[IRP] Visitor from the Vale

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Nikola
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Re: [IRP] Visitor from the Vale

Post by Nikola »

Once they entered the castle, Bianca was waiting to lead Raef away to his room. Nikola assumed it was still being aired out, but trusted Bianca to give him service befitting an honored guest. She watched him walk away, her mind still whirling with a torrent of thought and emotions that were not all hers. How was she to sleep with that commotion in her head? She finally pulled her eyes away from his retreating form to find Iris waiting patiently for her, a look of concern in her eyes. “I will be fine,” she assured her, then amended, “at least I think I will be OK. Fine may have to wait.” Iris nodded in understanding and walked with her to the private dining room where Cook’s kitchen staff were already bringing in food to the table. Cook knew of her mistress’ nutritional needs following work with her power and as soon as Iris had informed her of her needs, she had set about preparing what she had on hand that was quick.

On the table, Nikola found a platter of ham and bacon along with a fresh loaf of bread already there. As she took her seat, she bade Iris to join her as the steward had not had a proper meal yet, either. A bowl of creamy butter was placed near the bread and a steaming bowl of black bean soup was set before her. Lots of protein, which is what she needed more than anything right now. She tucked in without hesitation, cutting two slices of bread with her knife and slathering both with butter before piling on slices of ham and bacon in between and then taking a generous bite. She closed her eyes and relaxed in her chair as the flavor and texture of the sandwich filled her with bliss. Cheese and bread had been enough to keep her going for a short time, but this would replenish her strength. After finishing off the sandwich, she tackled the soup, eating every last bean and celery bit before using another slice of bread to wipe up the residual juice so that by the time she was finished, the bowl looked almost as clean as if there had been no soup at all. She washed it all down with a full glass of spiced wine then sat back in her chair, satiated at last. Smiling over at Iris, she placed her hands on the table and pushed herself to her feet.
“Please let Cook know that this was absolutely perfect!” she said with a smile and noticed out of the corner of her eye one of the kitchen girls scurrying off toward the kitchen. She chuckled. “Just make sure she knows how much I appreciate her culinary skills and her ability to take care of my needs. I believe a bath and then a nap is in order now. Just let me sleep until I awaken, please,” she instructed before leaving the room to make her way upstairs to her bedchamber.

A bath had already been drawn for her and the water was still deliciously warm, so she hurried to strip out of her travel clothes and stepped into the water, lowering herself into the tub to slip beneath the water for a long moment before sitting back up to lean back against one end. She had been trying to ignore the cacophony of thought and vision that had assaulted her mind, making it possible to eat in relative peace. Now as she relaxed in the tub, she could no longer ignore it. To her surprise, it seemed lessened somehow, although it was still present. The elf’s thoughts and memories entwined with her own giving her a whole different perspective on the events of the previous hours. As she concentrated on them, she found some slipped away even as she examined them. They were still there as she could sense them, but they were not clear as they had been just moments before, as if some sort of barrier had been placed between his thoughts and memories and her consciousness. At least the cacophony that had been her new reality had dwindled to a chorus that hummed in the background of her mind, allowing her to fall into slumber.

She awoke sputtering a few moments later, her head having slid beneath the surface of the water as she slept. She shook her head, quickly finished her bath, and stepped out of the tub, drying off completely before falling into bed. She was so exhausted that she did not even take the time to slip on a night shift before sliding under the covers and rolling over on her side, falling asleep again almost as soon as she had settled.
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Raef
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Re: [IRP] Visitor from the Vale

Post by Raef »

Tsking, Raef retracted his unique aura, having had to use it on Iris because she would not let him see Nikki in her chambers.

"Foolish, Child. I must begin her trainikg in the magic arts right away. I do not care if she is sleeping. Step aside ", he had grumbled and then promptly moved passed her into Nikki's chambers. He closed the door and walked quietly to her bedside.

Taking a handful of her sheets he pulled them off with a quick jerk of his hand.

"Ha! Wake up missy...eeeeeehHh!?", he started then the sound sort of turned into a surprised explanation as he gazed upon his Princess.

"Where are your cloths!", he panicked and dashed to the cupboard, yanked it open then inserted himself inside.

"I didn't see anything!", he shouted from the closert but his mind betrayed the image of her in her natural state, burned into his memories forever. He groaned. He felt a beating coming on.
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Lord Raef Vael'darion, Baron of Greyford, High Sidhe of the Summer Realm & Loyal Citizen of Fenia
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Nikola
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Re: [IRP] Visitor from the Vale

Post by Nikola »

The sleep that follows overuse of magic and power is deep and dreamless. The sleeper has no memory of the time spent in sleep, only of falling asleep and then waking. Waking normally happens gradually and when this process is allowed to follow its natural rhythms, the sleeper wakes refreshed with their strength and energy fully restored. If this process is interrupted, the results can be unpredictable at best. Such was the case with Nikola as she suddenly became aware of her surroundings before having reached the awakening stage of her intended restorative rest.

