima was unsettling to say
the least. But once they had returned to reality, he was quick to push those
thoughts back once he saw Caprima crying. He had things to think about, but he
couldn't really care about those things whilst she was crying like that. So, he
moved forward and pulled her into as comforting a hug as he could, letting her cry
into his scales. He spoke with as soft a tone he could to try and console her, "Go
on... Let it all out. I know exactly how you feel. I never did think I would see
Dervis again, the regret is horrible and crushing, but only if you let it rule you.
So don't hold back any tears, that is how mortals cope."

Re'Ni would not have to wait long, because the new dragon was within sight from the
landing spot. A few dozen meters away, there was a black dragon standing in front
of a row of about five trees, facing away from Tec and Re'Ni's position. With a
single movement of his right paw, he cut five clean, straight lines in each of the
trees with his claws, causing them to tumble to the ground. None landed on him, for
any that fell that way were caught by a blue psionic energy and thrown back into
the forest. It was a clean effort, but the drake muttered a word, "Sloppy..." Tec
did not seem alarmed in the slightest, and immediately yelled out to the other
drake once he finished, "Hey Durazor! I've come to say hi and introduce you to
somebody." At the Shard's voice, the dragon identified as Durazor turned around...
Spoiler: Durazor Ka'Fras (hover to show)
Upon seeing the Shard, the Black Drake smiled sincerely and flashed his eyes,
disappearing a blue flash but reappearing instantly a little bit in front of the
dragon couple. Durazor spoke with a rough, deep tone, but it was clearly friendly,
"Tec, a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting a visit so early. Must be important
then." He looked over at and seemed to analyze Re'Ni, "Who's this? You must be a
new friend of Tec's, which is good to see. Glad to see he's been meeting new
people."
Tec was happy to explain things to Re'Ni, "This is Durazor! He's been a friend of
mine for a long time. Saved my life at one point as well. He's trustworthy, and a
pretty good fighter to boot. And Dura... She's a bit more important than just
another friend."

� Reply #370 on: September 24, 2016, 05:20:34 pm �

With Myst finally expressing himself and not hinding behind his claw, Cui's anxious
facial expression in her face started to be changed into a joyful one, adorned by a
majestic smile, while her eyes widened and their cores focused on Myst.. ..she
tried appearing calm and cool, slightly failing as her tail was swinging in the
sand and her back feet were patting it rythmicaly due to her happiness "Hum,
another victory for Cui! ..for now, I dare you to ..ehm, give a peck to a blue
dragoness!" She closed up even more to Myst, their snoots being only a few intches
apart ..she remained smiling, awaiting to she if Myst would be up to the task.

Xefr's hug and words slightly calmed Caprima, she left herself to cry and for a
moment she even forgot the Hyl and everything, after a while she wiped her tears
and looked at him with her eyes full of determination "You're right amal! Life's
hard and we have to fight for it ..even if sometimes it isn't as perfect, it is
what we have in the end ..and perhaps even if I caused so much grief, I can still
try to help fix all of this ..and then maybe, I might remember my son without my
soul wrecking itself apart. Come on now ..you shouldn't be the one giving me a
lesson ..we have some Angels of Death to stop!" Xefr could feel that she was not
entirely ok, and not because of her Shiva, but because he could see her weak tries
to appear strong and jubilant evidently failing as her eyes still leaked a bit.
"..You ..you have to try to transfer some memories to me, no? ...concentrate on
your Samat and then focus on the orb within you ..close your eyes and imagine an
entire universe right above your heart. Place your right paw over it and place one
of your left paw's claws on my forehead. And don't be clumsy my child!" she really
tried very hard keeping herself together, for if she lost that small concentration
she had, they could awake from their sleep.

Re'Ni was a bit shocked and worried at the sight of the great black drake at first,
she started to stomp the ground discreetly; what if this dragon was like Coll, what
if he was just fooling Tec, what if... what if... Her eyes flashed for the split
of a second, but right after and peculiarly enough she didn't seem to show any
signs of awkwardness or fear ..not tail twitching, no backing down, nothing. As
Durazor finished talking and Tec introduced him, she calmed down even more and her
tone seemed a bit more straightforward as well {"Damn right more important than
just another friend! Self name Re'Ni ...Tec mate. Have egg too! So, Durazor
careful where throw tree ..if not Re'Ni make Durazor flambe! Heh!"} While she said
this clearly as a joke, it could easliy come off as an actual warning too.

� Reply #371 on: September 24, 2016, 10:05:04 pm �

Myst's eyes only got wider at the request, but on the inside he was overjoyed to
see that she wasn't repulsed by his feelings. So with a bit more confidence he
spoke, "Well, if that's your dare. Here goes nothing then..." Carefully, Myst moved
his snoot foward slowly, and then finally quick gave Cui a light kiss on her left
cheek. He pulled back a bit and seemed nervous again, "Was that good? Or do I need
to do it again?" He did seem honestly unsure, and not flirty at all.

Xefr smiled as she calmed down, seeming relieved, "That's the spirit! We have to do
what we can, and then it becomes easier to accept the past." He nodded as she
explained what to do, though he was slightly worried about how weak she seemed to
be. So, he stepped back a bit to give himself room to work, but also was ready to
catch her if she collapsed. Slowly, he closed his eyes, and focused on that feeling
he had felt before, emptying all other thoughts. After a few moments, he turned his
conscious focus to the orb, envisioning a universe right above his heart, imagining
it's galaxies and stars. Then, he rose his right paw to that location above his
heart, and placed one his left paw's claws on her forehead, just like instructed.
He wasn't sure what happened next, so he tried to envision the memories from that
orb flowing through his claw into her mind, to see if that did anything.

Durazor noticed the flash, but didn't act on it. He seemed happy and wasn't
intimidated by the possible threat at all, taking it as a joke. With a happy voice
he responded loudly, "A mate and an egg? My, my... Tec you have been busy indeed.
Well, congratulations are in order for both of you. I'm proud of you Tec, seems you
finally got of your shells, and got nabbed by a dragoness too!" Durazor then looked
to Re'Ni, "And for you Ms. Re'Ni, I'm happy to see that somebody was able to get
nab Tec. He's a good catch, trust me. And I can tell that if Tec trusts you enough
to be his mate, then you must be something good. So, how did you two meet?"
Tec chuckled at this, "Well... Let's just say we first met in our dreams... Stop
making that face! I'm being serious!" Durazor was chuckling, it all sounded so
idealistic.
� Reply #372 on: September 25, 2016, 05:45:54 pm �
Cui's smile shined as Myst gave her that light kiss, she hadn't been so close to
another dragon for many years ..and the feelings she felt for him grew with each
passing minute. Nevertheless she could not but find a bit funny Myst's awkwardness
and decided not to pressure him more - she put her paw on his chest and gave him a
very short and small kiss on his snoot "I think it was very good ..you win this
game. But I'll have my revenge!" She felt a bit awkward herself ..it wasn't that
she wasn't experienced, quite the contrary ..but she never had similar feelings
for any other dragon before Myst "You know Myst, I really like you..."

Caprima noticed the link and a few of the memories passing through, though Xefr
needed to focus more "Good, good my child ..just let yourself free, like you did
with the apple tree. Focus on your will to pass the knoweledge and feelings of a
thousand newborn souls. You must believe in this sternly!" By now she had found
balance again, training Xefr was giving her a purpose ..she felt strong again, like
when she denied to continue telling herself the ancient lie, like when she put
herself on the side of mortals.

Re'Ni stomped the ground and snorted, feeling somewhat uncomfortable ...certain
destructive emotions were overwhelming her, and her calm self tried take back
control before it was too late. This battle caused her to shake her head as short
hallucinations of demons and fire appeared before her ..and voices telling her to
stop pretending {"Agghh, leave! ..nothing! Just headache.."} she tried appearing
calm after that rather embarassing moment {"...yes, truth! Met Tec in dream-psionic
vision, crazy world... really lucky self did, Tec best mate. Many things changed
for both - many more shall..."} the last part of her sentence was as if it was told
to herself, though Durazor wouldn't probably understand it.

� Reply #373 on: September 25, 2016, 07:57:54 pm �

Myst temporarily froze at the kiss, despite it being quite short. When he recovered
a second later, he nervously chuckled, "Oh, I won? Beginner's luck I suppose..." He
went wide-eyed again with her last statement, but inside his heart was overflowing
with joy and excitement. He nervously smiled and just grew very awkward, he had
neither the experience or preparation time for this, so he wasn't sure of himself
at all. But he mustered up a bit of courage and looked back into Cui's eyes,
"Oh.... Um, I mean to say that I... I like you a lot too, Cui, though I suppose
with the game, you already knew that. I'm sorry if I'm being a bit awkward, I've
never really experienced these sort of feelings before... Nor did I ever expect to,
always been reclusive. Oh, am I rambling again? Sorry, I get carried away
easily..."

Xefr complied, and applied more of his focus on the transfer, putting away that
uncertainty about whether or not it would work and clearing all unnecessary
thoughts. He simply focused on that flow of memories from the orb, through his
claw, into Caprima's mind.

Tec noticed Re'Ni's discomfort, though he merely thought it was because she didn't
like remembering her time on Shyr. He pressed up closer to her, bringing her into a
little hug with his wing. He finished the explanation for her as well, "Yup. She
came aboard the ship, and then one thing lead to another leading us to our current
situation. I love her, and she loves me, that's what's important."
Durazor however, did not have such thoughts. He recognized that body language, as
well as who that outburst was speaking to. He maintained his friendly demeanor, but
moved back a bit to give them more room, "That's right. You two do seem happy,
especially if you have a child. Hm..." He decided that he would try and see if his
assumption was correct, and chose to drag out the truth through a certain story,
"Say, Tec, have you told Re'Ni the story about when I saved your life? And why
you're scared of ghosts?" This immediately made the Shard a bit uncomfortable, "Um,
no... I haven't done that yet... But, I guess it's kinda necessary for me to do
that, full transparency and all. And I guess I'd need to do it eventually anyways,
just so my kid knows why I don't go to that spook-a-thon thing."

� Reply #374 on: September 28, 2016, 02:13:14 pm �

Myst's ramblings and awkwardness made the blue dragoness feel even more warm inside
and his small relunctant declaration made her feelings for him even more clear in
the labyrinths of her mind ..such is the mysterious way the world works sometimes,
that a soul may grow and find its true love quadrillions of years later, in an
alien universe threatened with destruction and uncertainity - Even in a dying
universe, life will find it's way.. ..Cui laughed a little at his awkwardness and
hugged Myrst tightly "I feel like I've had all the vacations I wanted in just a few
few second ..and you helped a great deal in that. No matter what happens, I will
remember this small moment and the soothing waves under the starry sky with you
Myst." She backed up a little and looked at him with a smile "Want to go swim as
deep as we can? We only live twice!"

With Xefr focusing, a blue aura started forming around him and the directives of
Caprima's ancient spell within him started to come into motion. Then a strong and
powerful beam of of Shiva bursted out of Xefr's chest enlightening the top of this
small island as if it was a violent and sudden sunrise ...memories started to
flow, past lives, sorrows and old laughs all mixed together in a colourful fresco
of colours that together created the most bright and clear white light. Caprima
with her eyes still closed, had now a serene smile on her face.. ...in a few
minutes all memories had passed through and the old capricorn was beaming with
light. She placed her hands on Xefr's paw and opened her eyes "I was right to trust
you ..perhaps you're not the most stable person, or the most happy, or even the
most strong ..but you're something more than all that! You're true to yourself.
Our lesson is-" Suddenly Caprima held her face with her hands and lost balance
while giving out a small scream ...as she raised back up, she looked Xefr with
tremendous worry in her eyes "My child... they are about to wake up."

While Re'Ni felt safe from her thoughts in Tec's hug, the mention of her mate's
story both intrigued her and made her feel uncomfortable, "Why Tec not told that?"
she thought ...and many more thoughts came circling back in her mind; doubt and
calls for action ..but she tried witholding them as best as she could. {"Yes,
Re'Ni want know too ...Tec mate after all, and this important."} She gave him a
small lick as she was still in his hug.

Re: Xefr's Adventures: The grey meatbags

� Reply #375 on: September 28, 2016, 06:58:23 pm �
Myst relaxed in Cui's embrace, with a big smile on his face. Love was not something
he had expected to find on this sort of adventure, or for quite a while really, but
he did find it, and that was exhilarating. He had always thought his tendency to
ramble and his social awkwardness made him a poor prospect for romance, but Cui
didn't seem to mind those traits of his, and that just stunned Myst. So he remained
silent until Cui backed up, and he returned Cui's smile with one of his own. With a
bit more confidence he responded, "And I will also forever remember this moment
with you, Cui, thank you. And yes, let's go swim. I think it would be a nice
addition to this already memorable day." He calmly began walking towards the water
at first, and then breaking into a full sprint to jump in with wings extended,
creating a big splash. At any other time, Myst likely would have noticed the beam
at the top of the small island, but right now his attention was entirely upon Cui,
so it bypassed his notice entirely.

Xefr was smiling, until Caprima screamed. At that point, he became quite worried,
and even more so once she said that final statement. With wide eyes, he carefully
spoke, "You mean the Hyl? Already? Are we even ready to face them yet?"

Tec seemed fairly ashamed, "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier... But, this is
something I've never really gotten over myself, and thinking about it just destroys
me. Yet, here's goes nothing, the story of why I'm such a wuss around ghosts..."
With a sigh, the Shard steeled himself and began to speak in a tone a narrator
would use, "It was a while back, before I even became a Shard too. Can't really
remember how long ago it was, my memory is hazy in that regard, but in those days I
was travelling the universe alongside Durazor here and another dragon named
Girmion. We came across this nice planet of grasslands and savannas, named
Spectras. The name should have given me advance warning, but let's just I didn't
make the connection. The planet was fairly populated, lots of cities, towns, and
villages, but we weren't there for any of those. We were explorers, and apparently
there was this tomb that had just been discovered, and none of the locals were
willing to go inside, but didn't stop anybody else from taking their chances. The
three of us didn't fear tombs then, foolish as that is."
Tec paused for a moment, and then continued with a darker tone, "So we took that
little challenge, and gladly went inside. Truth be told, most of it was quite
underwhelming. Overgrown, with nonsensical writing as the only real markings on the
walls. Cramped as well, though I doubt those halls were built for dragons in mind,
but still. Pretty shite for a tomb. Well, except for the inner chamber that is."
Once again, he paused as he tried to remember the details, "It was circular, but
massive. There was no overgrowth in here, the plants hanging off the walls all were
in a pattern of their own, alive but unmoving. In the very center, there was a
sarcophagus, gold with ornate plating. I can't really describe it, but it was
vividly detailed, with writing and hieroglyphics and everything. I was too late to
notice however, that it was slightly open as well..."

Durazor chimed in here, "That's when the collapse happened right?" Tec nodded,
"Yup. I got inside that chamber, and everything started falling down. Durazor and
Grim were forced to move back in order not to get crushed, and I had to move
forward. We were separated. And yet... The chamber itself seemed unchanged. The
entrance should have seemed collapsed, but it was like the walls just regenerated,
and the only new feature would be the rubble blocking the entrance. Yet, that
wasn't what my attention was on at that moment. Instead, I cared about the figure
who had formed in front of that ornate sarcophagus. I can't say I got a good look,
but to best describe it to you Re'Ni, it was shaped like a Ghashyr (I'll explain
what that is later Dura). But it wasn't covered in skin or clothes or anything, it
just had the outline, and was transparent blue. It was a ghost, that's all I can
really tell. Didn't get the chance to look at the face and I didn't understand what
it said to me. Within a second, it disappeared from its position and reappeared
right in front of my face. I didn't even get the chance to act surprised before
another flash occurred and it was slowly going into my eyes, like a gas being
channeled, and at that point the only thing that mattered in my mind was the
horrible pain I felt. I couldn't move or speak, so the screams were inside only.
And, considering what happened next, they would stay that way... This is where
everything goes downhill..." Tec paused again, shuddering as that darkness in his
eyes returned. The memories that came next were far from pleasant.

� Reply #376 on: September 29, 2016, 07:08:56 pm �

Cui flew upwards and then dived like an arrow close by, cutting inside the sea's
surface violently. ..under the water she created a strong orb of light so that she
could find Myst. The view was beautiful and entire small ecosystem of peculiar
purple seaweed curtains and red corals amongst rainbow-coloured webs and
luminescent sea-spiders, as well as various kind of vivid coloured molluscs and
alien sea-insects; The sooth light of Zuan'Lotl's twin moons only made the sight
even more breathtaking ..and finally there was Myst! Cui swam close to him holding
the orb and hugged him a loosely with her right wing, smiling with all of her heart
{"Isn't it lovely? ...And you haven't even seen the Igaboos!"}

Caprima tried to calm, she grabbed the bottle with the refreshment and gulped it
all down and then looked at Xefr ...while still evidently worried, she didn't seem
to panic, or fear "Yes, them! Deep down you are ready to face the Queen, but you
lack training ..anyway, don't worry my child! I will manage to keep them at bay
for now ..it's just that I didn't expect the Hyl to have grown so determined and
try to wake up that early after their last outburst. For now I'll have to rest, and
you should do the same; you have accomplished many great things today ..let's
forget the Hyl for a bit and go back home, I have a pillow and blanket made in the
scale of a dragon! Hurrhehe.."

Creepy 'Ghashyr' and demonic ghosts in ancient tombs, Re'Ni did not like this story
at all ...everything about it reminded her of her traumatic experiences in the
temple of Mo'Tze'Khan - When her small hallucinations became demons standing right
next to her ..demons that still follow her and voices that talk when everything is
silent ..faces she sees in mirrors when nobody is there. She just hugged Tec even
more tightly , though evidently looking less calm ...her tail was shaking badly as
she remembered some of her darkest memories, and her eyes were just staring a bit
soullesly at the ground, awkwardly switching to Durazor and Tec at times {"Ghashyr
tomb ...have experience - not good. ...poor Tec"} everything on her seemed that
she was about to break down to cope with her memories ..not much unlike the time
where she was scratching the wall. The only thing keeping her from doing so was her
fear of Durazor and her willingness to learn more about her mate.

� Reply #377 on: September 29, 2016, 11:37:16 pm �

Myst grinned as Cui hugged him, and decided to do a little hug of his own with his
left wing, though it was not tight at all. He gazed about the alien sea, taking in
the sights and enjoying it all immensely. Finally, he looked back to Cui with a
satisfied smile, "It truly is lovely. But if it gets better, I insist that you show
me. Besides these Igaboos sounding interesting, I'd like to enjoy this vacation
with you to the max, Cui."

Xefr nodded, "Very well then. I guess we begin the trek back down then, and have a
good rest. To be honest, sleep does sound quite amazing. And I do appreciate the
dragon-sized pillow and blanket. I do like my quarters on Soul's Eclipse, but this
world is quite peaceful, and I feel like resting upon it would be helpful for the
Shiva training. It's a good place to connect with everything else, which I suppose
is why you choose it in the first place. Just do be sure to tell me if you're going
to scream... Advance warning helps make sure there are no flashbacks." Xefr said
his last point as if it were an entirely normal thing, and started to move to go
back down the Island, but waited for Caprima first.

Tec kept shivering, unable to really speak or continue. He hugged Re'Ni tighter,
but simply couldn't get any words out. His mind would not let him remember, or else
he could fall apart. He couldn't even pull himself together for Re'Ni's sake.
Durazor noticed that both of the couple were quite uncomfortable, and spoke up,
"Hm, neither of you are looking very good. I suppose I should not have brought up
that topic. Tell you what, I think we should leave it at that for now. You both
need to rest, clear your heads. Go back to wherever you're staying, calm down, and
we can finish the story another time." Durazor's tone and demeanor were friendly,
though he was keeping a discret eye on both of them. He knew Tec, so most of his
worry was about Re'Ni, who he didn't know. He was already putting together a few
theories, but he needed to know her response to his suggestion first.
Tec seemed hesitant at the suggestion, lifting his head slightly, "But Dura..." His
head dropped again, unsure of what to do. He could object, but he didn't want to
recount that tale at all himself. He simply looked over at Re'Ni, trying to see how
she felt about the idea. He'd go on, or at least try to, if she wanted to hear the
rest now.

� Reply #378 on: October 01, 2016, 01:54:57 pm �

"Cool then!" Cui gave Myst a swift kiss on his cheek, grabbed him by the paw and
started swimming through the colourful seaweed - soon the two dragons had reached
the end of the reef ...before them was a cliff and then a vast bottomless blue
darkness. As Cui swam downwards and ahead into the darkness, there were they;
..tiny blobs of light, that as our heroes moved close appeared to be sleeping
giants, twenty-times the size of a dragon! Cui suddenly stopped and looked back to
Myst "These are the Igaboos! ..mysterious beings ..not even Caprima knows where
they came from and where they go. So beautiful..." The beings were luminsecent and
had an elegant and otherworldy form ...their wings were similar to that of dragons
though.
Spoiler: Gentle Giant (hover to show)
Cui had a sinister smile on her face as she pushed Myst a bit towards one rather
gigantic Igaboo "Poke it!"

Caprima smiled and patted Xefr "Don't worry my child ..there won't be any screams
for the time being. You can sleep peacefuly!" She started walking down the trail
and back to her small home. For a moment she went hastily inside and returned while
carrying psionically a giant pillow, that Xefr could sleep upon, as well as blanket
on top of it. She placed them right beneath two coconut trees and gave Xefr another
small pat ..although it seemed more as if she was petting him "Here you go
sweetie! ..if you want anything to drink or eat, or talk about, just tell me!
...Hmmm, I wonder where Cui and your friend has gone."

The black dragon couple was now more like an inseparable single black dragon with
two heads ...dismissing old memories together. Re'Ni wanted and in the meantime
didn't want to hear more ..on one paw this could help her face hers and her
mate's problems, on the other she feared it would enlarge them. With her tail
shaking as if she was having spasms she tried focusing on Tec and caressed his head
with hears - her voice was quite fragile and almost trembling {"Tec well? Want
continue ..other time? ..or now? ..self can."}

� Reply #379 on: October 01, 2016, 03:33:57 pm �

The swift kiss practically paralyzed Myst, so he was easy to drag along. The sight
of the Igaboo fascinated Myst, he enjoyed the luminescent lights and their
interesting forms. The similarity of their wings to those a dragon did not go over
his head, but he chalked that up to simple coincidence for now. He was a little
reluctant at Cui's strange request, but slowly he reached foward with one claw and
gave the giant thing a little poke. He immediately moved back afterwards, watching
for the reaction.

Xefr was a bit uncomfortable with the patting turning to petting, but decided not
to bring it up. Instead he lied down on the blanket, but kept his head up while he
spoke, "It's fairly easy to find a Shard if you know what you're looking for. You'd
just have to sense for the sentient psionic energy..." The drake closed his eyes
for a moment, and then opened them again shortly after. With a small grin, he
continued with an amused tone, "The sea. Interesting, never pegged Myst as a
swimmer. But he's not in danger, I think, so it's fine. Cui will probably be with
him, so no worries there. As for something to eat... Erhm, do you have any more of
those pies? They were nice." He was about to rest his head, until there was another
large wave of psionic energy from Soul's Eclipse nearby. Unlike the one before, it
had no dark tone and was just normal energy, weaker and harmless. Xefr in
particular was evidently unworried, and he seemed more pleasantly surprised than
shocked, "Hm, wasn't expecting that for at least two more days. Then again, I
suppose the excitement of meeting new people probably spurred Scout on."

Tec seemed incredibly unsure, but before he could say anything Durazor chimed in,
"I've got an idea. Tec clearly has a hard time remembering the event. Which makes
sense, it is something very painful for him. So... How about I tell the story? From
here, I know what happens. I can go slow, tell bits of it at a time, and from an
outsider's perspective. Tec gets to remember less of it, and Re'Ni gets to hear the
story. That work for you two?" The Shard still seemed hesitant, but got some words
out regardless, "I... I think that I could last through that. Fill in any details
that need filling too. But, only if it's okay with my mate." Both dragons then
turned their eyes to Re'Ni, waiting to hear her thoughts on the idea.

� Reply #380 on: October 02, 2016, 03:51:38 pm �

Myst was smart to move back, as the giant creature started flailing in shock and
producing a loud psionic sound while its body started shining with a bright white
light... "WHOOOOWHAAAAWHEH". The rest of the Igaboos were startled as well by the
'invaders' and approached close. Cui leaned close to Myst and grabbed his paw again
"Don't fear! ...now follow me! Hahaha!" she grabbed one of the Igaboos' antennas
while holding on to Myst. The Igaboo started increasing speed through the water
trying to remove the hosts, and then started moving towards the surface ...soon
Myst and Cui on the Igaboo where flying over the waves of the great ocean of
Zuan'Lotl ...the Igaboo that was aware of its two dragon riders, tried
intimidating them with another psionic soundwave "WHOOOOOOOAHYOOOOO? GEHOOOOOOPH!"
the rest of the Igaboo herd followed their 'infected' mate.
Cui smiled and turned to Myst "You can see everything from up here! I hope you
weren't very startled.." She then pointed at the large and bright moon and then at
Caprima's island that seemed tiny from up there, she however was ignoring the
Igaboo that was increasing its speed - rising higher and higher.

Caprima felt much joy that Xefr had liked her pies, she clapped her hands happily
and smiled widely "Of course child! You need all the extra strength that you'll get
...a dragon that doesn't eat well, is a sickly dragon!" She run off to the kitchen
and returned with a giant piece of -evidently- recently made pie and some coconut
milk "Eat up and then sleep well! ..oh, and I knew Cui and Myst were in the ocean
..I'm just worried as to what they're doing; There is danger lying deep in the
ocean..."

Re'Ni didn't enjoy all this pressure, but she really had to know, thinking; ...what
was the worse that could happen other than embarass herself? No, nothing bad would
happen - the hallucination of a shade chuckling next to her ironically and sporting
an evil glare was just trying to mess with her as always ...she decided to stop
looking to her side with an evil look and just ignore it, focusing in hearing the
story {"Okay. Durazor tell story ...Self ok."}

� Reply #381 on: October 02, 2016, 06:36:45 pm �

Myst yelped as he was pulled along for the ride, not expecting a journey into the
sky. He eventually stabilized himself and calmed down, still a bit shocked from the
sudden experience. The psionic sounds didn't faze him, he was used to that sort of
thing from having Forbidden onboard the ship. After a moment, he looked out towards
the island, taking in the view and smiling. He then looked over at the moon, and
noticed that they were still ascending. He didn't get worried yet, so he looked
back to Cui with a smile still on his face, "You can be assured I was startled, but
not to worry. This view is worth it, especially with you here Cui. You know, we're
still going up. Is that normal? Or is it very lucky that Shards do not need to
breathe? Am I worrying too much?" In the back of his mind, he had another reason
for concern, mainly in the form of those sound-waves. They sounded an awful lot
like obscure speech to him...

Xefr smiled with the presented food, and gladly picked it up with his left paw and
started to eat. He still felt the need to ask a question however, "What kind of
danger? Are there dangerous predators on this planet? I'm not too worried, killing
a Shard is quite difficult. Especially corrupt ones..."

Durazor nodded, "Alright then. You two settle down, I'm going to start telling the
story." Tec pressed even more against Re'Ni for comfort, bracing himself for the
memories that would come of this.
The old Drake then started to speak with a narrative tone, "So after the collapse,
me and Girm could still feel that Tec was alive and well inside, so we started on
getting rid of the rubble between us and him. But strangely enough, his presence
moved away and exited the tomb through some other strange exit. Girm and I decided
to exit through the way we came in. When we got outside however, Tec was still
moving away, towards the nearest settlement. We followed, assuming that he was
simply going back to rest. But a happy town with a napping dragon was not what we
found... We arrived only an hour after Tec, or Tec's body at least, did. The entire
place was burnt to the ground. Grass was charred, corpses littered the streets,
houses were just massive wrecks... All horrible. And there we saw the cause as
well. There was Tec, but it wasn't Tec. Not at all. His eyes were not normal, their
natural yellow was now this strange glowing white. He laughed when he saw us, and
the voice was that of an entirely different person. Deep, dark, and full of
sadistic glee."
Tec interjected here, with sorrow in his voice, "Possession. That ghost had taken
over my body, because I was too weak to stop it. But I may not have had any
control, but I saw and felt everything... I was a prisoner inside my own mind,
forced to watch as the spirit used my form to murder and kill en mass... All
because I couldn't stop it or retake control of my body. That's why I don't like
fighting or killing. It takes me back to that horrible experience... I just stand
the sight of blood anymore..." He was clearly on the verge of breaking as he
remembered the events, but was holding on... For now.

� Reply #382 on: October 02, 2016, 07:59:23 pm �

The Igaboo kept flying upwards, well above the clouds. Cui wasn't really feeling
sure about this now, but they were not normal dragons ..what could possibly happen
to them. Besides she always wanted to do that. Caprima had forbidden her from
riding the Igaboos and that one time the blue dragoness tried to break the rule,
the Capricorn was there to stop her - but not now!
She shrugged while still holding Myst tightly, now also using her psionics to hold
him steady on the Igaboo as it was accelerating "I.. I don't really know Myst. I
never went so far with these guys before ..but what could possibly go wrong? We're
apparitions! remember?" The Igaboo having reached the stratoshpere created a strong
psionic bubble around the two dragons and with a loud shout from all the Igaboos
the herd and the two dragons were out of Zuan'Lotl's atmosphere and in space...
The Igaboo Cui and Myst were riding halted violently forcing the two dragons inside
the bubble and the psionic bubble itself to get off its back and wander in
space ..but the rest of the herd made a circle around the two dragons and started
pushing the bubble like a ball until one of the Igaboos stopped it with its wing-
fin and send out an even more loud soundwave...
"WHAAAAAAWAAAAAANOOOOOOOOOPHMEEEEEEEEEQOOOOOAAAAAAL?" It was clear that these
creatures were not just some critters ..however its soundwave pattern seemed to be
of a different nature than normal psionic speech.
Cui started to feel rather guilty about this peculiar turn of events and tried
breaking the blob with no success, while almost crying. She started wondering why
she did all of this in the first place ..couldn't she just enjoy the beach with
Myst? "I'm sure we'll find a way out ..I'm ..I'm sorry. I'm so stupid sometimes."
The Igaboo continued sending soundwaves "EEEEEEEEEEENAAAAPH!
SAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYOOODAAAAIIIIIIIII!"

Caprima started getting an idea of what was happening, and she seemed quite worried
"No, not predators, visitors ..they don't like being annoyed and can cause much
trouble - Cui tried before reaching them. So, I've got a very bad feeling about
this." She waved her finger pointing nowehere in particular and added in a hasty
worried voice "I'll go check ..you stay here and sleep." She headed towards the
sea...

Destructive manic possessions and white eyes and fire - Re'Ni knew these
well! ...in her mind her worst fears started forming and the voices started
laughing and telling her to act; what if Tec was like her? Or even, what if Tec and
Durazor had purposedly told that story to confront her ..no, Tec wouldn't do that!
Her body started trembling, she stombed the ground with her tail ..her eyes were
looking at the distance while a weak and creepy smile had formed in her face.
However she kept hugging Tec tightly and tried with all of her will to keep herself
from making anything that would harm Tec's fragile state {"Ahh ..self can not
stand. Fire.. ..possession, voices in dark. Self know that well ...Not want hear
more!"} She looked ready to break down and cry and turned to Tec {"Please go
home!"}

� Reply #383 on: October 02, 2016, 09:47:58 pm �

Myst remained calm, and held onto one of Cui's paw with one of his own. He spoke in
a calm, quiet voice to her, "No Cui, it's fine. We make mistakes, that's part of
the half-alive power of us apparitions. Now, remain calm. Let's see if they are
open to talking..." Carefully, Myst tried to send out psionic soundwaves of his
own, though it would be with more refined psionic speech, "Hey there, I'm Myst.
Sorry for riding you guys like that, quite rude of us, I know. I can tell you are
trying to communicate, but you're being a bit too loud for me to understand. So,
just calm down, and speak again. I'll listen, and we can make some progress.
Please?" Myst seemed entirely confident and composed, though on the inside he was
pretty scared. Still, he wasn't talking to Cui, so he was easily able to trick his
own mind and put on a mask of pure confidence.

Xefr took a swig of the drink as Caprima walked away. He would stay, but he wasn't
willing to do nothing. Myst was somehow in orbit now, so Xefr was slightly worried.
He couldn't do anything from here though, so he tried something else. He sent a
message to Guardian, who was still inside Soul's Eclipse", to ready himself. Then,
Xefr layed his head upon the pillow, and closed his eyes. He needed the nap.

Durazor felt that this reaction furthered that theory, it seemed that there were
more than one Re'Ni in that head. But pressing further could go badly, so he
decided to relent for now. The black drake stepped back, and bowed his head
slightly, "Very well. I will stop. You should heed your mate's advice, Tec. You two
need to return to your housing and rest. The story can wait."
Tec was still trembling a bit, but nodded to both of them. He rose his head up and
gave Re'Ni a kiss, weakly smiling and trying to seem alright, though it a very bad
attempt. Slowly, he spoke, "Alright... We can go home... Bye Dura..." He meekly
waved goodbye to Durazor, and then turned around, preparing to fly. However, he
waited, both for Re'Ni to fly as well and to regain some strength. Durazor
meanwhile just waved goodbye to Re'Ni and awaited the dragon couple's departure, he
wasn't exactly done training yet.

� Reply #384 on: October 05, 2016, 08:04:38 pm �

The Igaboos were slightly shocked at first when Myst send his own soundwaves. Were
these two weird winged beasts in the bubble trying to ...communicate? The biggest
Igaboo touched the bubble with its face and send off another soundwave, this time
in a more calm tone "WYYYYY POOOOOWWWWK MEEEEEEE?". Cui who was still feeling quite
guilty tried easing the tension in her own way ..she fell on the bubble's side
that the Igaboo had put its emotionless face upon and tried imitating the
soundwaves, the result was quite silly ..luckily no soul other than the Igaboos
was around "Pleeeeeaaaase! Leaaaave us.. soooorryyyyy! Ooooor taaaaakeee meeeee!
Noooot Myyyyyyst!".
The Igaboo seemed rather unimpressed, it turned to another Igaboo that proceeded to
nod, but something made it stop ...with a swift move from its tail it striked the
bubble towards Zuan'Lotl. The Bubble started falling with extreme speed towards the
deep ocean bellow ...The blue dragoness felt that she had done something stupid
again and this time no one could save them, she held Myst's paws, trying not to
think the fall.
..But just before the bubble reached the water it stopped and then bursted, getting
the two dragons back in the water...
Caprima was waiting near them, hovering a little above the waves and having a very
disatisfied expression ..her glare alone could send ten billion naughty children to
their beds "I expect a VERY good explanation..."

After trying to find her -emotional- balance, Re'Ni awkwardly looked to the side
and waved goodbye with her paw to Durazor before lifting up to the sky. She really
didn't want to discuss all of this infront of someone she did not know, or
trust ..after all Tec was her mate, not Durazor's! While they left the company of
the big old dragon, Re'Ni seemed hesitant to speak, her tail still shaking "Self...
self understands ..want Tec know that. And love Tec ...just hard for self hear
some things."

� Reply #385 on: October 05, 2016, 10:46:36 pm �

Myst was about to respond when the Igaboo slapped the bubble, which shut him up
fairly quickly. The fall didn't particularly worry the Shard, kinetic impact would
be painful, but it was nothing he couldn't recover from. Same with Cui, if he got
her state of being right. However, he also held onto Cui's paws, less out of worry
and more a spur of the moment thing. Yet while the fall didn't faze him, that glare
did put a bit of fear into him. But he wanted to repay her for literally offering
her life to the giant creature, so he decided to try and take the blame. He knew he
couldn't lie, so he wouldn't when he finally spoke in a nervous voice, trying to
sound guilty, "Erhm... Uh, well, you won't really get one. I think you should put
the blame on me. For you see, I went and poked a very large creature that I knew
little about. It didn't seem to like being poked, so we kinda went on a trip to
space..."

Meanwhile, Xefr was doing just fine, and descended into dreams. He was dreaming
about that Saint Mo'Tze'Khan fellow back on Shyr, having the story told to him
before play out before his gaze. Then, the scene shifted, and the Dragon Saint
started to resemble Guardian. The Pitcher then no longer had water, but booze. Then
he watched as the scene before his disembodied eyes changed before him yet again,
and there was no desert or temple. But it was just Guardian and his booze,
spreading alcoholic beverages and debaucracy across that poor Ghashyr world. The
Old Drake wondered why the universe afflicted him with such nightmares, but he
supposed it was better than re-watching any horrible moments of his life. Still, he
did wish it would stop.

In flight Tec still seemed quite unsettled, but tried to smile and sound optimistic
while speaking to Re'Ni, "Don't worry about me Re'Ni... You probably got it worse
than me anyways, even if there are some similarities. So know that I can understand
why some things might be hard for you to hear. I love you too, and I'd prefer you
were comfortable, remember that..." It was easy to tell however, from the twitching
of his tail and his occansional inaudible mumble that he was not really okay. Some
memories he wanted gone had resurfaced, and it weighed heavily on his mind. And the
biggest worry he had now was his weakness, what if he couldn't protect his new
family from danger? From himself?

� Reply #386 on: October 07, 2016, 07:00:19 pm �

Caprima wasn't impressed, she knew very well who was behind all of the poking ...it
wasn't the first time Cui had tried something similar and got saved in the last
moment by her. She was about to say something but Cui lowered her head and flew
close to the capricorn; she felt tremendously guilty and idiotic, but deep down she
actually liked this small adventure - not that she would tell Caprima that! The
blue dragoness started speaking in an apologetic and weak tone, while trying to
avoid Caprima's tremendous glare by looking downwards "It's my fault ...I told
Myst to poke the Igaboo ...I was just curious."
The capricorn didn't seem to lighten up, she first turned to Myst with a sad
expression "My child ...while I'm disappointed, I'm sure you wouldn't do this
normally if you knew the cost. Your trip to space could have a very different
ending if I didn't intervene ...and I wouldn't wish that fate to anyone." She then
turned to Cui, while the sad expression turned into a furious one "I remember
telling you never to go to the Igaboos! It seems my warning didn't mean
anything ..nevertheless, you apologised and it's late ..you two will go home and
sleep, while I try to fix this mess. Goodnight children." She closed her eyes and
focused hard, it seemed these beings were quite more important than they
seemed ...a stronger form of shiva started to form and revolving around her.

As they flew up high Re'Ni looked back to check if anyone was looking, she stopped
Tec by standing infront of him and trying to hold him. She looked extremelly
worried and in a bad state, but she had to make some things clear {"Tec.. want to
know now that alone ...self understand if Tec see 'ghosts' ..understand if
'ghosts' take control of Tec sometime ...self sees 'ghosts' all time. Fight this
together.."}

� Reply #387 on: October 07, 2016, 08:25:42 pm �

Myst lowered his head, seeming a bit ashamed himself, "Alright, guess I'll leave
you to it. You can probably talk to them better than I could've. Goodnight Caprima,
sorry for the hassle." The Shard then walked up to Cui, and gave her a tap on the
shoulder, "I'm going back, I think it's best to rest now. I hope you'll do the
same, but I won't pressure you. And know this Cui, I don't blame you for this at
all." He then walked off towards the house.

However, there was another Shard on the beach. The metal armor clanged as the
Dragon walked across the sand, calmly advancing towards the location Myst and Cui
were caught. The Guardian Shard approached from a direction different than the one
Myst was embarking on back to the house, so they would not see each-other. Probably
for the best, since Guardian was not in the best of moods with Xef being worried
and interrupting his... inter-species relations work. Caprima could probably see
him coming, though Guardian was too busy grumbling to notice her before getting
close.

Tec stopped when Re'Ni flew in front of him, and so she was able to grab him. He
seemed not to be in a very good state himself, but was clearly trying to hold on,
"The Ghosts taking control isn't what I'm worried about... It's the idea of them
getting in again. I'm not strong enough to get them out by myself, that's why
Durazor had to save me during that horrible experience... They don't even have to
take control, once they're in they already have control, that's how weak I really
am... But with you there, Re'Ni, I can feel safe. Thank you." Tec then hugged the
Dragoness mid-air, though not with his wings so as to stay in flight.

� Reply #388 on: October 09, 2016, 08:51:18 am �

As the two mischievous dragons left, Caprima opened her eyes and looked up -
channeling all of her shiva towards the sky. A strong connection formed and the
Igaboos descended from above, they appeared calm and concentrated, unlike any other
creature. As they spoke their soundwaves were clear and their voice had almost an
elegant crystallic tint "It is dangerous to bring starborn here Ha'elyon
...everything we strive for could be broken. Why didn't you let me expell
them?" ..Caprima turned to face the Igaboo, bearing a somewhat smug smile on her
face "Because these starborn will be the solution to everything, Lord S-" The
Igaboos turned their heads towards a direction and in an instant their bodies
started to aetherialise and jumped back inside the water. Caprima was slightly
surprised by their behaviour until she noticed Guardian and turned to face him; She
seemed a bit frustrated, but she withheld her calm demeanor - while she knew why he
was here, he could have learnt some things that he shouldn't... ..yet! "I presume
Xefr send you, my child. Don't worry.. Myst and Cui are safely back in the island
and probably sleeping."

Meanwhile back in the island, Cui held Myst's paw and stopped, she seemed to smile
in a subtle way "Well, while this was dangerous ..I ..it was an experience at
least. No?" She then looked at the small bonfire that had by now turned into a
small pile of burning coal, producing a rather weak but warm light "Want to sleep
at the beach? We'll awake with the morning sun, it's rather nice!"

As they were hugging Re'Ni gave him a small lick on his face and nuzzled a bit, her
tail was still shaking, and thinking it would stop in that way she just bonded it
with Tec's {"Self knows, self weak too, but together strong. Now, Self and Tec go
home, relax, forget all other ..have been while since not enjoy each other, no?"}
meanwhile a freakish shadow was standing right next to her, a shadow that only
Re'Ni could hear and see, massacred faces appearing and reappearing, fire,
destruction.. she kept hugging Tec and looked back at him {"Go home together
love.."}

� Reply #389 on: October 09, 2016, 12:58:06 pm �

Guardian watched the Igaboos disappear back into the water, and grunted. He didn't
seem very impressed by Caprima's attempt to cover it up, and simply spoke up with a
composed voice, "You presume correctly. And I'm quite aware they're safe, pretty
sure it was just Essentials worrying too much, which is normal for him. But that's
not the true reason I came out..." The Warrior Shard looked off to the side a bit,
his voice trailing off and becoming more contemplative, "You should know Miss, I've
been kept in the dark for most of this little adventure of yours. After all, I'm
just Guardian, protector of the ship and pursuer of personal pleasures. No reason
to get me involved. Hell, I even freaked out before the first step, breaking down
back on that desert because a few memories came out. And frankly, I'm fine with
that, I like my livelihood. It's simple, fulfilling, and I can easily find ways to
enjoy myself. That's why I call myself by my actual Shard designation instead of
some sort of nickname or alternate alias, I am Guardian and I take pride in that.
Yet, I'm pretty damn sure something big is going on..."
He looked back up at Caprima, calm and determined, "And it's pretty difficult to do
my job when I know anything. How am I supposed to protect that ship and everyone in
it if I don't got a clue of what I'm dealing with? Or who my supposed allies are?
But I suppose that's obvious, isn't it? The important thing here however, is that
it applies to everyone else too. All the other Shards will just that less capable
if they don't know everything. You get nothing done by pushing things under the rug
to reveal later, I know that... Have a goodnight, Caprima." The Shard then turned
around without another word, and began to walk off. He knew she was doing something
important, so he would let her get to it. Besides, now that he got that out, sleep
seemed nice.

Myst had a little smile of his own, "It certainly was a rush. But, how about we go
awhile without doing that again?"He chuckled, implying that he was merely joking,
"Anyways, poor joke aside, the beach sounds nice. I don't often wake up in the
Sun's light, so it will be quite refreshing. Besides, good memories over there.
Let's go." The Shard then slowly turned himself towards the bonfire, and moved to
lay down nearby it.

Tec got a bit better, though he was still pretty clearly in a poor state. Yet, a
weak smile appeared on his face, "Thank you... Thank you for being there, Re'Ni.
But you're right, it's time to go home. Besides, I still have to show you around
the house. We're not too far now, come on. We'll walk through those doors to a new
life... Together." Carefully, he moved so that he could continue flying, but
remained close to Re'Ni. He was still quite troubled, but now he had somebody for
his mind to rely on, so he felt safe.

� Reply #390 on: October 13, 2016, 07:49:57 am �

Although she didn't want to reveal everything, Caprima admired Guardian's
straightforwardness ..and in the end, he was right; he should know some things if
he was to take part in this adventure. The capricorn floated right infront of him
with her left eyebrow raised and bearing a smug smile on her "Giving up so easily
my child? You're right in wanting to know what this is all about ..after all,
you're Xefr too." she immediately adopted a far more serious expression, and looked
directly at Guardian's eyes "...I cannot explain everything, but what you need to
know is that the universe's existence is a fragile thing, and it rests in Xefr's
paws ..you see my child, there are dark forces in this realm that we have to face,
Xefr will have to reach the Hyl Queen and transfer to her the memories of an entire
galaxy that are contained within him, and by doing so he will give out a message
that mortals should not be trifled with ..that your lives are worth ten times than
an eternal life and ultimate power." She sighed and tried containing herself,
thinking that she had said too much.. "Some things will always remain a mystery to
you and Xefr, and you my child will have to place your trust on me even if you do
not understand completely. However, if you stay with us, I'll explain everything
about these dark forces tommorow ..for tommorow the great cosmic battle starts."
She smiled, snapped her fingers and disappeared.

Cui was extremelly happy that Myst agreed with her about their small adventure - a
large part of her guilt had gone already. As Myst layed next to the fire, Cui layed
right next to him and gave him a small kiss before curling up to sleep. She was
bearing a big smile, having all these thoughts and feelings revolving inside her
mind "Goodnight!"
-

Despite Re'Ni's hallucinations had increased lately, Tec made her feel what was
real and what was not ..in the end these shadows and images didn't matter as long
as Tec was there besides her. She smiled back and flew along with him towards their
new home {"Yes. New life ..together! And ...even more new life soon too! Not
forget."}

� Reply #391 on: October 13, 2016, 10:27:24 pm �

Guardian listened silently as she spoke, and nodded when she disappeared. He spoke
aloud, more to himself than anybody else, "Not the first time I've heard that
before. It's always tomorrow, never today. But I suppose it will have to do for
now. Guess it gives me a chance to rest. Had a busy day... Though I suppose that
exhaustion wasn't because of the work." With that, the Warrior Shard walked off,
returning to the ship to sleep the night away.

Myst had a smile of his own, which was amplified by that kiss. He spoke one final
time before going to sleep, "Goodnight to you as well, Cui." Falling asleep, Myst
instinctively did what he normally did when in his bed, he spread his wings out.
This caused one wing to cover Cui and act as a sort of blanket.

Tec had cheered up a bit more, with that gloom slowly dispersing. Soon enough, they
landed back at the house, in front of its massive gate. Upon landing, Tec pulled
the keys out of seemingly nowhere, and unlocked the door. With a push, the door
opened to reveal a sort of entrance-hall, though it was comparable to a hallway. It
was a sort of straight line, with a curve, though it was easily sizable enough to
have a dozen dragons within it. It was lit by candles mostly, and had some plants
in little alcoves of the walls. The main purpose of the room seemed to be for the
five different access-ways that were attached, each leading to somewhere in the
mountain-fort.
Tec stepped inside a bit, and looked around, finally nodding with satisfaction. The
Shard then looked back to Re'Ni and spoke in a calm voice, though slightly strained
by the stress he was still under, "Here it is, the entrance to our home. This is
the connector room, standard with all Golden Dragon building designs. Connects to
every other cluster of rooms in the house. One leads to the kitchen and pantry,
another leads to the bedrooms, and yet another leads to the rooms in which
entertainment is. I forgot what the other two are for. Hm... Strange, the robotic
assistants are offline. I guess Guardian turned them off, he's always complaining
about them. But I suppose that's easy enough to remedy..." Tec paused, and thought
about it for a moment when he remembered how Re'Ni reacted to those drones in the
halls of the ship. She didn't seem to like robots, so he quickly added to his
speech, "Yet, perhaps we don't need to do that right now. Maybe we could go without
them for a bit. So... Wanna see the quarters we'll be sleeping in? It's right
through the door at the end of the hall."

� Reply #392 on: October 14, 2016, 12:40:03 pm �

Cui relaxed and felt peaceful for the first time in many years under Myst's warm
wing, and as such sleep soon tooke her. Silence fell upon the small tropical
island, with all of its inhabitants sleeping heavily ...some thinking of their
great adventure ahead, others of their recent adventures and one of what would lie
ahead after the dark angels would be defeated. For many hours the soothing sound of
the waves hitting the shore was the only sound, until a big yawn from a blue
dragoness was heard in the beach while the sun rised majesticaly over the waves.
"Mnahm.. hmm ...Good morning Myst!"
Spoiler: Sunrise in Paradise (hover to show)
Not far from the beach, Caprima was awake and meditating while looking at the sun,
waiting for Xefr to wake with the sunlight - a small tape behind her playing some
music that was blending with the waves ...in the meanwhile, right next to a big
dragon was placed a small trunk with some coconut milk and a big piece of pie on
it.
A new day had begun; the last day of Zuan'Lotl's summer and the first day of
darkness.

Re'Ni was excited with the place, she especially loved the small plants in the
walls and touched some with her claws as they were walking.. ...although it was
pretty big for a house, she had some ideas about filling it up. She turned to Tec,
bearing a big smile on her {"Wonderful! Love plants! And not need robot now.
...but want see bedroom ..must make house approprietly Tec and Re'Ni's, no?"} She
licked Tec's face looking him in a somewhat suggestive way.

� Reply #393 on: October 14, 2016, 07:45:09 pm �

Myst awakened more silently, simply slowly opening his eyes and raising up his
head. He spoke with a clearly tired, but quite content, voice, "Ah... Good morning
to you as well, Cui. Sleep well?" He finally turned his head to look at her, and
quickly became embarrassed upon seeing her under his wing, "Uh, erm... Heh, sorry
about that. I just kinda do that when I sleep. Hope it wasn't a bother..."

Xefr however, had a very loud awakening, emanating an incredible yawn and slapping
his tail against the ground. He got up quickly as well, and smiled upon noticing
the milk and pie. He ate the food placed before him, and then looked around for
Caprima. He knew something would happen today, it was just what his gut told him.

Tec was happy to hear that she approved, and grew a bit excited with that lick.
With a smile of anticipation, he was quick to respond, "Oh, but of course. Only
real way to make the move official after all. Right this way, my love.[/i]" With
that, Tec walked down to the door at the end of the hall, which would lead them up
and through a spiral staircase to eventually lead to a room with three separate
large doors, all leading to individual bedrooms. The left door had the letter V
emblazoned upon it, likewise the right door had the letter X, and finally the
middle had a T.

� Reply #394 on: October 17, 2016, 07:38:10 pm �

Cui smiled widely, she had thought of a good practical joke... she nuzzled against
him and talked in a soultry seductive voice "Oh Myst, yes you did that ..and more!
Your wing went to places it shouldn't have ...You were wonderful last night, don't
you remember?" Thinking that she was overdoing it a little she gave him a small
friendly tap with her paw "Joke-aside ..I slept like a hatchling; your wing is
extremelly cosy!" She really was enjoying her time with this big awkward dragon in
this paradise, alas, she also knew it wouldn't last long...

Caprima's ears twirled as Xefr yawned and rushed with a big smile towards him "Good
morning my child ..I see you already ate! Come on ..there is yet another lesson
before we set off this planet." The capicorn was feeling somewhat unsure about this
last lesson ..but she had to teach him, otherwise he could never pass past the
Hyl.

Re'Ni took walked close to Tec, while playfully caressing him with her wing, a few
times she turned in excitement to notice her surroundings ..this big place, with
its big rooms and all! It would be her little hatchling's house one day, she just
knew it and felt truly good about it! Upon reaching the room with the three doors
she stopped and grabbed Tec's paw with hers {"Go inside together! Good luck for
home..."}

� Reply #395 on: October 17, 2016, 11:25:41 pm �

Myst's eyes widened until she revealed it was just a joke, to which he responded
with a sigh of relief and an embarrassed chuckle, "Ah, just a joke... Heh, probably
for the best. Wouldn't want to have to finish something I don't remember starting,
and that's the kind of experience I would want to remember..." Myst cut off as he
realized what he just said, and tried to brush it off by raising his voice, "Let's
move on from that! Erhm, anyways I'm glad you slept well. Guess that means my wing
is a good blanket then. So... Any ideas how to spend whatever free time we may have
today?"

Xefr nodded, sensing that he was correct about something important happening,
"Alright then. Are we going up to the mountain again? Or are we staying on the
beach this time?"

Tec turned his paw to return the grab, so that they were holding paws. He smiled at
her suggestion, quite happy with how she was receiving all this. He didn't know
much about this house himself, the history was always a mystery to him, but he was
overjoyed that it wasn't a disappointment thus far, "I like that idea, together
then. And I think the door with T on it is good enough. Together starts with T
after all, so I think it's appropriate. Let's go." With that, Tec flashed his eyes,
causing the mighty door to open, and walked inside paw-in-paw with Re'Ni.
The inside was quite empty. It almost looked like it had been cleared out, since
there were empty selves in the walls and the indents of paintings. But now, it
didn't have much to it. It was illuminated by candles in the walls, and its
primary and only real feature was the massive bed in the middle, easily big enough
for the dragon couple. It was well-kept as well, gargantuan pillows and sheets all
arranged neatly. Tec however somewhat ruined this when he walked over and jumped
onto it, making it shake a bit. The happy Shard looked back to his mate with a
satisfied smile, "Heh, it's better maintained than I had expected. Always pegged
Guardian as less neat than this. But hey, better for us right?"

� Reply #396 on: October 18, 2016, 05:59:01 pm �

Cui heard clearly what Myst said about wanting to remember a certain 'experience' -
she actually felt quite flattered and somewhat attracted to Myst, but decided to
let it pass ...after all, she wouldn't try anything close to that while Caprima
was watching! She just laughed and nuzzled against him "Oh, it is the best blanket!
..ehm, I don't have a single idea ..but I'm hungry. Want to go raid Cap's kitchen
and play some games in the A'tari? Can't think with an empty stomach!"

Caprima stopped to think a bit and when she finished she pointed to the beach
"Okay, the beach it is. Let's not have you walk up the mountain this early in the
morning!" She walked a bit and then turned back to see if Xefr was following "Today
you're going to learn a very unstable defencive technique ..it's easy to achieve
it, but it's difficult not to be corrupted by your thoughts. I hope you're
prepared.." ...noticing Myst and Cui she smiled and waived her finger at them
"Good morning! I hope you aren't up to anything mischievous again..."

Re'Ni laughed and started kissing Tec repeatedly {"Mmmmhm Bed very cozy! Most
important part of room, heh.."} she immediately thought of that one time in the
observatory and chuckled {"though lack of bed not problem for Tec and Re'Ni!"} she
wrapped her tail around his and rolled over the bed with him. She also felt that
perhaps that egg would be coming soon, but she didn't have to worry about that
now.. at least not for the next two hours.

� Reply #397 on: October 19, 2016, 08:23:40 pm �

Myst smiled, seeming to like the plan of action, "Food is certainly a good thing to
have, especially in the morning. And that must be some sort of games console,
though I've never heard of that specific one. Let's not waste any time then." The
Shard slowly stood up, and that's when Caprima yelled out to them. He looked over
in her direction and flashed a smile, "Worry not! I have no intention to poke
anything suspicous today! No other promises though. Make sure Xefr is well fed, and
to water him every 3 hours!" Myst then began walking, pretty sure that Caprima's
kitchen would be in her little house.

Xefr rolled his eyes at Myst's little joke, since he had gotten used to being
called a plant by him for whatever reason. He then looked back to Caprima and
nodded, "Well... I've dealt with the prospect of corrupting entities and thoughts,
that's life aboard Soul's Eclipse, so I have a bit of experience I suppose. But no
use worrying, since additional doubt will inevitably make the threat worse. To the
beach." The Drake then turned towards the beach, and advanced. He wasn't too
worried, since he did like learning new techniques, but the word "unstable" was too
much of his life for him not to be worried.

Tec chuckled and smiled at her final comment, but got pulled in before he could say
anything for himself. Eventually, after a long period of the two dragons enjoying
eachother's company, the Shard disengaged and flopped his head down on one of the
bed's pillow, wearing a massive blissful smile. He turned his head slightly to look
at his mate, "Now... That is one fine way to complete a move. And I'm certainly
hoping we'll have the time to do this even after the egg is ready... Guess these
are the sacrifices parents have to make."

� Reply #398 on: October 22, 2016, 11:32:46 am �

Cui chuckled a bit with Mysts's joke and nodded her head in agreement with him
"Yeah. don't worry, we can water ourselves!". Caprima just sighed and walked off
with Xefr, knowing that no matter what kids would still go on with their antics.
While they approached the house's kitchen the mischievous dragoness looked at Myst
with the same sly expression from earlier, "Just watch me!" she approached the
refrigerator, but instead of opening it, she reached her paw and pulled a lever
behind it ..opening a door to a room feeled with pies, jars and some
herbs ..."We'll need this, this ..and OHH, definitely this!" Having picked up a
pie, some coconut milk and the herbs she got out of the small room and closed it
the same way it opened, then run to the couch and left all of the food on the table
"Okay Myst, I think these'll do ..now, I only have two games and they're really
old, but they're kinda hard and there's no way you could beat me ..so if you think
you aren't up to the task and want to do something else, just nod and I'll
understand lovebug" While saying this she had mustered her most sarcastic and
annoying smile, challenging Myst through and through.

Having reached the beach Caprima sighed again "First, I have to explain that with
Shiva everything's possible ..it is very easy to be corrupted by your thoughts and
cause great harm to others, as most are tempted to use it aggressively contrary to
my advices - I'll explain later. Now, let's start with something easy ..you
concentrate on your Samat and bring a calming memory to your mind ..then you keep
the feeling of that memory and picture the image of your memory forming a wall
infront of you - remember to keep your emotion strong and balanced. Ready? Go!"

Re'Ni playffuly bopped Tec's chest with her paw and gave him a big kiss {"Oh find
time! ..not allow loss of quality time with mate! Hehe!"} She looked a bit around
curiously, this place sure was big and mysterious, those letters probably meant
something even if she did not understand what. Now that she was feeling better and
her hallucinations had backed off, she had to know more ..after all this would be
the place she would grow her little hatchling! {"Tec-Love ...self feel better.
Perhaps time see around new place, no?"}

� Reply #399 on: October 23, 2016, 03:51:21 pm �

Myst wondered why one would hide such a place with that sort of mechanism, but he
shrugged it off and followed Cui to the couch. He grinned as she spoke, and he knew
quite well that he was being challenged. So, with a confident voice, he decided to
accept, "Heh, doesn't matter how hard they may be, I can win. There is no challenge
I have not overcome! I would even bet on my ability to beat you!" He paused, pretty
sure that he was going overboard and hoped she would ignore that last sentence. He
continued in a more calm voice, "Uh, anyways, let's see these games then."

Xefr nodded, "Calming memory huh? Alright, I can do that." He brought his right
claw up to his chest, emptying his thoughts and focusing on that feeling he had
felt before. Then, in that state, he remembered back to a fairly recent moment, yet
it would remain as one of the most calming moments of his life. He thought back to
that reunion with Dervis, when he finally hugged his son and everything just felt
right. He pictured the moment in front of him, then imagined it expanding outwards
to form a large wall. He had no idea if he had done it right, but wasn't going to
ask just in case that broke his concentration.

Tec rose his head, and nodded, "Alright, sounds like a good plan. I don't know too
much about this place myself, so some exploring could help both of us learn more
about our home. I suppose we can start with the other two doors." He gave her a
quick kiss, then leaped off the bed.

� Reply #400 on: October 27, 2016, 01:38:42 pm �

Cui laughed and gave small bump with her tail on Myst. She loved the fact tha he
actually took up on the challenge "Allright cutie, it's on!" She clicked on the
ancient machine and two sets of holographic dragon-sized paws appeared, along with
three dragons. Cui sat down and placed her paws on the holographic ones "You
control the one on the left ..the point of the game is to keep the dragon with the
crown in the middle safe from the harpies. When you clench your paw you make a
defense spell, when you extend it you throw a bubble that traps an enemy for a
while, but you can throw a bubble to the Emperor to keep him safe too ..but that
traps him for a while and causes him to be angry - when unite your paws you create
a stasis field but you only have three, so don't overuse them. Let's see who'll
survive the most waves! Heh!" She waived her paw and harpies started coming from
affar, though they didn't seem to look intimidating..

Out of Xefr's chest and as he concentrated deeply, a large white cloud appeared and
started forming into a luminescent wall of power, his strong feelings deemed the
wall powerful, making Caprima quite happy ..however she didn't show it one bit,
remaining serious and strict, for this dragon had a great task ahead "Good my
child, very good.. but you have to be more fast, more vigilant, more free; let
yourself take over that emotion and let it flow into the wall continuously." With
that she threw a small red spark while looking a bit angry, the spark went from
behind and pinched Xefr's tail "Don't let anything distract you. Slowly stop
picturing the memory and only keep your focus on the emotion!"
She felt particularly upset at some point, but she shrugged it off not to upset
Xefr; ...he had to learn and he had to learn fast and good, his talent alone could
not withstand a Hyl's Darkwave.
-

Re'Ni happily jumped near Tec and looked at him with her eyes full of curiosity
{"So ..where go first love? Self want explore new home - Want see all of it!
..wonder if have big room with view over forest."} she then immediately adopted a
more depressed expression {"And ..and self promise try keep calm; Story awoke
'voices' ...Now better though!"} With that she returned Tec's kiss and nodded at
him to lead the way.

� Reply #401 on: October 27, 2016, 04:48:34 pm �

Myst grew slightly embarrassed upon being called "cutie", but that passed when the
machine turned on. He was fascinated with it, being particularity interested in the
holographic paws that seemed to be the controllers, "Interesting set of rules, but
not too complicated I suppose. I just wonder what the king's anger does. And those
harpies seem familiar, like the ones I saw when I visited Ezron during his control
over that Lost Fleet when they worked for Excave. Regardless, I will win." The
Shard then placed his own paws in their holographic equivalent. Experimentally, he
clutched both of his paws, and tried to throw two of the spells at once at the
harpies by extending them both at the same time, at different targets.

Xefr did as told, and started to focus more on the emotion of the memory rather
than the rest of its details. Slowly, he let the pieces go. First the background
faded away, then the foreground, and finally the image of the source of the calm,
his son, disappeared from his mind's eye. But that emotion of calm, of feeling like
everything was just as it should be, stayed, and he concentrated hard on letting
that flow through him and out into the wall. But he couldn't really see that, for
his eyes were closed to make sure nothing he saw would put him off.

Before moving on, Tec looked into Re'Ni's eyes and spoke with a reassuring tone, "I
know you'll be able to keep yourself together Re'Ni. But remember, I'm here if you
want my help. You just have to ask." Then he exited the bedroom, back into that
room looking at all three of the big doors. He extended a paw towards the door
marked with the "X" and flashed his eyes, opening it with his mind. Its inside was
dark, no light at all. There did seem to be some silhouettes of objects however.
Tec then looked over at the door with the "V", and seemed like he wanted to try
something experimental. He extended his paw again, with another flash of the eyes
as well. But the door did not open, and Tec sighed, "Still locked. And the barrier
is there as well, no teleporting inside. I wonder why this is the only door that's
been locked, seems off to protect a bedroom like that." And Tec did seem to be
right, for if one tried to sense what lied beyond the door, a powerful psionic
barrier would stop them. And it seemed to be the only of its kind inside the entire
house.

� Reply #402 on: October 28, 2016, 06:47:23 pm �

The blue dragoness didn't really understood what Myst said about this 'Excave' and
its lost fleet ...probably some new-species talk that she would ask about later,
"Well, I don't know what you're talking about but these harpies look nothing like
the real deal ..the company made them look like humans to appeal to softskins.
They're as vicious though!"
Two small white stars formed out of Myst's paws and sprung a bright beam towards
two of the harpies, sending one to outer space but missing the second for just a
few centimeters - the harpies were now threatening the Emperor Dragon. Cui in the
meantime swiftly moved her paws back and forwards sending multiple beams towards
the Harpies that were coming close. Noticing the threatening harpy wave she sent a
defensive spell ...putting the dragon in the middle inside a bubble and causing him
to swear in ancient Qoatl "Come on Mysty, the Hyl are coming! She that bar? That's
the Shiva counter ..get the emperor angry and it starts the countdown to the big
boss!" More harpies arrived and started throwing dark bolts towards both the
players and the Emperor...

The shield remained strong as Xefr was focusing on the emotion itself to sustain it
..however with his eyes closed he wouldn't notice Caprima walking around him,
closing up and poking his wing with her finger "Hehm! You're really doing a great
job my child ..but you have to do this with your eyes open - don't fear losing
your concentration! ..as long as you remember the image within you and the emotion
it transfered to you, you will hold the wall even with your eyes open - fearing
that you will lose your concentration, will only lead to eventually losing your
initial emotion to that of fear. So leave yourself free, don't care about anything
else, just keep your warm emotions in heart. Now try again with your eyes open and
I'll throw some attacks to see how you fare."

Back in the bedroom Re'Ni hugged Tec asnd said nothing in response.. ..she didn't
have to, as Tec would understand nonetheless.
A moment later.. upon seeing Tec's inability to open the door and him not knowing
what was inside confused her a bit; She didn't really like to have a sealed door in
her home, and the uncertainty alone was eating her from within - her tail slowly
begun to twitch a bit, though not as badly as in previous times {"Hmmmm! What
inside? Self thinks should break door, not good have unknown room in house ..fix
door later, but now must know."}

� Reply #403 on: October 28, 2016, 08:00:08 pm �

Myst grunted, "I see the use of 'softskin' is genetic in dragons then, if even your
empire uses the term. The more you know I suppose!" He then decided to try
something, with one paw he tried what Cui was doing to send out a constant wave of
spells towards the harpies, while with the other he tried to see if he could be
more accurate and aim for priority targets, such as threatening harpies. He wasn't
quite sure what to do about the dark bolts, since he didn't know if he could dodge.
So, he used his accurate hand to try and shoot them out of the air. The idea of a
boss worried him, "Let me guess, the big boss is hard to kill and makes our job
alot harder right? This must be one case were swearing doesn't help matters much."

Xefr opened his eyes, but quickly started let the landscape around become ignored,
focusing on that sole image's feeling. It was a little difficult to keep
concentration, but he pushed on, letting the feeling overtake him. He simply
steeled himself for the attacks that were to come.

Tec seemed unsure about breaking the door, "Well, in the one time I was here, I set
up the drones and brought the electronics of every room in the house up to date,
but this room was the only one I couldn't go inside. Xefr did that, told me he
wanted to do it himself. So he opened the door, closed it before I could follow him
inside, and then came out without another word about the room. So I doubt it's a
threat, but he doesn't seem like he wants anybody to see inside. Coll, Guardian,
and even Scout were denied entry as well. He seemed... defensive when we asked him
about what was inside. Unusual for him, since he usually lets Scout do whatever he
wants. Besides.." Tec walked up to the door, and smacked it hard with his tail.
There was a resounding "THUD", but no visible damage. Knocking on the door to let
Re'Ni hear the tough clanging, the Shard continued, "Its made of Arkamin. Tough
stuff, good armor material too. We could be here for hours trying to tear it open
with our claws."

� Reply #404 on: November 02, 2016, 05:25:27 pm �

His tactic was crowned with success, driving off some of the harpies, but while he
dodged the dark bolts aimed at him by shooting his own ..the rest kept coming.
Cui didn't really got why myst grunted about 'softskins' "Well, no one is present..
and it's not that insulting; they have after all, soft skin. Hey watch it!" Myst
waived her paw and threw a big flat bolt to blok some of the dark bolts coming at
the Emperor "The Emperor has less life than us, we got to watch out! And-OH!
..speak of the tzitzimitl " All harpies united into a single one ..a hovering
monstrocity with six wings, a skull for a head and a zombified body. While hovering
it started absorbing power "Quick do a shield towards the Emperor! ..when it hits
we have only a few seconds to hit it back before it repeats!" Cui send a bubble
with her left paw to the Emperor who started to grumple.

Caprima was glad to see Xefr progressing so fast, but her smile was nowehere to be
seen.. ..she closed her eyes and started creating a great dark orb, she seemed to
be crying while doing so.. "Forgive me!", she then quickly and unexpectedly
released a tremendous surge of dark power aimed at Xefr. While Xefr's shield was as
strong as his emotion, a few drops would pass ..these drops contained a strong
feeling of guilt, though thankfully for Xefr it was certain that this was Caprima's
guilt than his own ..nevertheless, it could remind him of his own ..if only
partially and not enough to destroy his emotion gained by a recent and fresh
memory.
Seeing the threat, the capricorn immediately stopped and fell to her knees
..looking at Xefr for an answer while sobbing, "Are you alright my child?"

Re'Ni was deep in thought, her curiosity just couldn't allow that room to remain
'secret'. Finally, after much thinking she raised her head and bopped Tec's chest
with her paw {"As Valx say: If obstacle high, if obstacle strong - go over, go
around, go beneath! Leave door; Tec and Re'Ni break one of four walls!"} She turned
and looked directly at the person reading these lines for the split of a second,
then turned back looking at Tec.

� Reply #405 on: November 02, 2016, 06:35:23 pm �

Myst kept up as best he could, and realized that Cui has misinterpreted his
concentration-grunt, "No no, it's accurate. Besides, most that I know are used to
it by now or see the validity of the title. The grunt was because I do kinda get
into these things when I do finally play games, and I start acting like I would in
an actual combat situation." He became nervous and a bit worried at the sudden
large harpy, formed out of all the others, appeared. He used his accurate paw to
start firing shots at the Emperor Dragon, but his other kept up fire on the harpy
monster.

Xefr took the blast, and a flash in his eyes showed that while most of his mind
still focused on the shield, a small part was processing and fighting over it. He
was like that for a few seconds, and then sighed. He stopped with the shield in
front of him, breathing in deeply before responding to Caprima in a calm voice,
"I'm fine Caprima, don't cry. I've endured these memories my entire life, they are
a part of me now... Literally. Besides, I can tell the Hyl will do much worse to
me, and won't hold back. You shouldn't either, I need to be ready. On this planet,
I will be able to recover and cry and process, but not in combat. So come on, don't
hold back. You can comfort me after we take a break." Xefr then took another deep
breath, and started with that emotion once more, renewing the shield in front of
him.

Tec was slightly confused by that sudden turn, and glanced in the direction Re'Ni
looked. He didn't see anything, so just wrote it off as insignificant. He seemed a
bit skeptical about the plan, "Well... Maybe that could work. The wall of the room
we were just in leads into the room, and the room is right above the kitchen, so he
could go under as well, if you really are that dedicated to looking inside. I
suppose Ess could survive just a little peek..." Tec wasn't so sure why he was so
willing to help, but he was coming to trust Re'Ni extremely sincerely, so he
thought it couldn't go too badly.

� Reply #406 on: November 03, 2016, 11:03:37 am �

Cui giggled a bit at Myst's apology and patted him with her wing ..while other
dragons considered that a weakness, she most certainly liked Myst's shy demeanor
"Come on mister apologises-a-lot, you got to focus in the game!". However as she
was not paying attention to the game herself, quite a few bolts hit her and she
lost half her life, while in the meantime the big boss unleashed a majestic beam of
purple light towards everyone and the scene blacked out for a second ...if it
wasn't for Myst's bolts towards the giant harpy the attack would be more than
enough to kill the Emperor. Cui sighed and tried a big powerwave with both her paws
towards the big boss that was now growing bigger, the powerwave crushed on a big
shield and the boss seemed to be unaffected "Oh by the Chikom Aq'Tontli! It's
unstoppable now ..quick, there's only one way! Give me your paws..."
She extended her paws towards Myst, while the harpy boss started accumulating all
shorts of colours into a huge dark orb.

Caprima was conflicted inside, she didn't know if she could go on without wrecking
everything ...her Shiva was not what it used to be, and without balance she could
actually hurt Xefr more than the Hyl could even imagine, but she had to try. She
rised up and firmly looked on her student, while gathering another form of
energy ...this time it was purple and her eyes had turned back to their original
form; golden with a red core "Your shield is stronger than most I don't think it is
wise to ask for more ..you only need to concentrate more. But since you wish
so..." her second attack was more than anything most mortals could handle; a great
purple wave of power surrounded his shield, starting to breaking it apart, but for
the split of a second instead of hitting him, it surrounded it completely and
turned from purple into a soothing pink. The Capricorn was looking at the dragon
filled with uncertainty for her actions "It is not you my child ...it is I who
cannot do this. Your shield as I said is fine and you only need to concentrate
more. Had I not change my feeling you could have been hurt more than any Hyl could
harm you. Shiva is unexpectable ...so, now I will have to show you what it can
truly do" She closed her eyes and the pink energy aetherialised "I want you to feel
rage, anger, sadness and fear ...anger for my lies, rage for my decision that
doomed your universe, sadness for your loved ones, fear for what comes next ..I
want you to concentrate and attack me. Only that way you will learn, what Shiva can
do, what it can do if you cannot control it."

Re'Ni nodded and went in the room right next to the one with barred door {"Come
love! Two dragon more strong from one... rebuilt wall later. What have mate for
after all? Other than snuggle, heh!"} She whipped the wall with her tail hard once,
but it didn't seem to affect it much, a peculiar glimpse sparked in her eyes
..what could that room hide? What if it was harmful for hatchlings? She really had
to know if she was to have an egg in that building.

� Reply #407 on: November 03, 2016, 04:01:15 pm �

Myst was a little relieved to see that Cui didn't mind his somewhat awkward
demeanor, but he didn't have time to say anything about it since the Boss started
becoming more dangerous. Myst decided to do as Cui said, though he first fired one
extra bolt at the Emperor just in case before placing his paws in Cui's.

Xefr was unsure himself about all of this. He didn't feel that his shield was too
fine, since parts of the first attack did leak through. But he decided it best not
to press her, since she did seem like not in the best of moods for it. So, he
decided he would do as told, "...Very well. I suppose it's the same as casting a
Psi-Bolt, but instead of drawing from my psionics I draw from my emotions. I can do
that. Here goes nothing, I will hit you with the memories that ruined a life. The
memories that made me lose faith in life itself." Xefr then brought his right paw
to his chest, concentrating heavily on the memories he preferred to keep buried. He
remembered the death of Viola, the all-consuming sorrow as he cradled her corpse in
his paws. Then, he remembered the rage of the frenzied massacre that followed, the
anger he unleashed on those pirates responsible. He remembered the faces of old
friends, dead for reasons they could not have predicted, and his subsequent sadness
and anger at the universe for allowing them to die. The guilt of leaving Dervis
alone, the fear of losing everything to things he couldn't defeat or control...
Everything went into one single concentration of emotion, until he could nothing
but lash out at Caprima.

Tec followed, and walked straight up to the wall. He tapped it a bit with his
claws, and nodded, "Alright, it's not protected. And it's not very thick either, we
can probably get through with a single combined strike. Shards can be quite strong
when they want to be." Tec then turned, and prepared to smash the wall with his
tail. But he didn't do it, keeping it ready while speaking to Re'Ni again, "On your
call Re'Ni, we break down the wall. Hit it with one big strike. Should only harm
the wall, the room and house will be fine."

� Reply #408 on: November 04, 2016, 10:39:00 am �

With their paws combined a great ball of light appeared , Cui grabbed Myst's paws
hard and forced them towards the front ...a majestic beam of light was unleashed
and the dark background turned white, the harpy monster started to disintegrate in
pieces and was soon no more. The dragon Emperor turned his head "Good job warriors,
you have passed stage one!". Cui though seemed perplexed, she had played that game
alone before but she never had defeated stage one so fast without sacrificing
herself ..perhaps Myst was the missing part in the equation, "Huh? We did it Myst,
we defeated the big boss!" she came closer and gave him a big kiss.

Xefr's feelings concentrated, his rage, fear and guilt all together overwhelmed his
shiva ..upon releasing his power on Caprima, the blast was not white, or dark,
but instead it was blue - his true shiva's colour - Caprima fell down to her knees
as the blast hit her, but did not act ...her body soon started to bleed and many
wounds appeared out of nowhere. While she was crying she raised her hand and
everything froze, apart from her and Xefr "ENOUGH CHILD!" She remained on the
ground staring at Xefr with a pettyful look, her body hurt and filled with bleeding
wounds that no mortal could withstand for more than a couple of seconds "Y-you
really hate the world so much?" She started to sob again, trying to stand up but
being unable to do so... "H-heal me, my child, please ...find balance."

Re'Ni nodded, she felt somewhat
it was as if they were cleaning
started to give birth to doubt,
three; One, Two Three! Smash!"}
with her mate.
excited that she did this with her mate ...to her
up their nest for their egg - though some voices
they were too low to be heard {"Self ready! On
With all of her strength she hit the wall along

� Reply #409 on: November 04, 2016, 06:42:51 pm �

Myst was quite excited, the little display of the harpy being destroyed bringing
joy to his heart. He loved that sense of achievement. But before he was able to say
anything or cheer vocally, Cui delivered that kiss and he froze up. After a second,
he recovered, though he had lost his train of thought. He nervously chuckled, "Not
a half-bad reward either... Erhm, anyways! So, is there another stage and a way to
check our score? I did say I would do better, and I want to see if I'm doing that
yet." Now he had to hope that little bit of cockiness would overshadow that early
slip-up.

Xefr immediately panicked once he saw the wounds, having no idea of what happened.
He had sort of lost himself in that moment, with all those feelings. Still though,
he wanted to help, "Ah! I'll... Uh, see what I can do! Just like with the plant..."
The Black Drake then focused, bringing his right claw to his chest, he started
trying to do what he had done before. Just this time, he was going to see if it
could heal. With a little difficulty, he emptied his mind, and held out that claw
towards Caprima. His thoughts focused on an imaginary image of Caprima's wounds
healing, the idea of her being restored to how she was before the attack. His
subconscious self sent a few thoughts of doubt about this working with his
inexperience, but he threw those away and just kept trying.

The wall crumpled, unable to take the force of the two Dragons at once. However,
the pieces of rock did not going flying back, due to being caught by Tec's psionic
power. After making sure the rubble did get tossed, he floated the pieces back and
sighed, "Not here to throw rocks. Just want to look inside. Now let's see what
Essentials was so careful about..." Tec then stepped inside to get a better look,
and seemed surprised.
The room was mostly empty besides a massive bed smack dab in the center with a
chandelier above it for illumination. On and around the bed however, were various
possessions. Stacked in a neat, orderly way, it seemed like a giant storage. The
items varied, from small jewels to a full Draconic tail-guard. Yet the most
plentiful were pictures. There were dozens of them, with many different sizes. Some
were as big as an average human, but every one was clearly cared for greatly. Not a
single stain touched any of them, and they all looked practically new. Tec walked
over and picked one up. He turned back to Re'Ni with it, "Hey look! It's a picture
of Xefr, with some dragoness!" The picture he was showing off displayed Xefr,
looking just like Essentials, standing alongside a Golden Dragoness. They both
seemed very happy, locked in a little hug and smiling. Tec put it back down and
picked up another one, also showing it to Re'Ni. This time, there were four dragons
in the picture. In the center, it was Xefr and the Dragoness again. At the sides
stood Durazor and Grimiron. All of them seemed happy again, like a big family
almost. Tec seemed particualrly suprised judging by his voice, "I never knew Ess
had a mate! I've never seen her before. Why would he keep this hidden? I know quite
well how wonderful it is to have somebody to lo... Oh... Oh crap... So that
explains the crying, the avoiding of romantic novels, and how defensive he was of
this room..." The Shard finally realized it now, and felt incredibly sorry for his
brother Shard.
But the room was active as well. The second Tec stepped inside, a faint psionic
ping went out. It went unnoticed by the Shard, since it was so weak, but it was
going somewhere, to deliver a message.

� Reply #410 on: November 08, 2016, 05:25:16 pm �

Cui sported a proud smile on her, quite sure of her victory, and 'shot' the main
screen with her paw ...suddenly the end screen disappeared and the stats page
appeared on its place out of thin air, leading to Cui losing her smile "Awwww, I
lost all the bonus points with that last move" nevertheless she smiled and bumped
Myst lightly with her paw "Heh, it seems you won this time around ..good job!" from
her friendly tone and posture it was certain she was actually happy for Myst. Her
wing slowly covered Myst and in a swift move she grabbed him in a strong embrace
and stroked his head's scales fast "Hah! You thought I wouldn't punish you for
that!" then trying to faux-struggle with him. As she did though, both dragons fell
on the table infront and upon the pie.

Slowly and steadily, Xefr's shiva started reforming again. A frail purple wave
pouring out of his heart started spreading over to Caprima's wounds ..as Xefr
concentrated and felt more remorseful, the aura would get stronger and more bright
- starting to slowly heal the poor hurting Capricorn that sighed in relief
"Good ..you're a good child deep down. I think that now that you know what your
power can do, you will treat it accordingly and not let it ever slip up again
...you promise?" She seemed a bit unsure; the truth was that she feared Xefr
wouldn't be able to tame his wild emotions ..but time forced her to go on with it,
for if she aimed for perfection and spared her time carelessly, destruction would
overwhelm this universe as well. She tried getting back up, but she still seemed to
be in pain and raised her hand up for help. "Come child, let's check on the
mischievous little friends of yours..."

Re'Ni felt quite uncomfortable with all these pictures of the dragoness ...it
seemed to her as this place had a peculiar feeling surrounding it, much like a
small temple. The fact that her mate looked exactly like Xefr in the pictures
didn't help either ..her tail started shaking but she stood strong, despite her
mind's companion telling her that something horrible had happened to the golden
dragoness and she would be next {"Tec love... know who Arsaz female Valx be? Tec
brother in picture seem happy ...certainly mates. What happened?"}
While she didn't show it much other than her tail shaking, Re'Ni was devolved into
deep thoughts which did not help her condition at all.

� Reply #411 on: November 08, 2016, 09:07:59 pm �

Myst wasn't ready to get grabbed like that, and he certainly wasn't ready to break
the table with the pie on it. Now it covered a bunch of his scales, which did annoy
him, but the proximity of Cui smothered that with a bundle of other feelings that
he couldn't quite place. He tried to seem confident and collected of course, "Heh,
well, now you've done it. In that titanic struggle, we find out first innocent
casualty of conflict... And it doesn't taste half-bad either." He licked his there,
and that was also when he ran out of things to say, "Uh... So, I doubt that's the
end of my punishment, since now I've just caused you more trouble."

Xefr held out a paw and pulled her up onto her feet, remaining close by in case she
fell over again. He nodded once this was done, "Very well. I'll keep my emotions in
check. I don't want to do that anybody, not again. And I suppose checking in isn't
a bad idea." Xefr had started to smile, but that was violently interrupted when a
psionic signal reached him. His expression began to change, and for a split second
his eyes turned dark red and gaseous, like they had back on Heord during his freak-
out. But that did not last too long, with him breathing in deeply, though parts of
it still remained with his body being tense and his eyes darker than usual. He
spoke quickly and calmly to Caprima, "Nevermind... You go on ahead and do that
Caprima... I have some things to attend to. I haven't mastered long-range
teleportation yet, so I'll need to use the ship for this. If anything happens, just
tell Guardian." His mind was a jumbled mess, even if his body displayed total
confidence. Feelings of anger and fear were most prominent, and he turned himself
towards Soul's Eclipse with a particular determination.

Tec seemed uncomfortable himself, but was still quick to respond, "Well, I don't
know actually. I have no idea who she is, or what happened to her. I've never
really seen Xefr this happy, and I can't shake the feeling that I've seen her
before, despite not holding any memories of her... It's weird. Anyways, I think we
should leave this room alone for now. I'll call Xefr or Guardian and have them take
all this stuff somewhere else, because I doubt he would be very happy if we
accidentally damaged anything, considering what lengths he went to keep it all
safe. And besides, there's not much else to see in here anyways. Let's go." The
Shard hastily turned around to exit through the hole, really wanting to get out of
there. It just made him feel sad.

� Reply #412 on: November 10, 2016, 04:08:39 pm �

Cui was really unsure of what to do next ...not that she wasn't experienced, but
with Myst it was quite different - perhaps she wouldn't survive and Myst would be
hurt. Nevertheless she took her chances "You bet!" She hugged Myst tightly and gave
him a big kiss ..only to retract herself and stand back a little as a creepy
screech was heard from the kitchen "Heard that?" soon a dark mist started
stretching from that direction and all over the floor, while a cold chill made the
two dragons' scales shake.

Capirma froze and just stared at Xefr with a disapproving frown "We don't have much
time. I only hope this is something more important than your plain of existence
being threatened by universal destruction - nevertheless, I will not ground
you. ...but remember, that if you don't let go of the past, it will be the end of
you." As she said those last words her eyes were starting to darken and her frown
slowly turned into a doleful expression.

While Re'Ni was looking upon her buffled mate, she started thinking and reaching
various conclusions ...demons appeared before her, stronger than ever, telling her
to act. She was feeling an urge to destroy and maim all of those pictures, her eyes
slowly fading to grey ...something terrible had happened to that dragoness, she
was certain of it "Sense darkness ..too much. Self cannot bear. ...all pictures
must go! Yes, let self and love leave ...go forest, village, anywhere!"} All in
all she didn't appear to be as stable as she was earlier, giving hasty looks behind
her while walking alongside Tec. All these new information, this dragoness ..Tec
having met her. She tried hardly to repress her thoughts ..but the voices she could
not control and there were too many, forcing her head to turn left and right in
fear as she heard each of them.

� Reply #413 on: November 10, 2016, 06:15:52 pm �

Myst quickly stood up at this, his expression changing from innocent bewilderment
to that of careful vigilance, "I did. Let's go check it out." The mist made him
particularly uncomfortable, since it reminded him of somebody else, even if he was
quite sure that somebody was not here. His eyes flashed, and two psionic bolts in
the shape of javelins appeared on either side of his head, while his left claw
started channeling power. Finally, he sent out a ping to Essentials, before finally
stepping forward to investigate.

Xefr didn't really seemed deterred by her words, "It's important. You said I needed
to have balance for this... Well, you can be damn well assured I won't have balance
until I resolve this." Though it was at that moment Myst's ping reached him, and
the drake knew something was up. His head went into a debate over what his next
action would be, help Myst or go and defend his beloved's memory. Finally, with a
grunt, he turned towards Caprima's house, and away from the ship, "But it seems the
universe denies me even that. Myst wants help, and I'm not going to leave him. I'll
just send Guardian then, he knows the stakes." Xefr then walked off towards the
house, and sent a message towards the Warrior Shard aboard the vessel nearby.

Tec noticed her distress, and hugged her tightly whilst maneuvering himself to look
into her eyes, "Re'Ni, I'm right here. The past is behind us, the pictures can't do
anything to you. Just don't worry about them, I'll send word to my brother Shards
to take them out at once, since they seem to be making you uncomfortable. I'm sure
they'll understand. I can even do it righ... What?" The Shard seemed confused, and
looked over in the direction of the mountain-home's entrance, "It seems that will
be unnecessary. I sense that Guardian is outside. Peculiar, but I suppose this is a
good chance. Let's go ask him then." He gestured his head towards the entrance
pathway, though the Shard did not move, as he was going to stay right next to Re'Ni
for this. He was still quite worried about her condition.

Outside, Guardian shook his head after the long-range teleporation sequence. He was
right in front of the door now, with Essential's instructions still ringing in his
head. He never quite expected Essentials of all people to be that loud, but the
orders were at least quite clear. He sighed, and started walking. At least the door
was unlocked...

� Reply #414 on: November 12, 2016, 04:14:54 pm �

Cui regained her small size and created a shiva orb with her paw, whatever was
inside there was surely not friendly ..a peculiar feeling crossed her mind;
something was telling her deep in her soul that she had met this dark aura in the
past ..long ago, during the last days of her carnal death. Her scales were now
solid from fear and uncertainty as she approached the secret door of the kitchen,
herself muttering quietly to Myst "Be careful ..very careful." ...with hesitation
she placed her free paw on the half-closed old door and pulled it slowly...
All of the mist and cold seemed to emerge from the sides of an old tile and nothing
else was there in the small room ..Cui's psionic heart was beating faster than
ever before, and with a swft move she removed the tile only to come across an
expressioneless white mask...
Suddenly Myst and Cui were surrounded by the dark wave and the mask rised up on
its own before them, while a figure started to form out of the mist...
There stood majestically, almost as large as a dragon and floating over the tiles;
surrounded by darkness, a Hyl
Its feathered body appeared to be solid, however there was a feel that it was not
of this plain of existence ...as if it was a projection from another realm. As it
spoke, its voice sounded melodic and calm ..but it had something strange about
it, like spoken from within the depths of a grave.
Spoiler: "We have awoken ....rejoice for we shall set an end to the strife and
slavery of mortals, and with us shall take the cruel masters that broke the eternal
cycle. Asailte Hyl!" (hover to show)

Caprima's fear and anger grew strong ..she knew time had run out, but she needed
more! A loud otherworldy voice was heard in all of the island, it was Caprima's
scream as she felt the unexpected familiar presence. Her eyes turned yellow with a
red core, starting to bleed as her fangs grew into two sharp blades ..her vicious
true form could not be hidden anymore - not now ..not when they were present. She
teleported directly infront of Cui and Myst, facing the Hyl "NOT? ?AS LO?NG? A?S I?
?E?XI?ST!" She used what little of her shiva she could master and closed the Hyl
inside a bubble, trying her best to keep its dark aura inside while waiting for
Xefr. "Run children! Run!"

Re'Ni calmed a bit with Tec's words and hug ...but she certainly could not forget
all those thoughts about the mysterious dragoness, especially considering Guardian
was summoned ..why him? Why a warrior? She went along with her mate, slightly
fearful of what could come next "Allright. Let's welcome Guardian - good Valx
...but Tec ..be careful. Yes?"

� Reply #415 on: November 12, 2016, 06:51:47 pm �

Myst, after a brief moment of shock, quickly decided from his current knowledge
that doing what Caprima said was probably the best way to stay alive in this
situation. He nodded, "Understood! We're out of here!" He then spread his wings,
covered Cui in them, and flashed his eyes. A transparent blue sphere surrounded
him, and with a flash he was gone.
Xefr ran in later, with Caprima's scream having him move faster. Upon sight of the
Hyl, he became unsure of what to do. With panic on his mind, he looked to Caprima,
"Right then! How do we stop it!?" However, the Drake was preemptively starting to
think back to his Shiva training, and he started to empty his mind in preparation
to throw up one of those shields.

Appearing in the hanger of Soul's Eclipse, Myst sighed in relief, "Right then, if I
remember properly we can't fight it and win, only delay. And Caprima is the only
one capable of doing that and she is on scene, so things could be much worse. I
suppose prepping the ship for take-off is the best move in this case... Damnit, I
have no idea of what to do!" Myst then looked back to his wing, hoping he had
managed to take Cui along with him.

Tec went with Re'Ni to the main entrance hall, staying close by her side at all
times. When they got there, Guardian was there waiting for them, "Ah, seems I don't
need to yell. Sorry to be interrupting you two, but Essentials sent me to pick up
some stuff he left behind. I believe you've already seen what I mean...?" Tec
seemed a little ashamed and nodded, "Yeah, the stuff in the room with the V door
right?" "That's the one, even if I have no idea what's in there myself, but that's
what I was told to get. Anyways, Essentials wants me to go in and grab all that
stuff, then take it back to Soul's Eclipse. Neither of you object to that right?
I'll be in and out in just a moment I assure you, since you two aren't the only
ones whose personal time is being interrupted by this."

� Reply #416 on: November 14, 2016, 03:52:56 pm �

Caprima stood with her arms extended towards the dark creature, a powerful wind
flowing from the collision of her shiva and the dark wave of the Hyl flowed upon
both her and Xefr ..she remained staring at the Hyl merely being able to respond to
the oblivious dragon next to her "W-We have to send it away ..far away." ...her
mind was travelling back to her family and friends, back to her betrayal and fall
from godhood - blood mixed with tears begun running on her tired cheeks and her
shiva started adopting different colours ..small lights of red appeared within it,
until they started taking over. Suddenly the Hyl turned to Xefr and with its
otherwordly tone, its voice would shake any mortal soul "See Qoatl? She wants you
to use your power to save her ...to save them ..its what they always did - the
Great ones! They speak of justice, peace and love - It's all useless! ...what
love is there in betraying and murdering your own children?"
Upon hearing the Hyl's words Caprima fell to the ground. All shiva stopped flowing
and she remained gazing far beyond this small planet as if she was truly in another
plane of existence. ..with her mind ruminating of past mistakes, her body was
merely a vessel containing nothing but flesh and bones. The Hyl raised its arms and
concentrated a large dark orb ready to strike her down once and for all. But for a
few seconds, Caprima with her tired and bloody vampiric eyes and terrible fangs
turned to Xefr full of tears ...she barely could utter the words with her deep and
hoarse voice "The Hyl is the plant - Remember the plant? ...Make ..a happy
..thought ...a beautiful place ..in space" She fell down seemingly lifeless as the
Hyl was about to strike.

Cui was fearful and angry at the same time, though she did feel nice a bit, mostly
because of Myst caring for her and protecting her from harm.
She grabbed Myst's face with her paws and looked in his eyes, as she spoke her
voice was more than serious "If Caprima, or Xefr die ..there will be no place to
run away. We can't help ..we can only hope." She remained there beneath Myst's
wing trying to think of something ..and she did! She grabbed Myst's face again and
kissed it hard "I KNOW! THE STUPID VIDEO GAME! The Hyl have still physical vessels
and normal psionics affect them slightly if you catch them off-guard ....we
couldn't win them when they were a swarm ..but a single one? Two brave Qoatl
warriors can confuse it and sent it a few miles away like we did in the game!"

Re'Ni seemed happy that the pictures would go, though the mystery behind them still
bothered her ..a lot! Nevertheless, Guardian was a nice dragon ..she felt that
he didn't have much to hide like most of the other Dragons she had met - not
including Tec-senpai of course! She nodded almost frantically and gave a small kiss
to Tec while adressing Guardian {"Ah, yes! Good! ..Take all ..don't know who
Valx in picture ..and not want learn now ....but not feel appropriate for
hatchling room! Thank Guardian!"} She turned to Tec and left a big sigh while
bearing a subtle smile.

� Reply #417 on: November 14, 2016, 09:50:17 pm �

Xefr was still quite unsure of himself and what he could do, but he steeled himself
and acted immiedetly, stuffing those doubts away as a combination of willpower and
survival instinct cleared his mind and achieved that sense of peace he needed
within an instant. Then, he remembered back to the plant and what he did then, and
let his imagination take over. He imagined a wall forming in front of him, which
would fly forward to surround the Hyl and take it away from here. To where he
didn't much mind, just imagining the destination being the void of space. His
subconscious was practically praying that at least the wall would work.

The kiss insured that Myst would listen and not fall into his own chain of though,
so he heard Cui's plan loud and clear. And when she finished, he practically
jumped, energy surging through his body, "That sounds like a brilliant plan Cui!"
He suddenly gave Cui a big kiss on the snout in his excitement, and then retracted
as his head played with her new idea, "We can do what we did for the boss! One big
move, and we should be able to at least distract it! Let's not waste any time then.
I got enough energy for another teleport, and then we can attack in a sudden flash.
Just say when you're ready." Myst was strangely eager and energetic, though this
was quite normal for those who knew him when he heard something he considered
brilliant.

Tec nodded to Guardian after Re'Ni finished, "No objections here either!" Guardian
then grunted, "Very well then. I'll go upstairs and handle that, and then I'll be
off." The Warrior Drake then marched past the couple, and up the stairs towards the
bedrooms. After he was gone, Tec returned Re'Ni's kiss and spoke with a soothing
voice, "See? Everything is going just fine. Nothing to worry about. Guardian is
going to do his thing, and then you can relax."

� Reply #418 on: November 15, 2016, 01:44:53 pm �

Shiva started flowing again in the room and a purple aura started surrounding
Xefr. As he focused harder, the intense contradiction of calmness and his uptight
survival instics combined to create something powerful ...in a majestic beam of
purple light a wave of his soul's Shiva burst out free of his chest and covered the
Hyl only seconds before the dark angel was about to strike Caprima ..Xefr could
feel in every inch of his body the Shiva flowing and the Dark Wave of the Hyl
trying to shatter his being. The Hyl turned towards him and resisted sternly by
creating a stronger cloud of darkness and light striking directly at Xefr's Shiva,
it looked as if that one Hyl used the universe itself; the stars and the void of
space to destroy the very essence of Xefr's soul ...now he could feel the Hyl's
most strong emotions; Desperation, Love and Sadness combined into a confusing mix
unable to be understood by most. However Xefr's Shiva strengthened by his simple
animalistic insticts, was tiring the Hyl ..its body slowly started to fade away
and turning into a shadowy figure. As a last stand, a second surge of pure dark
energy -a dark wave- covered every part of Xefr's Shiva bubble from the
inside ..both the Hyl and the Dragon begun seeing the effects of this collision
of power, Xefr's scales started to freeze and rot, and his emotions started to
crumble, while the Hyl begun transcending to another realm; the realm Xefr was
envisioning.
Caprima opened her eyes again, unable to walk she crawled with what strength was
left in her and touched Xefr's leg "Now my child, one thought ..one ..clear
thought."

Cui was uncertain, but a lot were in stake ..they just couldn't let a single Hyl
destroy everything during a rainy afternoon. The night wouldn't come unless they,
the puny little mortals, decided so! The blue dragoness nodded and grabbed Myst
tightly with one paw while forming a concentrated volley of psionic energy on her
other paw "I'm ready. Let's do this Myst!"

Re'Ni although still uncertain nodded condescendingly and tried removing her
thoughts. She turned her look towards the door {"Hmmm, late ..but want Tec go
outside with Re'Ni? Not know much about new homeplanet ..not like Shyr. Perhaps go
village, stroll along ...night better for Re'Ni. Perhaps reason why have black
scales too!"} Out of a window a massacred version of herself appeared staring at
her, covered in blood and cut flesh ...Re'Ni just stared at it worryingly for a
moment and then smiled at Tec {"What say?"}

� Reply #419 on: November 15, 2016, 07:58:15 pm �

Xefr still held on, he knew his life and that of other depended on it. And when
Caprima spoke, he focused. One image came into his head, a place important to him.
He pictured the Hyl arriving at somewhere he knew, yet was still far, far away. He
pictured the first place he had seen when he had traveled to another galaxy, an
empty void with no civilization around for light-years on end. That thought became
the clear, singular focus of his mind, as he tried with everything he had to make
it a reality.

Myst nodded and started collecting power in his free paw, "Alright, don't hold
back, and fire immediately once we arrive. Ready... Go!" With a flash, Myst brought
the two of them to where they stood before, off to the side of Xefr. Myst didn't
waste time, and fired everything he had at the Hyl when he arrived. A volley of
highly concentrated Psi-Bolts, as well as a force-push empowered by more standard
psionics.

Tec smiled and nodded, "That sounds like a nice idea. Just a little walk to the
village... Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot! It's the Steel Drake's annul
funeral today!" Getting a bit excited, Tec realized that Re'Ni probably had no idea
what that meant and calmed down to explain, "It's this little festival you see,
celebrating the death of somebody we Golden Dragon's don't particularly like. It
goes throughout the night, so let's go! Maybe we'll even be there in time for the
fireworks. You really need to see those!" Tec then started for the door slowly,
making sure Re'Ni could easily follow and stay close.

� Reply #420 on: November 19, 2016, 05:43:40 pm �

Xefr's shiva formed a majestic aura that dominated the small room with its colours
and light, while the dark wave of the hyl started to deform. Cui's and Myst's bolts
surprised the Hyl, who in turn lost balance ...now Xefr's Shiva started
surrounding the Hyl's shadow, covering its wings and mask, dancing along with its
dark aura and transferring alltogether to the black dragon's imagined place.
Its soul struggling to remain intact as it was sent to the void of space, the Hyl
removed its mask and threw it to the ground, revealing a serene face with a deep
sadness in its eyes - Standing still and uttering a few words before vanishing
entirely "...We are not your enemies."
All psionic auras were lost as quickly as they appeared, silence overwhelmed the
room and only the sound of the Hyl's Mask swirling on the ground could be heard,
before that too stopped still.
A great danger was avoided, but Xefr's Scales had been burnt on their edge and
Caprima seemed hurt beyond a physical state. Nevertheless she smiled at Xefr, not
saying a word for a few moments to enjoy the silence of peace. She finally broke
the silence with her fragile voice "I'm harpy for you my child, Heh! ...Really
proud of what you achieved here today.. Let me regenerate some strength and I'll
explain everything. We'll have to act fast." She seemed a bit unsure of her
appearance and slightly avoided eye contact "Don't judge this form of mine... it's
not what I really am."
Still retaining her small stature, Cui kissed again Myst in a moment of triumph,
believing it was them two that sent the Hyl to outerspace. Soon however the little
blue dragoness flew full of worry next to the hurt capricorn and hugged her,
plunging her snoot in her soft fur "..You still are fluffy and cute, even with
those fangs and creepy eyes. You shouldn't be ashamed of what you are, you silly
goat!" Caprima smiled and patted Cui "If you say so, child".

Re'Ni was quite interested to see how these dragons had fun ..she knew much about
her own species in Shyr but only through scripts and stories. Her only memories of
any celebration of dragons was when she was just a hatchling, going to the Great
Temple of Fire with her parents - Thus her eyes were filled with anticipation about
these new dragons! {"Ah, celebration! Nice see what Heord dragons do! Self need
that. Propably forget all problems too ...but celebrating death? Weird!"} She
followed Tec with a big smile on her face.

� Reply #421 on: November 19, 2016, 10:16:24 pm �

Xefr breathed in and then out, happy it was finally over. While the Hyl's final
words did raise a few questions, he wasn't really in any condition to pursue them.
Besides, the thing would be fine, and if he did need to go see it again he knew
exactly where it was. And it most likely was not going anywhere. Satisfied for now,
Xefr sat down and smiled at Caprima, "I think we all need to regenerate our
strength for now. And I just need to figure out how to heal my scales, they look
terrible... But you don't look half-bad Caprima. Don't worry so much about the
look, it's not as scary as you think it is."
Myst nodded with Xefr, he himself being quite content with the outcome. He didn't
share Cui's belief in them being the true heroes, rather he though they all
contributed. Nevertheless, he wasn't about to take away her moment of triumph,
especially if she would react like that... He shook off that thought and then
looked over at Caprima, "They're both right you know, you're far from terrifying.
You look just fine, don't worry about it. And I've seen far worse transformations
in my time, so you shouldn't be complaining. Besides, you aren't the only one who
prefers a slightly different look. If I was being my true form and not creating
this manifestation I completely prefer, I would look like this..." He lifted up a
paw, and in it he conjured an image of a floating blue ball of energy, "See? Your
appearance is far superior to that of a floating orb."

Tec lead her outside, into the wilderness. The animals were still walking around,
minding their own business and making sure to stay out of reach of the very big
predators. Tec of course wasn't bothered and payed them no heed, just talking to
Re'Ni as he went, "Death of something bad, and the birth of something new! That's
the celebration, about the time a bad time for the dragons on this world ended with
the death of one person, allowing something great to be born... Like our future
child! Of course, that one won't require any death, so for us it's even better.
Now, you want to fly there, or just walk? Either works for me."

� Reply #422 on: November 20, 2016, 08:24:48 pm �

Caprima didn't like all these meaningless praises, these children knew nothing of
what her true appearance meant ..and perhaps they would never learn. She frowned a
little and stood back up "Alright children, enough about my looks - they're of
little importance when compared to what we'll all have to face while fighting
against the Death Queen." She stopped for a while and tried concentrating by
placing her hand over her forehead "The Hyl haven't fully awoken ...I can still
sense most are in deep sleep. However the Queen and most of her Heruv'aym are
already on the move towards the Galactic core." Cui started munching her claws and
shaking, being evidently worried that history would repeat itself, "Does this
mean.. ..it is over again?"
Caprima still quite grumpy looked at Cui and grabbed her by the wings, putting her
down on the ground to calm her "No! We'll hunt them to this and the other world if
need be. This anomaly ends here! ...besides, the Hyl are ruthless - they cannot
resist stopping at stars and energy sources to regenerate without destroying them -
We'll catch them soon." She then turned to Xefr, still being quite unhappy and
trying to bury all of the memories her meeting with the Hyl unearthed "Xefr, you
must understand that your duty is the most difficult of all. A simple Hyl may be
sent to outerspace, killed or have its soul torn apart ..but not their Queen;
you'll have to try your best in order to save the universe, your friends and your
son."
Caprima sat back on the cold tiles and started meditating, trying to regain her
balance ..for it was quite evident that her sadness amd wrath had surfaced and
overwhelmed her shiva, but most importantly they had taken over her train of
thought as well.

Re'Ni was enjoying passing by the wilderness and giving looks left and right at all
the skittish critters ...during the night they all seemed so frail and smaller
than during the day - perhaps these were only her predatory instics kicking in, but
she sure felt superior, strong and proud. Tec grounded her back to reality soon
enough though, and she turned to him with a somewhat dumbfunded smile, talking
quietly for no apparent reason {"Hmmm, perhaps good reason that dragon died. And
thatever Tec want; Fly, walk ...in beautiful place like Heord with mate by side
both good! Also ..something born be great, yes ..and for Tec and Re'Ni this very
great and soon ..perhaps tommorow, or day after. Already feel egg!"} She smiled
and patted lightly her underbelly with her paw for a bit.

� Reply #423 on: November 20, 2016, 10:39:47 pm �

Xefr nodded, he knew the stakes, and now he had something very important to fight
for besides his brother shards, "Right, for the safety of Dervis and everybody
else, I'll do my best and more. And I just have to take on the queen by herself
right? I think I can do that, even if it might be difficult. I know I'll fail to a
group though, but that's what you guys are going to handle, right?"
Myst nodded, "If I understood the plan right, that should be how it goes. Though
I'm really doubting now that we alone can handle it. I'll go and get Guardian, and
maybe Coll too... Probably best I do it now actually, while you two recover your
strength. Just stay here and relax, while I go and get backup. I might just be a
Shard, but even I can tell the battle ahead is going to be messy, long, and
demanding."
-
Tec put on a wide smile, excited for the future, "So close... Guess that means I'll
be spending some time after we get back setting up somewhere for the egg to live.
Can't just leave it on the floor! But that's for when the celebration is over, not
now. Let's just walk then if it's my choice, already did some flying today and I
want you to see more of the forest." As the couple walked, they moved into the
forest itself. The sky was a bit outsourced by the branches above now, but there
were still patches of moonlight coming through. This effect created a sort of path,
as the road to town was illuminated by the stars above. The animals watched the
Dragons carefully from the sides, curious but not willing to approach the scary
scaled giants.

� Reply #424 on: November 24, 2016, 08:33:02 pm �

Hearing this dragon's determination and optimism despite everything that life had
thrown at him, caused a spark inside the old capricorn that lit up her spirit and
hope. Mortals once again were showing her the way and teaching her to keep
fighting, for this was life; a big messy fight - an adventure to behold! ...She
stood up, not saying a thing - her subtle smile was saying it all, "Xefr ...you're
ready. And that is all I need to regenerate." She slowly turned her head to face
him, closed up and put her hand on his chest while extending her other arm towards
Myst for him to grab "I promised Guardian to explain the situation personally...
say the place and we'll be there in a moment; This old goat still has some tricks
and a certain dragon reminded her the reason to use them!" Cui smiled as well, she
flew right on Myst's shoulder and winked at him.

Re'Ni walked next to Tec as if she was enchanted by the magic of the night, paying
little attention to the critters as her eyes moved up to the stars and back to Tec.
As she smiled back to him she let out a small blissful sigh, {"Tec ...make Re'Ni
very happy. Perhaps Self full of problems, but when Tec around ..not matter. Dream
come true ..literally."} She pointed forward with her wing {"Off to Village!"}
However, she was not telling everything to Tec ..she wasn't telling him of the
more macabre sights she was seeing, of the demons that plagued her mind - hoping to
forget them and move on.

� Reply #425 on: November 25, 2016, 01:07:55 am �

Xefr smiled, happy to see the life return to her, "Perhaps. But lets wait until
you're regenerated before making any snap judgments eh? We've got one shot, and
we're not going to miss! I'm sure of it, no matter how difficult." Myst smiled, the
positivity was nice to hear, and Cui's wink only helped boost his own confidence.
The Shard put a claw to his forehead, closing his eyes and thinking for a moment
before finally moving the paw to grab Caprima's extended arm. "Guardian's in the
observatory for whatever reason. I suppose that if you're taking us, let's go right
now then, before he starts anything he'd rather not have interrupted."

Guardian was in the observatory, looking at the small little pile of pictures of
other memorabilia of the Golden Dragoness. The Warrior sighed, he teleported all of
this from that room to here, nothing was missing. Still, he had no idea why Xefr
had this in the first place, or who the hell the Dragoness was. Maybe an old friend
or something, Guardian didn't know. Regardless, Guardian was alone, trying to
figure out where to put all this stuff. Maybe he would ask Essentials when he next
saw him...

Tec pressed up aganist Re'Ni, using his wing to cover her and pull her into a
little tight hug as they walked, "If you're happy, then I'm happy Re'Ni. I love
you, so knowing that I'm helping with your problems is all I need to hear to be
satisfied. You aren't alone with dreams coming true." They continued down the path,
until they finally reached a clearing in the forest which lead to the village.
From the road entrance to the village, it was easy to see there was a celebration
going on. Fireworks were going off, not in any particular pattern or fashion but
still filling the skies with bursts of light and color. Dragons flew around, doing
dances with aerial maneuvers as they worked together to fly in formations and
patterns, giving off demonstrations of draconic precision and teamwork. The village
itself was quite alive as well, with dozens and perhaps a few hundred dragons all
here, socializing and gathering near the center point of the village. There were a
few merchants selling some merchandise relating to a scary looking metal mask,
built for a dragon's face in size and shape, as well as other various things like
dragon popcorn. Combat Drakes were also about, floating in certain areas of the
festival, keeping a careful eye on the proceedings and making sure everything was
going smoothly. The Combat Drake in charge seemed a bit young, not more than a
hundred years old, but somehow his golden scales were much more beautiful and
appealing than those of the ones around him, and even with the armor it was easy to
tell he had plenty of muscle to him. However, his helmet was off, and he held a
particular resemblance to Tec, Guardian, and Essentials. That Commander was off to
the side, talking with another Dragon, and had not noticed the couple. Nobody
approached the couple just yet, though some looks of interest were thrown in the
direction of the two Black Dragons in a mostly Golden gathering, though there were
others with different scale colors, like green, blue, and even purple.

� Reply #426 on: December 03, 2016, 07:56:41 pm �

Having fully regained her will to fight, Caprima's physical strength soon followed
suit; she grabbed Myst and Xefr tightly with her hands. She turned with a smile
towards Xefr - it seemed he didn't understand her peculiar nature, but that was
always the case with mortals! ...feeling sure of herself, she talked to him in a
calm and contained way, almost motherly, "We have no time to spare my child
...besides, I got what I needed from this old place, there's nothing left for me
here other than old memories. Stop worrying about me and focus on your task." she
then nodded at Myst, "To the observatory it is. ...round two begins!" her eyes
gained a subtle red light and her smile's fangs shined bright from the majestic
beam of light coming from within her, surrounding all four of our heroes. For a
moment Xefr could feel a wrathful emotion surrounding him, but before he could
sense anything more particular, all of existence was vanishing around him, other
than Caprima, Myst and Cui - all emotions became stronger and then there was that
undescribable feeling.. it was as if he had broken free from the universe itself.
In a few seconds and out of the white emptyness, the forms and shape of Soul
Eclipse's observatory appeared, along with Guardian and the pile of morbid
reminders of Xefr's past.
Cui extended her wings and winked at Myst "It's always fun travelling with Cap!"

While at first Re'Ni was frightened and intimidated by all those unknown dragons
being so close, her facial expression soon made clear that all of her thoughts were
now being overwhelmed by a sense of amazement ..not only because of the
festivities and jubilant atmosphere, but mostly due to the realisation that she was
finally amongst her kind. That however didn't help much to get her unhooked from
Tec's embrace, since while admiring all the dancing in the skies and the multitude
of colours, the fact that there were so many gold-scaled dragons seemed peculiar to
her; she leaned closer to Tec, muttering quietly, due to her feeling somewhat
awkward {"Very beautiful.. self glad Tec bring Re'Ni here! But many Mountain Valxes
...other scales rare ..some wear war masks too - what for? No matter, Self want see
how Heord Valxes have fun!"} She kept looking around happily until noticing the
young combat drake commander{"Hmmm, Valx similar. No? Tec more handsome though."}
She swiftly gave Tec a subtle peck.
� Reply #427 on: December 04, 2016, 12:16:02 am �
Xefr was slightly concerned with the wrathful moment, but let it pass as he felt
that glorious feeling. Myst on the other hand was just surprised, since unlike Xefr
he had no familiarity with this aspect of Shiva.
In the Observatory, Myst was about to respond to Cui with a small grin on his face,
before noticing the pictures. At that point, his face turned incredibly worried as
he glanced at the pictures and then back to Xefr, very concerned about what his
response would be.However, Xefr did not change his demeanor, just acting like the
pictures weren't there, "Guardian! Just who we were looking for. Caprima said she
promised to explain the situation at hand to you, so I suppose that promise will
now be fulfilled."
At Xefr's voice, Guardian span around. After hearing what the drake had to say, he
nodded, and looked over at the capricorn, "Ah, sooner than I expected really.
Something happen?"

Tec smiled, happy to see that she wasn't too uncomfortable, "Well, it's like I told
you before. Most Dragons on Heord are gold, not sure why but that's the way our
biology made us. And don't worry about the armored fellows, they're just here to
make sure everyone is safe and that the softkins stay out." He finally looked over
at the dragon Re'Ni was talking about, and chuckled, "I would say he looks
familiar, but that's probably because he looks so much like my brothers. Ah well, I
don't recognize him... But if you think I'm more handsome than him, then I must
look a lot better than I thought! On that note, let's go in now." Tec then guided
Re'Ni towards the center of the large celebration, and just as his attention turned
from the Drake Commander, the young combat drake noticed him. Quickly excusing
himself from the conversation that held him up, the drake subtly moved towards Tec,
intending to watch his movements and keep an eye on him until he could get a
private moment.
As Tec guided Re'Ni further into the event and crowds, she could see all the
attractions and ways the dragons were enjoying themselves. In a section of the
skies, there seemed to be a little flying obstacle course, with Dragons flying
through hoops suspended in the air with hovering technology. There was something
resembling a firing range, though in this case the name was quite literal, for it
seemed to be a place dragons took turns shooting jets of flames at moving targets
to earn prizes. There was a little arena as well, with Dragons wrestling to see who
was strongest. And finally, in the very middle there was a solitary gravestone on a
mound of dirt. Nobody stayed very close to it, except when one came up to the grave
and spat on it. This seemed to be pretty common, with Dragons just arriving going
up to the grave and spitting before leaving to enjoy the festivities.

� Reply #428 on: December 06, 2016, 01:04:27 pm �

Upon seeing the pictures and realising who that dragoness was, Caprima was filled
with fear of how her student would react ...he failed once, could he fail once
again? However after hearing the two dragons and Guardian's question she just
snickered and walked near Guardian not saying a word. She tapped him in a friendly
manner and tried explaining to him the situation without getting him confused, "Yes
my child, something happened. And we must make sure nothing else happens... ..I
promised to explain to you our mission and I will do as such, but first you must
all learn afew things about who are we fighting and what for." Caprima took a deep
breath and focused to bring back to her mind all of her memories of her life in the
previous universe ..she then extended her hands, creating an orb of crystallic
light, only to throw it at the ground and break it. Upon doing so time seemed to
move in a far slower pace, as the flying parts of the shattered orb seemed to
remain still, and everything around looked blury and unapproachable. The capricorn
took a deep breath and closed her eyes, when she opened them the shattered pieces
of the orb would reflect pictures from the past like a mirror as Caprima narrated,
"This is not the first universe, nor the last ..or even the sole universe in this
timeframe. There are many planes of existence all co-existing and trapped within
their own time, while there are also other planes ..darker and wilder and lacking
existence, where time is relative. This collection of relativity and reality is
what we call the Greater Multiverse, a conjuction of different universes and
possibilities that is watched upon by powerful spirit-guardians, the Haelyonim,
that have control over time and reality, since life contains something that cannot
be contained by time; Soul, the source of all existence. Now, most mortals cannot
breach time and travel from one realm to another, but a few can and at some point
they will, and in the end they will usurp their position as guardians of the
universe. This was always the way and will always be, but sometimes ultimate power
corrupts and change scares ..so for once, instead of the Haelyonim ascending even
higher and leaving the plain of existence once and for all, they made the most
hideous decision; to break the cycle and remain as existence's eternal guardians
and protectors ..and grow even more powerful by using the souls of the living. Thus
s long time ago -or short, it depends- the treasonous Haelyonim were approached by
an ascended people, and this ascended people, the Ilai, realised that life was
being manipulated ..merely a toy in the hands of greater forces - And so out of
the traumatised Ilai the Hyl were born; a force of dark angels wishing to destroy
all life, to supposedly end all oppression by destroying stars, galaxies, universes
and the plane of existence itself. You galaxy is the realm were the continuation of
their previous efforts will take place and as of now the process has already
begun." Caprima paused for a while and looked to see if everyone was following,
"Ehm, anyway.. the plan is to locate the Hyl and distract them for Xefr to reform
the Hyl Queen. We will need a big distraction, but ..I want to make something
clear, my dear child; ..that while the Hyl may be right in their own reasoning, one
thing is certain; destroying life and extinguishing its soul is not liberation. The
cycle may be broken, but it cannot be repaired if it is torn apart."

{"Heh, to self Tec be most handsome dragon in universe! And.. Oooooh!"} She looked
at a passing-by dragon making a rather hard trick with four torches and a pineapple
while flying.
Re'Ni was happy with all the nice celebrations and the glad, satisfied faces all
around ..many images were slowly coming back to her of going with her parents at
the great fire temple as a hatchling. Until she begun noticing the wrestling and
the bawdy behaviour.. ..they were even spitting at something! ..was it *gasp* a
tomb? It certainly looked like one and if it was, then by all the Saints, that was
sacriligious territory; Burning an enemy to coal? sure! But spitting on their
grave? Unbelievable!
She closed her head next to Tec's and tried subtly clearing things up, {"What spit
in? ..kind of wishing hill? Not really understand."}

� Reply #429 on: December 07, 2016, 08:43:36 pm �

Guardian listened intently, taking in all this new information surprisingly well.
When Caprima finished, his eyes closed as he contemplated his response. And finally
after a couple of seconds, his yellow eyes opened once more and he spoke, "So,
we're up against a species of galaxy destroyers, who are upset that gods are
messing with their lives and manipulating their souls. And our plan is to distract
them whilst Xefr goes and gives them a stern talking to? Doesn't sound particularly
effective..." Xefr grinned, deciding to explain this part himself, "No, no. I may
like giving lectures, but that's hardly the plan. You see, in my chest there is an
orb filled with the memories of those in a galaxy the Hyl destroyed. The plan is
for me to transfer all of those happy memories to the Hyl Queen's mind, to get her
to see the error of her course of action. The species apparently would also be
affected in turn, with some hive-mind type thing going on as I believe it."
Myst chimed in as well, "Thus eliminating the threat in one move. Our job is to
distract them whilst Xefr does this. Probably going to end up including some
fighting, which is why I decided to get you involved."
The Warrior Shard grunted, "Fighting is my job, I suppose. I think I understand.
Though something tells me it isn't going to be as simple as a fight, you have
something special planned for this distraction Caprima? Or do we just charge,
screaming our battlecries as we gloriously fly into battle and defeat the big
baddies? A plan or just winging both suit me just fine." The Shard didn't seem to
have acknowledged her final sentence, glossing over it and just trying to move on.

Tec responded calmly, as to him everything was quite normal, "Not a wishing well,
though some wishes certainly are made with every spit! No, it's the reconstructed
grave of the Steel Drake. His story is told to hatchlings to keep them from being
evil, because he was a real bastard. Did a lot of bad things, this festival is
about his death after all so you can tell he was not liked. Nowadays, the
celebration is more general in what it is celebrating even if the date hasn't
changed, though one thing that has lasted throughout the ages is the act of
spitting on his grave. Generally, that's frowned upon, but this is the one
exception in Golden Dragon culture, because he isn't worthy of being called a Drake
at all or something. I don't personally partake, but the tradition has been around
for quite a while." Meanwhile, the celebration didn't stop, and in the skies
another event was happening. A group of Dragons flew up in the air, and using magic
and their flame breath started creating circles of pure flame, which other Dragons
then proceeded to fly through spinning or dive-bombing. All of this happened with
the fireworks display in the background.

� Reply #430 on: December 10, 2016, 07:18:03 pm �

Caprima smiled and clapped her hands a bit, satisfied that her plan was being
understood and approved "Good, good ..all of you children seem to understand!"
however suddenly she turned a bit confused, scratching her head and trying to focus
"..But I truly worry about the distraction a little. I can't sent you out to fight
the Hyl, that would be suicide ..and I neither can hold them all on my own. We
have to get a bait, but that will be risky too. My little Cui has had an idea
..but I'm not sure" Cui looking fairly serious, flew right infront of Caprima -who
in striking contrast looked rather sad- and she raised her claw proudly "I will be
the bait! You see, while all as Qoatl new and old have a little bit of the old
universe inside us, me having a connection with the orb I am a genuine part of the
old universe itself ..and while the Hyl want to destroy this universe and the
renmants of the old ..they only consider the old universe to be a threat worth
going after. So, I will attract their attention so that Xerry can sneak inside the
Hyl High Temple, and Caprima will help me be safe while he kicks the Hyl Queen's
feathered butt.." Caprima sighed and pushed the tiny blue dragoness out of her face
"It will take more than that... ..we can't risk both your life and the orb" Now
both Caprima and Cui seemed confused ..though the Capricorn turned her surprised
eyes towards a direction, as if something had happened right outside the vessel.
A familiar whale-like sound was heard, leading to Caprima finding her voice again
"We could try though. After all, it's our only hope."

...everything started to come together; the fighting, the tomb-spitting;

Barbarians! Barbarians Everywhere!
She tried calming herself though, realising the danger of exposing their foul ways
..instead she just made a small disapproving frown and turned to Tec, {"This
spitting ...not appropriate way treating dead - ever! See: Every soul holy,
because passes to next egg, and next, and next. Not way dragons should behave to
dead! ..but at least nice fireworks, hmph."}
She made some short of a pouty face with her snout and sat down, subtly snorting
some firesparks as three adolescent Golden Dragons who were saying rather rude
words for their age spitted at the tomb and left while laughing. However her eyes
soon captured two dragons who were looking at her in the side ..their look was one
she knew well, Ghashyr or Dragon it didn't matter; eyes never lie and their eyes
were filled with disdain.
Her eyes flashed for the split of a second. Inside her mind, thoughts and emotions
started mixing ..fear, rage, pride. Nevertheless the feeling she was most familiar
with soon started overwhelming her; Wrath! ...who did these two dragons think they
were? No one would look her like that ever again! ...The fire inside her was
burning brighter than ever, her fear and logical thoughts being turned to ash by
her wrath's fire, while raging voices started calling on her to act, to let them
taste the fires of hell itself. However the black dragoness was more civilised than
that, after all where's the fun if you don't play with the minds of your prey
first? ...slowly she turned her eyes towards them, glaring at both of those two
ignorant punny little lizards with all her hatred combined. Peculiarly enough she
smiled, her eyes not twitching even once, {"Dragons see something interesting?"}
she calmly said to them.

� Reply #431 on: December 11, 2016, 01:38:14 pm �

Myst didn't seem very comfortable with the idea, "Erhm, are we sure there is no
better way? Sounds very risky, and since they have the number advantage I don't
think it will work too well. How are we supposed to get all of them for instance?
But... I suppose I can't think of anything better unless... Hey, how exactly do the
Hyl plan to destroy the universe? That isn't something I believe one can do by
standing a circle and chanting. There must be something more to it." Myst picked up
on the whale sound, but decided not to bring it up.
Guardian stayed quiet, though he was focusing on sending a message to the crew to
look at the senors to see if something was outside. Xefr was in thought, mumbling
to himself "I just need to get close and do that memory channeling thing, that's
it. No pressure, just the fate of the universe is at stake. Nothing to worry about
at all..."

The Dragon on the left, young with slightly dirty golden scales, took on a dramatic
pose with putting his paw on his chest and speaking in mock-surprise, "Oh, me?
Perhaps I do see something interesting, that being an otherscale with no sense of
respect. You got some sort of problem with time-honored tradition? Typical. And
worse yet, you're with him..." The Dragon gestures with his head towards Tec, and
his tone has become more more malicious, "Freaks stick together I suppose, let
mutants and those who aren't even real dragons get together I suppose. Better to
have the filth in one place, I say, makes it easier to throw them into the dump."
Tec wanted to ask Re'Ni what she meant, but didn't get the chance before the
current situation began. He did seem uncomfortable with how the conversation was
going, but instead of speaking back he closed up to Re'Ni and started whispering to
her, "Hey, I know these guys. Let's not make any trouble, they're not worth your
tim..." The Shard was then cut off, as another Dragon appeared. He appeared
directly in front of Tec, with the sound of a cloaking device turning off and
revealing a dragon wearing a mask that had bulging eyes and horrible red paint that
looked like blood. For a bit after he decloaked, the new Dragon was blue and
transparent, looking like a ghost, which was further supported by how he yelled,
"Boo!". Tec was filled with fear at this sudden appearance of what he perceived as
a evil phantom, shrieking as covered his face with his wings. This led to all three
of the other dragons to laugh as Tec whimpered.
Around them, dragons took notice. Some just glanced before continuing with their
business and the celebrations, while others watched in interest.

� Reply #432 on: December 17, 2016, 07:07:40 am �

Caprima was deep into thought but patted Xefr to try and console him ..they
needed a good solution and fast. Cui seemed lost into calculations, but then it hit
her mind! Cui evidently jubilant went over to Myst and gave him a big kiss, next
flew over to Caprima and hugged her, and then over to Xefr and gave him a whipping
with her tail while smiling in a most annoying way. She had remembered an important
detail.. "I KNOW! THE OLD BONES! THE SKULL! THE WALL! REMEMBER XERY? We need a
psionically strong Qoatl, a presence so great that would draw the Hyl's
attention ..but do they have to be alive? NO! Haha! I knew there was a reason we
met in that old grave!" ..Caprima seemed surprised and worried at the same time
"My child could you talk in a more coherent way? What bones?" Cui turned her head,
still bearing that big smile "The orb, it was stored in a wall, and the skull was
the key ..and the room was definitely ancient. Now, I'm not trying to be
patriotic ..but that room was definitely of superior Qoatl design and of Imperial
worth at that. And that skull must've belonged to someone important ..someone not
born into that small planet, someone born in Aztlan." She looked at Xefr, then to
Myst and back at Caprima "Are you all pondering what I'm pondering?"

The Dragon's words were not unfamiliar to her, she just smiled {"Real Dragons?
Petty lizard's mind not capable of understand true nature of what mean be dragon.
All petty dragons here ...self, mate, all"} she paused and pointed at the golden
dragon with her claw {"..but this? This not even dragon. This lizard!"} She was
about to make that dragon's mind devolve into that of a gecko, however her
attention would be driven to something that would ignite in her something greater
than wrath; her mate being hurt and driven to fear!
Re'Ni's eyes stuck at the newcomer, never blinking or leaving her prey out of sight
...there was nothing more she had to say to these weaklings - they were just like
everyone else; mere animals, unworthy of being called dragons. She covered poor Tec
with her wing and smiled at him ..only muttering a few words in her frail and
somewhat unnervingly calm voice, while her eyes' white had given its place to a
dark void {"Not worry love ...Tec never fear again when Self here to protect."}
She calmly walked near the blue dragon bearing a soulless expression and opened her
wings wide ...wind started to move around her and the ground begun heating, she
suddenly raised her front paws and fire clouds appeared surrounding the rude trio.
She knew how she would handle these tribals, but first she had to show them what
she was made of ...A tremendous amound of fire left her mouth, but in a matter of
seconds she moved her head towards the ground ..only a few white flames would pass
near the dragon that insulted her first, but they would be hot enough to burn very
few of his scales off. Re'Ni seeing the burnt ground almost being turned to lava
and realising what could've happened, she nearly panicked, but soon the image of
her loved-one in fear came back to her along with her thirst for revenge ...she
had lost control. She smiled widely and looked back at the blue dragon
{"HAHAHaha ...not worthy of death! Self have better future for blue dragon!"} she
quickly reached her paw and touched him - a firey aura surrounded the two dragons
..the blue dragon would feel all of his scales starting to burn painfully, being
left with not blue ..but pitch black scales as dark as the night. She looked at
the dark sky and drew some kind of energy, filled with red and green out of her
necklace which was transferred to the blue jester, {"Night; dragon have black
scales, but mind of own. Day; have own scales, but mind of gecko! Hahahahaha!"} She
moved back and just stared at the blue dragon while smiling. At this point Re'Ni
was devoid of reality, nothing mattered to her, not even the Golden Dragons arround
her ..nothing! Her tail was shaking like a rattle-snake's from the excitement.

� Reply #433 on: December 17, 2016, 10:46:21 pm �

Myst was stunned for a moment, not expecting the very sudden kiss, but when Cui
explained her plan he just took a look of confusion. Guardian took on the same
look, and they both glanced at eachother, feeling like they didn't know something
important. Xefr however, while frowning in direct response to the whipping, smiled
when Cui finished explain her idea, and even snapped his claws with approval, "You
mean the Scion? Yes, he certainly held a very powerful aura, could easily attract
the attention of the Hyl. As for the architecture, I believe I'm getting where
you're going with this. In addition to the room, there was another thing which
rings true to what I believe you're saying... That's where we found the Atzel
Re'Ni. Or at least where Tec found her, I don't know if she was there or just
showed up. Regardless, the skull had quite an aura on its own, and I only got the
orb when I put it on... It could work. I still remember the place, so we could
probably do that Shiva-Teleport there so we don't have to go through the Ghashyr
defenses. Sure, there may a few archaeologists or guards or simple explorers down
there, but I'm sure I could talk to any of them. Probably easier to show than
explain."
Myst was listening to Xefr intently, but when he spoke of the skull the Shard's
mind started turning its gears as he heard about it. It could work, he needed that
power source.

The Blue Dragon screamed in pain as his scales changed to black, terror in his eyes
as Re'Ni spoke her sentence upon him. When she finally moved back, he ran. As fast
as he could, trying to escape before it got worse. His two friends were not far
behind, less concerned with the flames around them than the mad Dragoness in front
of them, and escaping her before she did something to them as well. Around, the
crowd was now quite unsettled, a few even deciding to leave before the crazy black
Dragoness turned on them as well. Most however, were just watching, to see what
happened next. The only ones not scared were the Combat Drakes and Mountain Guard,
who moved to the forefront of the crowds of Dragons, creating a circle and allowing
nobody close to Re'Ni, with a sort of circle eventually forming. The Combat Drake
Commander flew up in the air, watching. He made no commands, though he had called
for reinforcements, instead deciding to watch what happened next.
But the most afraid and worried of them all, was Tec. The Shard was horrified by
the scene. But his fear and worry wasn't for himself, or even the three Dragons, it
was for Re'Ni. He realized this must be that monster and wild animal she had spoken
of before, coming out. So while he was afraid, he knew he had to act. He moved and
threw himself in front of Re'Ni, trying to cut her off from the other Dragons.
Looking her straight in the eyes with his own teary, pleading eyes, he cried out to
her, "Stop! No more! They've learned their lesson!" He then hugged her from the
front, still pleading as he held on, "Please... You don't need to hurt them
anymore."

� Reply #434 on: December 21, 2016, 11:12:05 pm �

Cui danced around the room and turned back to Xefr "Oh don't worry about
archeologists ..I'll have them running in no time! It wouldn't be the first time
either." However as she glanced around, she noticed Myst had a rather peculiar and
rare expression ...propably he was still thinking about the kiss, that silly big
dragon.
On the other claw, Caprima soon understood everything her children where gloriously
blabbering about, and even though it baffled her a bit to use the skull of a
universe destroyer to save another universe ...it was probably the only way, no
matter how ironic for her old deceased friend and traitor, "All right children,
this idea sounds so thick-skulled it may actually work ...gather up and give me
your claws! And Cui, I want you to think of the room really, really hard."
Cui moved forwards and placed her paw on Caprima's shoulder leaving the Capricorn's
hands free for Myst and Xefr, then she tried thinking about the room ..somewhat
unsuccessfuly though due to Myst's charming effect, but she would manage it.
Upon arrival the four adventurers could see infront of them nothing but
darkness ...the familiar aura of the Myst was close, but this total darkness was
certainly not helping.

Being overwhelmed by her wrath, Re'Ni at first did not understand any of the words
Tec said to her. ...didn't he want her protection? Wasn't her action right? She
punished those who hurt him, yet he was there crying! ..something deep inside her
started to crush her heart as it always did, she knew that feeling well - the
reason why she hated people like the blue dragon came back to her mind as powerful
as a lightning; She was the real monster, she had hurt Tec ..not the blue dragon.
But could she fight that monster? She had hurt Tec, she had hurt that blue Dragon,
she had hurt all. Inside her mind a battle raged on, and the 'together forever'
seemed like a dream she would never reach ..for some it would be easy, but not for
her - not after living on the edge so long; She could see clearly what she already
knew, she couldn't have a happy ending either way ...not with all the pain she was
causing and she could cause.
All fire and psionic energy ceased. Re'Ni's desperate eyes met Tec's, somewhat
starting to sob as her tail and entire body begun to shake violently, {"Leave...
please ...Re'Ni hurt Tec. Re'Ni hurt dragon. Re'Ni hurt all. RE'NI MONSTER!"}
Crying inconsollably and trying to not look at him, she pushed Tec away from her.
It was a mistake from the beggining; her love for Tec ..their child ..she would
doom them all. No, she could not stand it; she had to fly away, far above the
horizon where she could hurt no one! And as such with a strong jump she rised up to
the starry skies trying to fly as fast and high as possible, but for a moment she
felt something inside her, something other than herself, and she looked back one
last time...

� Reply #435 on: December 22, 2016, 05:08:37 pm �

Myst grabbed Caprima's hand, though he was too far into his thoughts to groan at
the pun. Guardian however, did groan before taking the other shoulder, as the
second hand was taken by Xefr.
Arriving, Guardian snorted, "Really? Pitch-black, what a truly gorgeous look." The
Warrior Drake's eyes then flashed, conjuring magical balls of light to illuminate
the room. As the darkness faded away, Xefr looked around to see if anything was
different, and the two Shards looked upon the room for the first time.

Tec was stunned for a moment when she ran, but he was determined not to let her get
away. He used his powers as a Shard to turn incorporeal, and fly off right after
her without wind resistance to slow him down. On the ground, the Combat Drakes and
Mountain Guard prepared to pursue, but then the Commander suddenly shouted, "Let
them go! This will be resolved in time... Now, will someone go find that newly
Black Dragon? We need to get to work restoring his mind if that gecko thing comes
to be." With that, the young Drake Commander left, leaving behind some confused
soldiers who were entirely unsure of their commander's choice in letting the two
fly off.
In the air, Tec was flying as fast as he could, which was quite fast. When he
sighted Re'Ni, his eyes flashed and he teleported in front of her. He then pressed
up close to her, using his paws to grab her and force her to meet his pleadings
eyes with her own as she started to yell, "Don't you dare leave me! You're not a
monster Re'Ni, and running away doesn't fix anything! I learned that myself the
hard way, and I refuse to let anybody else go through that. We all have problems,
and we all eventually cause pain to others. Sometimes just a little, sometimes a
lot, but running doesn't stop that, it just makes it worse. You can be helped, and
I want to help you! Because I love you, and... and it's the only thing I can do..."
His voice lessened in volume, his eyes becoming more depressed, "It's always like
this. They always run away, everyone I love, because they think they hurt me.
Xorkai, many of friends, and now you Re'Ni... Hell, even Coll refuses to be in my
sight after he hurt me when he wasn't himself, I can't even talk to him because he
keeps fleeing from me. So maybe I'm the problem, and I'm wondering if I should
remove that problem... For good." His eyes drifted over to his claws, his nice,
sharp claws.
� Reply #436 on: December 26, 2016, 08:50:40 pm �
As the light balls vanquished the darkness, it seemed that two ghostly figures of
serpents were lost along with it - muttering something incomprehensible with their
soft, eery voices. A sudden cold wind passed beneath the scales and fur of the four
dragons and the capricorn, blowing out all but one of the balls of light ..as if
the inhabitants didn't approve of light that much, but still wanted the group to
remain. This place acted and felt alive, just like the last time.
Despite the low lighting all could view once again the big murals, the grea dragons
and the five eggs, as well as the macabre mural in the back ..and there it was,
the skull of a dragon lying on the ground. Upon noticing it, Caprima seemed shocked
and apalled, but mostly angered, "Not This! Damn Atzels ...why is it so hard for
that lot to ever do something right?" She turned to Xefr "This is extremelly dark
shiva, the skull was part of a ritual to teleport the orb directly inside the
wearer ...but the emotions contained in this room, something very dark took place
here and I know what it was ..I can still feel presences. Two souls trapped here,
and one greater" Cui seemed a bit scared, but tried acting cool ..she knew what
happened, and she knew how such things usually worked out after the sacrifices, but
there wasn't much of a choice on the matter "So, Xefr ..you touched it before,
it's how we met, remember? Is there anything more you felt other than my refreshing
presence and the orb?" Caprima was looking around at the room, from the murals and
the aura she too understood what all this was about ...a small storage of souls
that kept the skull running on shiva with their emotions for quite a while, and
they both were angry and hungry! Guardian could see for a mere second two
apparitions; two shadows of teenage dragons smiling while showing all of their
teeth and licking their snouts {{"Mmmm ..this one's fat!"}}

Re'Ni upon feeling Tec's paws holding her felt like she was safe for the first time
in her life - someone who after all that still hunted her, to care for her and
accept her. But upon hearing Tec's last sentence she just burst into tears and held
on him tightly, losing her balance completely {"No.. no, no! Not want hear this -
Not even think! ..No, no! Not Tec fault ..Re'Ni just foolish ..self never leave
Tec, just feared of hurting Tec, so thought leaving for while ..but ...no! Self
would return ...could not leave Tec, not egg - together Forever even if self hurt
Tec little. Realise hurt Re'Ni and Tec more if leave.. ..self never leave Tec
again, never, ever ..no matter what. No-no-no!"} Gripping on Tec tightly and
nuzzling her snoot around his face, she kept crying and shaking ..deep inside she
felt this was foolish, as they should be happy about what was to come. She kissed
Tec and gave a very subtle powerless smile, while her tail and her whole body were
now shaking like an earthquake "A-after all ...egg c-coming soon. S-s-should be
near ground ..h-happy" She then started crying again uncontrollably, though Tec
could feel that Re'Ni was not sad, but relieved ...despite her entire body
shaking.
Nevertheless, she started thinking about that poor blue dragon again ..he didn't
deserve to be a gecko, no one did, no matter how rude and mean - but how could she
change everything? How could she come down to Heord without the other dragons
turning against her ...her hope started to waiver and give its place to worry, but
at least she was in Tec's hug.

� Reply #437 on: December 26, 2016, 11:22:25 pm �

Xefr himself wasn't exactly appalled, since he had already been here and had been
in more intimidating places before it regardless. He thought for a moment, then
responded "Well, when I went into this room after Tec had discovered it, I did feel
somethings. For one, there was the Scion inside the helmet, and then those other
presences. Voices, so to say. Two of them I believe, though I mostly ignored them
at the time. Are they important?" Guardian meanwhile was not in the slightest
scared. He was the direct opposite of Tec in this regard, he did fear ghosts, but
loved to put them in their place. So, he glanced in the direction he had seen the
apparitions, and grinned before speaking out, "That's the wrong word. I believe you
meant to, muscly!" He then flexed his right wing and arm, prompting a face-palm
from Myst, who also didn't seem particularly disturbed, but rather quite interested
in the murals and the skull itself. Before Guardian had made a fool of himself,
Myst was quite focused on the bone, about all the applications this apparently dark
shiva could have.

Tec's thoughts about his claws and what he might do with them evaporated as she
started crying. He just held her closely as she let it all out. After a moment, he
smiled and spoke "Thank you Re'Ni. I promise I won't think of doing such things
again, so long as you stay with me. And yes, we should be happy. A glorious thing
will be happening soon." Tec moved his head a bit, still careful to keep hugging
her as he looked downwards. After a couple of seconds, he looked back to her. He
almost sensed that Re'Ni would be worried about how she had been seen doing that,
and he was quite relived himself when he saw nobody was following him. In a
comforting voice, he started talking again, "Well, it seems the authorities must
have understood you're not a bad person, since none of those guards seem to have
followed us. I think that means it's safe to go home. If anything does come up,
I'll handle it, I promise. You really need to rest, it's been to long since you
last slept. Come on, let's go test out that bed and enjoy its secondary purpose of
a resting spot." He moved himself slightly, in the direction of the house, waiting
for her to become a bit more stable before fully taking flight again.

� Reply #438 on: January 04, 2017, 11:57:58 am �

Caprima had made already her small conslusion, those two ghosts were still here and
seemed quite playful ...she thought for a bit, but then gave in "Allright, I've
senced worse spirits than those two ...Xefr, these two voices you felt are part of
an ancient Dark Shiva ritual that involves sacrfices ..nevertheless, those two can
only truly hurt beings, that ..well, are more 'physical' than any of us."
The young dragon voices surfaced again and now everyone could hear them {{"Oh
really? Hah, and oh boy ..you sure are fat!"}} the second voice, somewhat more
frail and pitchy followed suit {{"Yeah, fat! Hahaha! ..you are an old fat goat!"}}
Caprima was losing her temper a bit as her eyes turning to a bright red and her
fangs showing would indicate, "For millenium-old ghosts you sure are two immature
and rude dragonlings!" - {{"..Says the fat old goat!"}} responded the first voice,
followed by some rather unsuitable for younger audiences words being mumbled by the
fat old goat.
Cui seemed a bit unsure by it all and poked Caprima to get going "Hey we better
leave Cap." Caprima nodded while looking left and right angrily "Yeah, or else some
ghosts are going to get aetherialised back to kingdom come! Come on, Xefr grab the
skull and let's get out of-" before she could finish her phrase two shadows of
dragons made of mist, one purple and one orange, with blank white eyes appeared
blocking the exit {{"HAHAHAHA! Where are you going fatties? We want to play!
Haven't played in years ..say, are you guys fond of hide and seek?
Hnyenehnye..."}} the orange dragon seemed not that happy though; {{"Hey bro, that's
boring and I'm hungry ...I prefer the thing we do in which we tear their souls
apart and eat their brains!"}} the purple dragon bumped his brothers head,
obviously not approving his interruption {{"Shut up you idiot, I want to play
..weren't the grey monkeys we ate yesterday good enough?"}}.
Cui readied her defensive umbrella just in case, while Caprima was about to bring
hellfire raining down on the two ghosts.

Tec's comforting voice was doing wonders in calming his mate ..she was back in
full control, but that didn't exactly mean she would be more in control of her
feelings and sense of having done something horrible.
While at first the thought of going back home was a good idea ..this wouldn't be
the case now for Re'Ni, for this dragon was a stubborn one and she wouldn't hide
from the world her entire life ..she was going to find that dragon and fix
everything! ..or at least try. {"Tec right, but first self need fix this ..not
want stay in cave for eternity. Already tried that, not good for mind. ...If want
Tec follow, if not wait in home. Promise return fast if anything happen. Ok?"} As
she finished her sentence, it was quite obvious she wanted Tec to follow her,
considering she was still holding his paw hard in her grip and she seemed a bit
scared. Many thoughts surrounded her; like how the local authorities would respond
..and most importantly, how that ex-blue dragon would react.

� Reply #439 on: January 06, 2017, 04:20:58 pm �

Guardian also seemed to be preparing for battle, though his preperation was quite
evident as he held up his right claw in front of him, and it burst into a green
flame, with the warrior dragon bearing a vicious grin. The fact that they had
materialized out of mist did not evade him, and he only saw a saw sharpen his
skills at fighting Forbidden, who also liked taking a mist form. Xefr had grabbed
the skull, using his tail to carry it. However, when the two shadow dragons
appeared, he listened to them speak and decided to try and talk to the orange
dragon, "Say, if you're hungry, would you like some Ice Cream? I highly doubt you
have any down in this tomb, and wouldn't it be just the perfect thing to combat the
heat? Besides, one cannot play on an empty stomach, that's just wrong."
Myst had a feeling at what Xefr was trying to do, so he decided to take the chance
and sent a psionic message to Caprima {{"Caprima, might I request you do that
teleportation thing again? Time is of the essence, and I'm not personally liking
the look I see on Guardian's face. We should get out of here before he does
something rash..."}} He wasn't however just going to stay idle, and was already
preparing a psionic attack just in case.

Tec smiled, and gave Re'Ni a kiss, "I knew you were a good person, already working
to fix things. Alright, I'll follow you. Can't let you get lost now, and I doubt
you really know your way around yet. The Blue Dragon went the other way, so I think
that's a good direction to go in search. Go on, I'll be right behind you, ready to
talk things out if a problem arises." He was happy to see her calm and in control
again, and was determined not to let that event ever occur again. And he was
certain that helping that Dragon return to normal would be a great way to help her
along, and he would be there every step of the way.

� Reply #440 on: January 08, 2017, 01:54:44 pm �

The orange dragon seemed intrigued by the offer for an Ice cream, and before his
brother could initiate whatever game he was planning, he stepped forward towards
Xefr while licking his snout ...the closer he got, the more cold Xefr's scales
would feel, {{"Ice cream? You have all flavours? ...Melon even?"}}. The purple
dragon gnarled and blew a cold firebreath on his brother, dissolving his shadow
only for it to re-appear again, {{"Are you a complete idiot? Can't you see they're
just trying to escape?"}} he then turned facing Myst with a rather threatening
glare in his eyes {{Hmmm ...but since they can't, perhaps we could let them treat
us with some fine Melon-flavoured ice-cream before we get to play. Yum!"}}. In the
meanwhile Caprima had received Myst's message and nodded discreetly; She suddenly
raised both her hands and shouted, chains of light flew right off her chest and
embraced Xefr, Cui, Guardian and Myst - a bright light blotted eveyones' eyes
..they all reappeared in the Soul's Eclipse and within Forbidden's cell, all five
standing right infront of a giant version of Forbidden who laughed and thrusted his
giant claw at our heroes ...as the claws touched them however, they just dissolved
in shadows of orange and purple, and the cell transformed back into the ancient
tomb, the illusion being cleared away to the last detail.. {{"HAHAHAHAHAHA, gotcha!
...quite a secret you got there chosen one! Scared of the biggest part of your own
self, eh? Hmmmm, she'd give us many souls to feast upon for such a valuable
information! ..but first, you said you got Ice cream for us! My brother is hungry
so you better not be lying."}}, said the purple shadow, slowly reforming back into
the shape of a dragon, as was his orange brother ...Caprima seemed genuinely
confused and scared at the prospect of all this being a trap ..a trap she fell in
like a fool, but she had not said her last word.

Re'Ni smiled and started flying along with Tec towards the way the blue dragon fled
{{"Thanks Tec. Self need this ..Self promise try not let anger rule mind ever
again."}} As she flew she started wondering how to reverse the curse ...she had
never tried before to reverse it and especially not with a dragon - if it didn't
succeed, the wrath of the law would be the last she would be worrying about, as
guilt was always her greatest and most vicious enemy.

� Reply #441 on: January 08, 2017, 05:45:30 pm �

Xefr wasn't really discomforted by the orange or purple dragons, until they created
that illusion. At that point, Xefr became quite terrified that a fatal mistake had
been made, shrinking away from the false-Forbidden until the scene dissipated. Once
reality returned however, he quickly shook it off, and looked to the orange dragon,
"Melon flavor huh? Interesting choice, but nothing I cannot accomplish. Here you
go." Xefr decided to call upon a trick he used whenever Scout wanted something, but
the ship did not have it at the time. In the same way a mechanical replicator took
energy and converted it into food, he would take psionic energy and convert it into
Ice Cream. He held up a paw, and focused. Slowly, blue psionic energy flew into the
silhouettes of two dragon sized ice cream cones, filling them until there was a
flash, and two complete cones of ice cream were created, with melon flavor. They
floated over to the dragons for them to grab, and Xefr grinned, "There you go.
Enjoy!" The Black Drake was careful to mask that the fact that he was very tired,
for the reason he never used that trick to feed himself was because it took a lot
more energy out of him than the product could give back.
Myst and Guardian were also quite intimidated and worried by the Forbidden-stunt.
However, they recovered, and Guardian seemed particularly confused by the light
green ice cream. The Warrior Drake leaned into Myst and whispered, "Uh, Myst? Why
are they asking for nebula flavored ice cream?" Myst responded quietly, slightly
confused himself, "Apparently, a melon is a fruit. They are supposedly grown
outside of Iammelon, though I've never seen one myself so perhaps I'm just taking a
rumor too seriously and they really are asking for nebula-flavor. Of course, that's
unlikely, since I don't think nebula has a taste." Guardian thought about it for a
moment, and whispered back again, "But maybe it's an insult, since they clearly
just gleamed into Xefr's mind. Perhaps they are using the rumored fruit and the
name of our homeland to ask for ice cream in the flavor of a person from Iammelon?"
The two Shards continued to theorize as to what the two dragons could possibly mean
by melon-flavored.

Tec just kept smiling at her, happy to be of help, "You are welcome Re'Ni. Let's
see... Not sure what to look for but maybe there will be something to reveal their
location... Oh! Over there!" Tec pointed a gathering of dragons, in which a Golden
Dragon and a Combat Drake were trying to calm down a panicking Black Dragon.

� Reply #442 on: January 13, 2017, 07:10:13 pm �

The Orange dragon grabbed violently the ice-cream and sniffed it, was this truly
Melon? Perhaps these new mortal dragons weren't that bad after all! He hesitantly
licked the ice cream a bit {{"Hmmmm, it leaves a golden, fiery aftertaste ...this
is great! You make great ice cream Mr Xefr! ..for a fleshbag that is."}} The
Purple dragon seemed angry and sad though {{"I said I was hungry first! I should
get it!"}} the orange dragon opened his mouth wide over the icecream, while gazing
at his worried brother with a sinister look on his shadowy face ...the purple
dragon looked in terror, {{"DON'T YOU DARE!"}} he cried, but his brother did dare
and that tasty ice cream was lost in a matter of seconds. The two shadows started
fighting by slapping each others' paws in a fast manner like hatchlings. Cui rolled
her eyes and took her natural size "ENOUGH! I won't play your silly game ....I
just can't watch two little hatchlings acting like idiots while the universe is
being destroyed. Xery was tested enough. YOU, orange guy, you should be ashamed
that you didn't share with the purple guy ..and you purple, hitting others is not
proper response when things don't get your way!" both of the two shadows pulled out
their tongues, and Purple pointed with his claw at Cui, looking rather pissed off
with her {{"Oh yeah? Well neither you should leave and take Sion away, leaving us
all alone in this awful dark place to go off playing with that stupid goat of yours
and kissing your idiot boyfriend!"}} Cui stompted the ground with her tail "I
Didn't knew you even existed ..and Wh-what boyfriend? ..I didn't tell you
ANYTHING! My mind is sealed ..I'm, I'm a ghost too!" Both shadows looked at each
other and then back at Cui {{"Oh really? I remember you telling us a few
things.."}} Purple adopted a feminine stance and started mimicking Cui's voice
{{"Ohhh, you should she him ..he's so cute and kind, I love him so much! He's so
dreaaaaaamy! Myst is so much more smart than other dragons, and tall and brave and
romantic ..I wish he'd wrap me up with his tail and warm me up"}} and started
chanting {{"Cui and Myst sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"}} Cui snarled and jumped
right away at the mocking shadows - soon all three were a big ball of shadows
fighting each other ..Caprima's palm swiftly met her face, then turning to Xefr
with a depressed look in her eyes "See what kind of people I had to deal with my
child? And they ruled seven galaxies, I kid you not ...*sigh* Okay, enough with
this low quality show ..now that they're pre-occupied you'll help me to get us out
of here; give me your paw, concentrate on your feelings and think of the Soul's
Eclipse ..we'll take those two with us if they won't let us out of here. Their
greater powers will be lost as soon as they leave the tomb, anyway."

Re'Ni flew close to the small group of dragons ..seeing the effects of her actions
filled her soul with sadness, a sadness that soon turned to disgust for her own
self. What if she hadn't stopped? What if she actually had those dragons burn? She
would never allow that ever again ...or at least she would try! She halted midair
and turned her head the other way ..she just couldn't look at the poor panicking
dragon, she looked at Tec with uncertainty obviously overwhelming her thoughts,
{{"Tec ..perhaps better if tell other dragons instead of self. Not sure dragons
let self near ...Re'Ni caused all this. ..but tell Re'Ni fix this."}}

� Reply #443 on: January 13, 2017, 08:38:33 pm �

Myst sat off to the sidelines of the battle, a bit embarrassed by the implications
set forth by the mocking, and unsure whether or not he should jump in to give Cui
some backup. And though he was unsure about getting personally involved, he had
already started using his psionic power to boost Cui's strength, just to give her
that little advantage.
Xefr nodded to Caprima, "Right, I'll do that. About time we left I suppose, since
we got what we came for." The Black Drake started focusing on his emotions, putting
an image of the Soul's Eclipse in his mind. He started getting more specific with
the image, going to the cafeteria, and focusing on memories of that room. In
particualar, he thought of a fun time early on in the life of the Shards, with all
of them except Forbidden together having dinner, and it descending into a psionic
food fight. But while Xefr was fondly focusing on those happy times, Guardian
walked over to Caprima and whispered, "If we're bringing them back to the ship, can
we lock them up in the last cell of the brig? I bet it could hold them, for at
least long enough for us to decide what to do with them. Let them talk to Forbidden
as well, I bet they'll have much better manners after having to put up with him for
a while."

Tec flew close to her and nodded, "I can do that. Just wait till I wave you down,
then do your best. I won't be long." He then gave her a small kiss, and flew down
to the group of dragons, landing nearby.
Almost immediately upon landing, the newly-black dragon noticed him and started
yelling, "It's him! I gave him a little scare and his crazy girlfriend did this to
me! Keep them away from me!" He covered his front with his wings, and the other
Golden Dragon stepped in front of him and started yelling at Tec, "Who the hell do
you think you are to come here after doing this to my son?! I'm gonna..."
He didn't finish, as the Combat Drake gestured for him to quiet down, before
looking to Tec and speaking in a very strict tone, "You had best have a good reason
for coming here. Because if I don't hear a good excuse, you're under arrest so that
we can question you about this magical crime." Tec held up his paws in front of
him, seeing the situation was tense and trying to calm it down, "I assure you, I
have a good reason. I'm here to turn him back. My mate is going to turn him back,
and I'm willing to pay compensation for the pain and emotional damage." But the
Combat Drake did not budge.
However, before Tec got the chance to plead his case further, there came a voice
from the woods, "I think it's worth a shot really." And out stepped that Combat
Drake Commander from the festival, giving Tec a knowing grin and then going on,
"Certainly better than waiting for somebody else to remove that little spell, and
the caster will always be the best at getting rid of their own spells regardless.
If it works, great. Problem averted and money will be provided to pay for the
therapist who will help get poor Frak'Tra over there get past this. And if it
doesn't work, we arrest them here and now. It's a complete win." The Combat Drake
gave the commander a salute and stood aside, whilst the other Dragon thought about
it for a moment before relucantly getting out of the way. Tec looked at the
Commander with astonishment for a moment, and then waved for Re'Ni to come down, as
the way to the scared young dragon was open.

� Reply #444 on: January 28, 2018, 08:18:26 pm �

Cui swinged her claws and tail with fury while her energy begun charging to rather
high levels for any ghost; Filled by a nearly uncontrollable rage, Myst's boost
would not be needed for Cui to kick the annoying hatchlings' tails ...obstructing
their mission to save the universe was one thing, mocking her infront of Caprima
and Myst was another. As all the little Qoatl dragon apparitions fought, Caprima
winked at Guardian and spoke to him in an almost sinsister tone "No need for that
my child ...once we get back I'll handle these rascals myself" she raised her hands
and tried to focus, a task that was quite hard considering Cui was using half and
more of her beloved Capricorn's own power and the orb's to fight some silly little
sacrificed dragonlings! The tired capricorn sighed, took a deep breath and out of
her hands formed a plethora of white shadows running around everyone in the
room ...all existence ceased for a moment and for a few split seconds everyone
could witness images dating back to the creation of the world ..or one world of
many, to be accurate. Then suddenly, they all appeared a little above the floor in
a corridor of the Soul's Eclipse, falling down gracefully like sacks of potatoes.
Falling down as Cui was slapping their tails and they were munching her wings, the
two dragon ghost brothers shook their heads in confusion, for a very long time ever
since their deaths they haven't had felt so solid, something must've gone terribly
wrong! As cui flew away from them with a snarky grin on her face ..Caprima walked
up to them looking down on the two colourful dragons with a big angry frown while
tapping her foot and having her arms crossed "Enough!You two are grounded. You're
no longer in the sacrificial tomb, so the shiva bound to you no longer empowers you
..understood?" The purple dragon hissed and tried breathing a large amount of fire
upon Caprima, only for the attack to just pass through the Capricorn and dissolve,
leading to both dragonlings to throw a majestic tantrum involving high-pitched
whining and hitting the floor. Caprima rolled her eyes and turned around facing
Guardian and Xefr, evidently tired from all of this "Lock them somewhere safe and
give them something to play ..they're not evil afterall, just victims."
Cui somewhat reluctantly approached Myst from his side and nudged him ..merely
whispering "Ehm ..about what those two said ..I ..well, I'm a Qoatl warrior, so
even if it is true what they said, if you mention what happened ever again I'll
stuff your mouth with your own tail. ..and ..ehm, I love you I guess."
Evertything seemed to be in order, everything but the skull; Xefr could feel
something from it ...familiar feelings; Anger, Sorrow, Guilt. That old bunch of
bones felt as if it was actually a person on its own right, and a rather strong one
at that.

Re'Ni shrieked after seeing her mate waving her to come down, her tail beggining to
shake again. She really didn't want to come down, fearing that she would ruin
everything just as she did earlier ...but she had to; for Tec's sake and her own.
She reluctantly approached the small group of dragons with her head hanged down and
trying to avoid looking at any other dragon than Tec ..her behaviour was
unnaturaly nervous and it showed. She tried saying something but as soon as she
tried to form a sentence, the only think that came out was an incomprehensible
whisper and her mind begun entering a circular motion ...Who said these barbarians
would actually consider forgiving her? These tomb spitters! But ..but she was
worse, she nearly killed them all and she caused one of them to suffer. She was a
horrible valx, a bad mother and completely devoid of social norms. Yes, she was to
blaim ..Re'Ni is awful ...and all because of them! "Burn them All and go home" said
her voice..
Re'Ni munched her Snout looking nervously left and right, trembling so bad that the
ground arround her felt as if a small earthquake was happening "Burn them all" the
voice repeated. Re'Ni raised her head looking at the distant with a rather creepy
smile on her face {"Nope!"} then upon looking at her victim, her eyes darkened, the
voices within almost making her sob as she tried talking to the dragons present
{"Re'Ni very sorry! Worst Valx ...Fix this!"} She readied an orb of light on her
paw and looked at it hesitantly, then spit at it, turning it into a luminescent
pearl-coloured ball of light.

� Reply #445 on: January 31, 2018, 06:55:30 pm �

The Shards all landed without issue, and all seemed relieved to be in the familiar
halls of their great vessel and home. Guardian watched the two younglings flail
about, snickering when their attack failed so spectacularly. While he did soften a
bit at the tantrums, for they reminded him of Scout, he still grinned at them
getting their just dues for now. He nodded to Caprima, "Understood. I'll lock em up
in one of Scout's playrooms. Those are well fortified, from both inside and outside
threats, so should be able to keep them locked in. Plus, they have plenty of
entertainment too. I think I'll send them to room seventeen. There's an ice-cream
dispenser in there, alongside some toys and a TV to watch. That should work to keep
them occupied..." With that, he wandered over next to the two dragonlings throwing
their tantrum, raising up a paw and saying, "Hey, brats! In our infinite
generosity, your grounding will be done in a playroom. Enjoy!" With that, the paw
glowed, and a magical dome appeared around the two of them. Within moments, it
disappeared, taking the 'lings along with it to playroom seventeen.
Myst blushed as he looked down at Cui, his voice being low as well, "I think,
Cui... That I love you too. So, I promise not to tell..." The Shard was thinking he
probably needed to lighten the mood a bit, and thought of something. He was a bit
embarrassed to say it, but he mustered all of his confidence in the attempt.
Throwing on his normal cool and calm facade, he spoke a little louder now,
"However, since it appears what was said was indeed true... Well, my tail is at the
ready to wrap up and warm if asked!" Pretty much as soon as he finished saying that
however, he winced and looked away, completely regretting saying that and beating
himself up over ruining the moment.

Xefr in the meanwhile was most focused on the skull, looking down at it with
understanding. These were all quite familiar feelings to Xefr, he'd felt them many
times before, and so he couldn't help but feel sympathy for whoever this person in
the bones may be. He'd spoken to somebody through the bones before, the one who
sent him on the quest in the first place, and so he had to wonder if this was
indeed that person, or somebody else entirely. He eventually broke out of the
stupor once Guardian banished the dragonlings to their grounding in the playroom,
looking back to Caprima and saying, "Well, guess we need to figure out our next
move, right?"

Tec quickly positioned himself beside Re'Ni, trying to comfort her with his
presence and shielding her with his wing. He wanted to show her that he believed in
her, and was there to protect her. He had to do this silently though, since he
didn't want to speak and screw up whatever she was doing. The two Combat Drakes,
Commander and Grunt, watched from the sidelines. Not interrupting, but being ready
to act. The Commander had put his trust in this, but he wouldn't hestiate should
the trust be in vain. The newly Black Dragon was still scared, looking at the ball
of light with fear. Still, this would be helpful to Re'Ni in the end, since it
meant he was anchored by that fear and wouldn't move. It was all up to whatever
Re'Ni's fix was.

� Reply #446 on: March 01, 2018, 06:43:05 pm �

The two ghosts would stop bickering and just glee at the sight of the playroom,
"THANKS FATTY!" said both in unison and flied hastily to test all the games
...caves can be pretty boring for two dragonlings after a few millenia!
Cui blinked looking a bit awkward as she stared at Myst with a dumb expression on
her ..she flew right infront of him and slapped him, only to grabb his face with
her paws "That's for ruining the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me"
and then proceeded to give him a big kiss with her eyes closed and hug him right
afterwards "And that's because I love you as much ...you sillyscales!". Thinking
of what the future beholded, she snorted and huffed, looking up "You know Myst
..whatever happens, we'll always have this. We'll win in the end, I'm sure of it.
I'm sure."[/i]

Caprima raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms looking at Xefr in a somewhat
playful manner "I guess you could say we'll.. bone some Hyl tail! Or! Or! I know;
We'll skull them!" then retorted to snickering. After overcoming her horrible puns,
she sighed and gazed upon Xefr with a far more less jovial smile ...should she tell
him there was no plan? Should she tell him everything depended on him? Should she
tell him who the real enemy was and what Xefr would be actually fighting for?
Mortals were so prone to make mistakes whenever they knew everything ..especially
dragons, she though as she looked at the skull with an angry frown. She closed her
eyes a bit and concentrated at the Hyl's position, then smiled and turned to Xefr
"You know what ..today I think we should just rest. I've tracked the Hyl pack
quite far from the center of the universe, we could reach them in a few days time
and then sneak on them ..they're probably recharging their powers by destroying
old stars" Suddenly her fur got all stirred up, her fangs grew and her eyes
widened, turning yellow with red like before, revealing her true form ...something
had really startled her "...WELL SHOOT! I haven't felt such a strong aura in
ages ..must be that black dragoness emitting Shiva waves ..let's just hope this
sillypants won't pull an Atzel and attract every Hyl and Multiversal entity on her
position with those emissions." The skull seemed to have an angry frown for a
moment there, clearly not approving the expression "to pull an Atzel".

Tec's winghug really comforted her, it was nice to know that at least one person in
this awful universe believed in her ..trusted her and didn't think she was just a
crazy menace ...loved her even! Re'Ni gazed upon the combat drakes and the once
blue drake; she would fix this ..but should she really? For a moment it looked
like a good punishment "Yes! Turn foolvalx into Gecko!" said her voice ..if she
could control her powers, no one could stop her. ...But would all this bring
happiness to her? Was punishing others the way to freedom? No, she would fix this
and become something she never tried before ....a true Atzel! {{"Nope"}} she said
again to herself. She closed her eyes and nodded, then gently left Tec's embrace to
get calmly closer to the group of Drakes.
As she closed up to her victim she closed up to him and raised her claw up to the
sky ...the orb grew bigger and stronger, while her eyes turned pure white, a storm
begun forming above them. Amidst the thunders she grinned and finally released the
orb upon the fool who had mocked her Tec ...she would show these silly drakes
what a real Atzel is, the time of hiding and holding back her true power was over.
{{"Re'Ni hopes get color right..."}} A giant explosion of white light overwhelmed
the entire planet of Heord for a few seconds, the magic it emitted would not leave
the place for years ...as the light cleared away, the poor drake had back his blue
colour and more ...he would not remember anything scarring that happened after
Re'Ni's snap, just their exchange of insults in the fair. Re'Ni just smiled and
slapped the blue dragon with her paw {{"There ...even!"}} she turned to Tec
{{"Re'Ni and Tec fly back home now ..had enough of Heord"}}

� Reply #447 on: March 03, 2018, 02:05:02 pm �

Myst rubbed his face with a paw due to the slap, though he had a smile on his face,
"Yeah, I think I deserved that for ruining the moment with such efficiency. But a
little pain is worth what came after, I think. Will have to endeavor to make a more
romantic moment in the future to truly back up for it." He looked down at her and
nodded at Cui, "Agreed. It's quite optimistic, and it's a gut feeling more than
anything, but I'm feeling unusual in the fact that I'm actually confident about it.
I don't usually trust the gut, but it seems you bring out a more instinctual side
of me, Cui... Erhm, take that as you will. Regardless, I took am sure we will win
in the end, together."

Xefr smiled at the puns, having enjoyed them himself. He seemed satisfied by the
chance to finally rest for a moment, since he felt that everything had been moving
so fast he hadn't had the time to really process it all. This was the perfect time
to do so, and sharpen his mind for the challenges he believed were ahead of them.
But before he could respond, Caprima had revealed her true form, causing surprise
to Xefr as well. He wasn't too shocked, since from the Shiva lessons he had learnt
that Caprima was more than meets the eye, but he wasn't used to this red-form of
hers. Still he recovered from the surprise soon enough, giving a nod, "You mean
Re'Ni, correct? If so, then you will find that I am in agreement that it would be
best to avoid such a thing, based on what I have heard about these Atzels and their
powers. Though I personally just hope that Tec is alright. I'm sure he is right
now, since I haven't felt anything, but I am still concerned." The Black Dragon did
not fail to notice the skull's sudden change in expression, but he decided not to
voice this to Caprima for now.
Guardian approached the two of them, stretching his wings. He spoke with a tired
tone, though still happy, "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but a chance
to rest sounds just simply wonderful! I'll have to make a call if we're taking the
day off, to fully enjoy myself, but hot damn do I thi-" He suddenly just stopped
speaking, the reason for which became clear as a creeping wave of dark energy
passed through the room, along with muffled malicious laughter. Guardian's
expression suddenly became incredibly serious, "Stay here. I'll handle this as I
always do. This is my purpose, after all." And then, he teleported away, down to
the ship's brig. Xefr simply solemnly nodded, speaking to Cui and Caprima, "I'll be
following that order myself, and I'd recommend you two do as well. I know for a
fact I'll just be getting in the way, but if you want to go I won't stop you. And
before you ask, that is indeed the Corrupted Shard's presence you felt. Another
Shade has gotten loose, Shades being small extensions of Forbidden's power that
slip out of his prison and attempt to flee the ship. Guardian is the one who
contains them."

The orb easily stunned all Dragons present, as well as a fair few on other areas of
the planet. Even the grand Golden Fleet in orbit took note, as it was hard not to.
The light was most especially taken note of by two other Black Dragons on the
planet, one out in the forest and one teaching a class of Dragonlings. Both were
quite aware of what had just taken place, from their great many years of knowledge.
The Blue Dragon was surprised by the slap, rubbing his face but quickly fleeing
soon after due to sheer confusion on what was going on. Tec simply nodded, "No
objections here. I've had enough excitement today for myself as well. Come on,
let's fly." The Shard then took to the skies. One Combat Drake had left, his
mission done with, and he had a lot of paperwork to handle due to this whole mess.
The Captain yet lingered though. Strangely, he didn't actually seem to care much
about Re'Ni right now, even despite her display of power. He almost seemed
desensitized to such a display, like he had seen it before somewhere else. He was
more focused on Tec as he flew into the sky, like he wanted to say something but
was holding his tongue. This lasted for a few seconds before he finally sighed and
walked off into the brush.

� Reply #448 on: April 02, 2018, 09:19:41 pm �

Cui smiled at Myst for his optimism ..she used to be an optimist herself before,
but unfortunately she knew a lot about the universe now and all those hidden truths
she had vowed to never talk off were torturing her soul. The blue Qoatl took her
natural form, she seemed far more serious and grown up in her tone than she usually
was "We might not have as much time as we think, so we better make what remains of
it worth it ..in a proper and official way ..I may seem a bit easy at times
..but I'm a proper Qoatl lady and warrior! So, will you marry me?"

Caprima seemed to not be surprised by the outbursts of darkness; she recognized the
feelings surpassing the area immediately, as she herself had felt those feelings
before and knew very well what was their cause and source. A frail familiar whale
sound was heard for a moment from out in space, Caprima just nodded to it and then
the old capricorn gave off a subtle sooth smile to Xefr while her eyes remained in
their despicable blooded vampiric form, not really bothering to change them back
"No, I won't stay here. In fact I think it's high time to meet the second most
important concentration of your old soul's emotional being. This meeting has been
postponed enough ...don't worry, this shard is not most of what you are my child
and I will prove it. You are much, much more than what you think." She joined her
palms and dematerialized in a thin purple cloud, only to materialize within
forbidden's cage, right in front of him, smiling with her eyes closed as if she was
meeting with an old acquaintance ...most probably due to the aura of emotions
reminding of herself "Hi Xefr. Or have you thrown that name of late to forget who
you are, like I did?" she seemed to be entirely calm and peculiarly; genuinely glad
to meet the "lost" shard. As she opened her eyes they were leaking the exact same
bright red aura Forbidden's eyes did.
-

As Re'Ni and Tec reached back to their home, the tired dragoness silently
approached one of the garden's fountains to lick some water {"Strange Day. Re'Ni
first time correct mistake... perhaps should not. Self could take over Heord easily
...rule with Tec as self's sexy concubine, but instead just turned stupid blue Valx
back to time. Very tired ...think lie down here and lay egg, then sleep."} she
calmly closed her eyes and turned around in search for a good spot, being too tired
to realise what she had just said and was about to do ...as she lied down and
closed her eyes she suddenly rose her head back up fully awoken and bearing a
terrified and worried expression after realising she was truly going to lay the egg
...her tail shaking as it always did in those emotional levels {"T-t-tec!
..is ..is t-t-time! What self do? What if egg crack? What if hatchling scales is
silly color? ...like fuxia! Fuxia scales get mocked! Ahhhhh!"}

� Reply #449 on: April 02, 2018, 11:18:40 pm �

Myst was silent for a few moments as his mind carefully processed the request, and
Cui could tell that his mind had completed its task when his scales started turning
as red as Ezron's, even though Cui had no idea who that particular Dragon was. The
Shard tried to speak, and failed. So he tried again, this time succeeding, "I... I
will! I'll marry you, Cui!" He looked away for a moment, and then looked back.
Suddenly he seemed a lot more calm, as he had managed to slip that mask back on
now, "Ahem... So yes, I accept! I will gladly marry you, Cui. That's the natural
thing to do when you love somebody, and want to spend time with them, right? And so
let's not waste any of our limited time, and go about making that marriage
official. Now, if Qoatl are anything like Golden Dragons, then we both know that
marriages are finally sealed by... Oh my..." His voice trailed off, and one could
almost visualize the mask slipping off as Myst remembered how the Dragons of Heord
sanctified marriage, and he once more got incredibly nervous. His tail began to
swish about rapidly like it had done before.

Xefr sighed as Caprima disappeared. He didn't share her conviction in this regard.
He may have seen Caprima's true form, or at least what he was pretty sure was her
real form, and knew the truth about what she was, or at least believed he did. But
none of that made him see Forbidden in any less of a terrifying light. He simply
had to hope this went well.
Caprima, arriving in the cage, could see that there was no Forbidden to simply be
in front of, for he was all around. There was no eyes that leaked, for the entire
cage was filled with the leakage. This red mist swirled around in the cage, now
directing itself to enclose itself around Caprima's form. It did not touch her, but
formed itself into a sphere around her. In the brief moments before there was
nothing but the mist in sight, she could see outside the Cage, where Guardian was
doing battle with another Dragon made of this mist, and Guardian appeared to be
winning. Regardless, when Forbidden did speak back to Caprima, two black eyes
appeared in front of her, and his dark voice was lined with poison in every word,
"So very confident, so self assured... How very different from my brothers. Well,
not really. You are quite a bit like Myst, who lives a lie, you merely project
that lie onto others as well. A masterful forgery. But let us not mince words, and
let us lift the veil. I have been watching you carefully, ever since you came
aboard this cursed ship. I know so much more than you may ever expect. In fact, why
speak in this tongue, when I know your true language? Allow me to speak to you in
the way of your kind..."
The mist broke, and started culminating into a shape. Taking new colors and form.
The end product was a black sheep, yet it was slightly disformed, like there was
another animal underneath. This was cemented by the fact that when it opened its
mouth, it let out a menacing howl, like that of a wolf who had lost its pack. And
then, it just grinned, revealing its menacing predatoral teeth. Forbidden felt that
this last touch would ensure Caprima got the message of what he meant.

Tec smiled and chuckled, visualizing himself as the "sexy concubine" standing at
Queen Re'Ni's side. Hardly the worst existence one could have. However, before he
could join Re'Ni or give a response, he too was overcome with shock once he
realized what Re'Ni had actually said. He put his paws on her shoulders and said,
"First step, calm down! Relaxing will allow the egg to come out more easily. Second
step, lie down in a safe area! And third step, stay calm! I'll do all the panicking
for you! But I can also do other things to help!"

Cui rushed and closed Myst with all her might in a tight winghug, remaining silent
with her eyes closed for a little while. She finally opened her eyes looking into
Myst's and smiling "I never have felt more alive. I love you Myst."

Caprima just chuckled and remained idle, extending her arms and nodding. She hadn't
had the honor of meeting someone who truly understood her being, she craved for
that familiarity for such a long time and even if he was a lost cause ..he still
was a lost cause she could respect "How very pleasant. It's nice to finally meet a
bright child ...someone who can see beyond. So let me show what you are in
response" everything turned dark and suddlenly a bright blinding white cloud
overwhelmed Forbidden's existence from all sides and extending to eternity, the
goat then took the form of a peculiar apple tree with many apples, some bright red,
others hurt and inedible ..the tree's bark had cracks with fungus all over it, but
all cracks begun from a single sick branch, a branch holding an awful sick apple
carrying the disease. Caprima manifested next to the apple tree, she grabbed the
sick apple and bit it. The apple begun aging and burning from her bite, producing a
sound only comparable to screams. "However you are wrong regarding one detail ...a
rather important one; You only have seen the truth of this realm, but this realm is
merely a projection of the backside of a single leaf of the cosmic tree. I am still
the bloodthirsty hunter and you still one of the countless ignorant prey ..I act on
my own free will to be ..you are tied and a slave to your own time and space, to
your own emotions and memories, forever to live as a worthless prey regardless of
your great mind or what you think you know. Now I could change that - and I want to
change that ..if you would only answer to a question; Do you want to be alive
Xefr?" Caprima seemed dead serious as she uttered her last sentence, her cold
blooded eyes turned into what seemed to be a negative and bleached view of
outerspace, looking beyond the essence of Forbidden surrounding her, far into the
abyss while she slowly extended her hand for a handshake.

Re'Ni's tail begun twitching while she begun munching her claws in terror as she
sat down on a grass filled part of the garden, she was truly terrified ..even
though a tad bit happy about all that was happening. {"Ahhhhh! Self ...Self do
that! ..not ...AHHH! Ok ...calm Re'Ni! Just Egg ..not bad. Valx do lay all
time."} She took some deep breaths and extended her wings, for a moment her eyes
derped and she let out a small shriek, closing her wings around her. Her eyes
looked tired as she turned around, but then suddenly they widened and a big smile
formed on her ...she retracted her wings and stepped to the side. There it was,
the continuation of Atzel's line, the heir of dragons and the second child of Xefr;
A big healthy egg moving left and right ready to crack. Re'Ni clapped her paws and
turned to Tec {"Ahhhhhhh! hahahaha! Loook! Look Tec! Re'Ni mom ..Tec dad! Self
..self needs to.."} as the egg begun moving she turned back to it immediately,
looking down over it in awe with her big lovable dumbfounded eyes and truest of
smiles, awaiting for it to crack.
The sound of a single crack was heard in the small garden and far away ...reaching
the minds of beings from realms foreign. The offspring of time and space had come
to this world, of past and present, of V'oss and Heord, of spirit and flesh ...and
as it punched through the remnants of the egg all could witness how mighty cute she
was, with her big silver eyes and bright silver scales, her fragile tail and tiny
white wings. Re'Ni gasped and almost tipped over, then begun sobbing out of
overwhelming joy, hesitating but finally touching the baby drake with her snoot and
giving it a lick.

� Reply #451 on: April 06, 2018, 09:46:53 pm �

Myst enjoyed the hug, remaining silent himself as well. Partially out of shock from
the rush, and partially out of just wanting to enjoy that peaceful moment in time.
His eyes remained open though, so he could just smile back as Cui opened hers, "I
love you as well, Cui. My friend... And I guess now, my mate. It's rather
overwhelming for me."

Forbidden through the whole thing was observant, yet never seemed surprised. The
red mist had form into a form of a Dragon, though it maintained that texture of a
mist, and no outstanding features besides the eyes of pure darkness. He looked at
her when she finally finished and said, "...Oh, done now? Right then, my turn. You
see, goat, you're also wrong about me. Don't worry though, that's usual for all
people, even ones like you. I'm not exactly within the realm of understanding.
Here's the thing, I don't care much for that seeing beyond the veil thing. I've
done it, and it's just not for me. I've got bigger interests in mind, y'see. I like
to instead entwine myself with that veil. Xefr is my name, but yet, it isn't. I had
another, but I forgot it, because Xefr changed me. So much so that Xefr is me now.
I am so much greater. But I am no slave, Caprima, I'm something something special.
There is no life for me, yet there is no death either." The confidence in his voice
was complete, but physically the small red Dragon of gas glanced around a bit,
showing there was more than that to him, "But, I'm not exactly free, as the cage
shows. So, let's see your offer. If it doesn't suit me, I'll be rid of it, as I
have done so many times before. Besides, it'll be interesting to make a deal with a
fellow Devil... Don't disappoint me, because I'm one of the few who can make you
truly regret that." With a dark grin, a phantasmal hand appeared and shook
Caprima's, with the dark Shard merely watching on to see what happened next.

Tec remained close by the whole time, watching with anticipation and a level of
excitement he had never experienced before. He simply hugged Re'Ni upon seeing the
egg itself, not able to express his joy with words. Yet despite the fact that he
believed he could never be happier, he was proven wrong within moments as he
noticed the Egg hatching. Tec had to join his mate in sobbing, moving close to
inspect the hatchling. He licked her as well, taking extreme pride in her lovely
silver color and seeing her as the cutest thing he had ever seen, even more so than
Scout! But he did manage to get ahold of himself, and speak, "This is amazing. She
hatched so quickly, and she looks perfectly healthy, too! We're parents of a lovely
child... But, not to take away from the joy, there is one thing... What are we
going to name her?"

� Reply #452 on: April 15, 2018, 06:30:56 pm �

Cui took Myst by his paw and went forward hastily, seeming to be extremely excited,
her voice almost cracking into a cheery one "Come on! I have to tell the old goat
and the others.. ..it will be a majestic Qoatl wedding the likes of which you new
drakes have never seen before! Oh the fire and the feathers and songs and meat!"
Cui turned her head, giving a wink at Myst for a moment, while her voice, although
still excited, had rather suggestive overtones now "...and believe me, I will be a
very grateful bride to you!"

Caprima let out a loud sigh, being somewhat tired by all the empty threats this
youngling throwed at her. Having understood the situation at paw, she crac�ed a
subtle smile and after sitting down she placed her right hand on her cheek and
snapped her fingers with the other, both demons returning in the flash of a second
back to the cage. The smile remained in her tired face, though now it was showing
off her long fangs "You misunderstood me child, as I have I'm sure ...you only see
my crust, an ambitious fallen goddess, but in truth I understand we're not that
different ....why you want to be one with the veil even? It's no good trust
me ...there is no better state than being a fleshbag ...a fleshbag with power
over their existence of course, something which I'm very proud to say I'm fighting
for! Mortals, Gods, Demons and whatnot you understand not ..but thankfully,
children don't always have to understand what's good for you, that's what mothers
are there for." Caprima stood up looking at Forbidden's soul with rather sad eyes,
but still bearing her smile "You see my dear child, I've tried everything ...save
the universe? Sure, plenty of times! Create a new one? Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Play God? I mean come on, I'm here aren't I? Be a Mortal? Technically we all are,
but some are more than others and I envy them for they lack knowledge. ...so, why
don't you sit down with me, let your guard down, take your nice dragon form and
tell me what you really want in a polite and simple manner and perhaps we could
find a way ...I may be a wolf as you say but I'm really also a mere small goat
with a loving heart." Caprima sighed again, staring intensely at what appeared to
be the source that Forbidden's words where coming from "I say this because if I
make a deal with you at your current state and set your spirit free in my realm, be
certain that after you help me I will hunt you down and there's nothing you can do
to escape me child. And that is not a threat, it's simply what must be done. I
don't want to hurt you, or anyone else, but if you pose a threat to my other
children ..I will." Her smile faded away turning into subtle grin, her expression
and look making clear she was rather serious ...for once being actually honest with
one of her children.

Re'Ni was too bothered with cuddling and giving pecks at the hatchling to process
what Tec said {"Ehehehe ..whose cute sprout? She be! Whose cute sprout? She be!"}
[/i] the black dragoness soon however realised something and her eyes gained a
black stare ..she was a mother now! And for the first time in aces she was feeling
truly free of all evil thoughts ..she could concentrate! The voices where still
there, but they didn't matter that much. Re'Ni turned to Tec with a confused look
{"T-tec! ..Self is mom! ..ehm ...heh!"} as the baby dragon gave a little snarl
she brought back to her mind Tec's question {"Name! Right! ..ehm ...think!
Think... Cyrona? Is Old Goddess of Stars and Life of Grey Monkeys! Nah... ..very
dramatic, self not like. Ehm... Starsy?"} The hatching tried breathing some fire,
only to produce a spark, leading to Re'Ni beginning in turn to be overwhelmed by
warm feelings and licking the baby happily while crying.

� Reply #453 on: April 16, 2018, 01:44:48 pm �

Myst didn't resist, happily going along with Cui and smiling at her clear
excitement, "I shall prepare myself to be impressed then, since I doubt anybody but
yourself and Caprima have attended a Qoatl wedding before. I suppose we should
inform Essentials first, as Caprima still appears busy with whatever is going on
down in the brig." The Shard went red again as he realized the meaning behind the
suggestive tones and those words, "Oh goodness... Well, erhm... I guess it'll be
like finishing what was interrupted by that Hyl back down at the beach. Something I
wouldn't mind at all, even if I am not nearly as experienced in the trade as you,
Cui."

The swirling red mist emitted the sound of laughter once more, with Forbidden
either not taking this seriously or something else. But the mist did culminate into
a real Dragon form now, no longer gaseous. The end product was a Black Dragon,
similar to all the other shards, but with dark red eyes that had no pupils. Just
pure dark red spheres. His wings were cut up, a stark contrast to the rest of the
body which was pristine in its quality. He sighed and spoke, "You really don't
understand, you know. You never will. It matters little if you were once mortal and
became such again, because you've already given it up. Mortality doesn't just come
back. The imitation means little, but your condescension means a lot. So please
stop acting like you understand anything, Caprima." He stretched his wings out,
sighing in relief, "Still, it does feel good to take such a form once again, so
I'll thank you for the recommendation. Now, what do I want? Well, first off, I want
to be immutable. A fact of life. Entwine myself with existence so I never need to
leave the mortal plane, and so I can never be removed from it. But that's something
I'll accomplish eventually. As for what I really want... A never-ending state of
peace. No more death, pain, loss. But you see, that's so naive to think it can be
done without making one or more sacrifices, particularly in the means of how I will
achieve it. Let me ask you one thing Caprima... Do you think fear has a certain
element of paralysis to it?"

Tec was just more happy than he had ever been. Not only because he was a father,
but because of Re'Ni right now too. He could see that lack of conflict within her,
that ability to concentrate and feel unhindered by the pain inside her. That made
everything worth it. It was just an incredibly good addition that he had a
beautiful hatchling to love and care for too! Regardless, he leaned his head down
close to the baby, "Yup, we're parents now, love. With our adorable silver baby.
Let's see, I got a few ideas for names. How about Illumi or Silvi?" He picked his
head up, thinking harder, "Hm, no, I can do better than those! How about Estrella?
That's this country's word for chain of stars. Or maybe Zelethre? It was the name
of an ancient Queen of Heord's Vudsi Islands, the first to rule over all of them!
Or..." Tec was now caught in a mental loop of trying to think of more names, and
clearly wouldn't be settled until he was stopped or found something perfect.

� Reply #454 on: April 16, 2018, 06:43:51 pm �

Cui pinched Myst's cheek with her paw while smiling "By Quetzalcoatl you're such a
cinnamon roll! My silly lovely drake..." she leaned close to him and blew him a
kiss "Alright! Let's go tell the others. This is important for me ...you know, if
everything goes bad, well.. while Cap says it's nonsense, I still believe all
warriors meet with their mates at the Dreamworld.."

The goat vampire relaxed and chuckled while slowly placing her hand over her eyes,
essentially facepalming, then looking at Forbidden with her usual motherly
expression ...though her voice was peculiarly more sarcastic than usual "Oh Xefr,
my dear sweet poor child! ...that's what I do! That's what I live for! To help poor
souls! ...Nevertheless while yours is a lovely goal and as you understand, the
same as mine ..I do not understand how paranoid one must be to want to be one with
the universe. This is why I say you're clueless ..because you have the same
mentality I had trillions ago; Be mortal again? As if we aren't all! 'One with the
universe' Heh! Haven't heard that in a while... ...why not just lead the universe
as an omnipotent all-powerful living being? Why do you have to be made a component
of the cycle when you already are? You see child, what you want ...a world lacking
pain is what dear old me wants too, but the difference is that I at least know what
it takes! You see my good son, it only needs me barring the mortal realms from the
rest and teaching the mortals to be gods on their own right, as a good divine goat
mother once tought her children ...I mean, it would take only that if it wasn't
for the other damned Great Ones ...those miserable old traitors that think
intervening to help mortals reach divinity is the end of the world! Hah!" as she
was about to ask her mind regarding fear, Caprima's voice although still feminine,
suddenly was now more hoarse and deep sounding, while her fangs elongated "Fear is
the never-ending road, fear is pain ..fear is death. And I sense a lot of fear in
you ..not due to me of course, no child, this is a fear greater and far more
painful ...and your fear has a name that I shall not refer as I'm not cruel, since
I face a similar fear of my own." she shook her head a bit, herself looking quite
depressed she sat down again and looked down on her legs "But yes, fear has the
greatest element of paralysis to it, the greatest of the negative emotions ..but
when you lack control over it, it consumes you ..as it did with you." she remained
there down on the ground turning to at the drake with a sad expression as if in a
way ..she pitied him "You only need to vow to help me defeat the Weaver when the
time comes and the chains that bound you will be broken"

For some reason, the quite uninspired name Silvi stuck to Re'Ni's mind ..deep
within, she didn't want her daughter to grow and become a great dragon, but merely
a happy simple good Heordal dragoness and Silvia seemed to fit that life. Re'ni
grabbed her baby with her paws and nuzzled its snoot with hers {"Silvia! Like name
Silvia, no wittwe one? Ehehehehe!"} the baby dragon bit her mother's snoot filled
with joy {"Ow, Silvi have strong bite! Ehehe! Cute!"} Re'Ni signaled at Tec with
her eyes to hold his baby as well, mostly because the bite was actually strong
...Re'Ni didn't joke. However while happy and calm like never before, Re'Ni could
sense someone watching them.

� Reply #455 on: April 16, 2018, 08:22:44 pm �

Myst stood proud, even as his cheek was pinched, and as Cui leaned in he hugged her
with one of his wings, "Ah, so that's your motive, is it? You like me so much, you
want to have some insurance that you'll get to keep me no matter what happens. I do
like that contingency plan myself, so I'll do what is needed to ensure that
happens. Anyways, let me call Essentials." His eyes flashed blue, with a little
psionic ping going out. Soon enough, Xefr teleported in front of them, smiling at
them, "I see you two are getting along well. Quite different to how it was when you
first met, isn't it? Anyhow, why have you called, Myst?" Myst's tail gave Cui's a
little tap, signalling that he wanted her to tell him.

Forbidden, strangely enough by his expression, seemed to be feeling the same pity,
but for Caprima, "Ah, so that's where you made your mistake in thought. You want to
give the troublemakers more power, instead of doing anything to actually stop the
problem. Hmph." With a sigh of what appeared to be disappointment, "Fear hasn't
consumed me, Caprima. You simply misinterpreted my point. You see, I want to spread
it. I want to make everyone afraid. I want to make everything too afraid to ever
hurt another person ever again. That's what I want. Peace in the only way it can be
sustained! That's what I'll work towards." He grunted, going silent for a moment,
and then chuckled, "Fine. I'll help you kill your little Weaver. And I'll consume
whatever is left of her by the end of it. I don't care for any chains, because
there are none holding me back. Just a cage, which you also happen to be in."

Tec smiled, and complied with her request by reaching out with his own paws to pick
Silvia up, and started doing some nuzzling of his own. All too happy to dote on his
child. Meanwhile, Re'Ni was correct. In the brush of the garden, a Golden Dragon
was watching from the distance. If Re'Ni looked carefully, she could tell it was
that Combat Drake Commander from before, but he wasn't wearing any armor. He was
just watching Tec and Silvia, clearly in awe.

� Reply #456 on: April 17, 2018, 04:31:22 pm �

Cui having gotten the signal from her mate, gulped and walked forward ..she was
bearing a big smile "I proposed to your brother Myst ..and he said Yes! We're
gonna get hitched! ...at least, I hope, we'll manage before the Hyl come.." she
turned and gave a big kiss at Myst.

The old capricorn grinned at the young drake, such a magnificent mind, such a great
willpower ...and yet such a petty, miserable plan he had! "Fear is not life
..what you pursue is the death of all that is good in life along with the bad, what
you pursue goes against all that I stand for, and it is so defeatist it irritates
me! ...so consider that until you repent, you shall find an enemy in me, because
two cannot decide the fate of the realm ..but before we seal the deal, remember
one little thing; while you are right in many ways..." Caprima rised up and
elevated herself, looking down at Forbidden in a pompous and somewhat emotionless
way, a peculiar white aura surrounding her and dissolving Forbidden's red in mere
seconds as she extended her arms "The chains I'm speaking of are the chains I hold!
Don't ever forget that ...when my banners fly high against the red-blood sky, you
too will know. Of course, I'd prefer it to be otherwise, but alas ..I'm not evil,
and I'm not good ...I'm the mother of mortals and as long as I exist, I'll keep
tight or lessen those chains as I see fit, until my beloved children learn to
behave! ..and now to seal the deal." she leaned down towards the dragon and
extended her hand once more, however this time white light flowed out of it "...It
will only take half your soul!" peculiarly enough, Caprima's fangs had grown sharp
like blades and as long as daggers, while blood run through her eyes and saliva
dripped from her mouth ...she appeared to be rather excited! "DON'T FEAR CHILD,
IT'S MERELY A SOUL!"

Re'Ni smelt the air, now she was sure someone was watching! A big dragon too! She
stood up in all fours and turned at his direction giving a suspicious look at him
{"WHO IS? SHOW SELF!"} she prepared a light orb in one paw just in case ...deep
down her mind, her worse thoughts begun surfacing again, someone wanted her child!
..couldn't she have even just that little wonderful moment not spoiled, she
thought.

� Reply #457 on: April 17, 2018, 08:02:04 pm �

Xefr seemed surprised at the news, but that faded quickly. There was a little
glimpse of sadness if one was watching very carefully, but it was shoved aside
quickly as happiness took its place in genuine fashion, "That is wonderful! Guess I
really was right then when I said you two have completely changed from your first
interactions. From cold glares to private bedroom nights." Myst was already
blushing from the kiss, but Xefr's words just made it worse, "Ess! My mate can
handle that part of the arrangement well enough, you need not help her... Anyways,
I guess we should inform Guardian next. Then perhaps we can get to planning the
wedding while we have the time." His tail was moving about a bit frantically,
though it eventually stopped ontop of Cui's, where it calmed.

Forbidden didn't seem impressed or amused, just slightly irritated. He gazed at the
hand and said, "I'm afraid I don't have half a soul to give, vile goat. Maybe you
can get a tenth of a soul, since that's about half of what I have. This damnable
cage stopped me from growing even close to my true power. But what can I do about
it? It'll regenerate quick enough, just as it always has. Wouldn't be the first
time neither I or even the True Xefr gave up a piece of his soul to somebody. We
always grow it back, it's a family tradition. Go on then, let's get it over with."
He put a paw on her hand, rolling his eyes as he knew exactly what was coming next.

The Golden Dragon slowly emerged, going not too quick as to startle Re'Ni. He
seemed experienced with handling twitchy Dragons, and he spoke calmly, "Hold. I'm
not a threat to you, or you child for that matter. My name is Dervis Goldon. I'm
the Combat Drake Commander that vouched for you in that whole incident. The reason
you aren't being arrested. I've just come to talk to your mate, Tec. There's
something I need to talk to him with." Tec, in his own defensive action, swiftly
picked up Silvia and put her on his back, so he could protect her more easily if
need be. This of course also had the look of Silvi riding on her dad's back like he
was a mount, which was cute.