Sensing a change in her surroundings, Nikola’s eyes blinked open, her mind still foggy with sleep that had not yet reached the stage of completion. As she rolled over, unsure of what had awakened her, she heard a voice shouting from the cupboard. Confused she sat up in bed and only then realized that she was uncovered and undressed.
“I didn’t see anything!” told her that the opposite was true, and she gasped in alarm, grabbing the edge of the sheet to pull it up over her to hide her nakedness.

She was wide awake now, the fog clearing her brain as she focused on the cupboard. Who would dare to interrupt her sleep? Who would dare to uncover her while she slept? Who…? Her eyes went wide as she saw a vision of herself as seen through someone else’s eyes. Raef! Embarrassment and anger spurred her out of bed, leaving the sheet behind as she grabbed a robe that had been hanging outside the cupboard but now lay crumpled on the floor. She slipped it on, pulling the belt into place so that she was properly covered and reached for the cupboard door to jerk it open.


“You!” she exclaimed, her face a mask of anger and embarrassment. “How dare you interrupt my sleep?” she asked angrily and grabbed his wrist to pull him out of the cupboard. “And how dare you uncover me?” she stormed as she released his wrist and slammed the cupboard door shut, dislodging a cat who leapt to the floor and ran several paces before sitting down to bathe its face as though that was its intent all along.

“Do you even know what you’ve done?” she asked, her face growing an ever-increasing shade of red. “Do you?” She turned her back to him, stalking her way to the door and pulling it open. “Out!” she ordered, then added “Now!” in a slight shriek. Hearing her voice, she stopped what she was doing and breathed in a deep breath, holding it while she slowly counted to ten before letting it out slowly. Catching his eyes with hers, she added in a much calmer, yet possibly more dangerous, tone of voice. “I will deal with you in a moment, but only after I have dressed.”

“Iris!” she called and turned to face the open doorway to find her steward standing there, also fuming in anger. “Take him to my study and keep him there. Shoot him if he tries to leave,” she ordered, not knowing whether her steward even knew where her bow and arrows were, but she’d said it more for Raef’s benefit than for Iris to actually follow through on the command.

She waited until the elf had obeyed and both he and Iris were on their way down the hall before quietly shutting the door behind her and leaning heavily on it as her legs began to shake after having released so much anger. Raef was lucky she had enough control over her power to keep it from lashing out and burning him to a crisp where he stood. She sensed a reaction to that thought from Raef and a sly smile curved her lips.
“Both of us can play this game,” she said out loud to no one, but the cat looked up from his bath, blinked and then resumed licking his paws and raking them over his face.

As she dressed, she concentrated on sending visions of what she’d like to do to the elf, from ripping his arms off to whipping him until he cried for mercy, to….

She stopped, flushed brightly as another vision crossed her mental image and she was unsure whether it had come from her own mind or Raef’s but she stopped sending visions and quickly finished dressing. Once her boots were on her feet, she sat still on the edge of the bed, calm enough now to wonder what exactly she should do to Raef for his audacity and carelessness. She considered contacting Vaelen for advice, then decided against that as this was her battle, not his, to win. And win she would.

With determination on her face and in her step, she walked from the bed to the door and pulled it open to stalk down the hall toward the study. Her legs still felt a little like jelly, but the sleep was gone, and she knew she would not be able to return to it for several hours. She would not, however, let him see how weak she still was. After all, even in her weakened state, she could still use her power. And use it she would if need be.

Hailing a a passing servant, she asked her to bring a carafe of klahua for her and her guest. The girl nodded and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen as Nikola reached the door of the study, stopped for a moment to take in a deep breath, then let it out as she entered.


(ooc: Raef godmodded with permission)
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Re: [IRP] Visitor from the Vale

Post by Iris »

Iris blinked, realizing that Raef had used his magic on her to slip past her into Nikola’s room. She frowned, her eyes narrowing at his back. Foolish child she may be to him, but she knew her mistress. Nikola would not be pleased. He had shut the door behind him, and she had just reached out her hand to the door handle when she heard his voice go from the confidence of superiority to surprise followed by the sound of fast footfalls and the opening and shutting of a small door from within the chamber. She let herself smile as she waited to hear what Nikola might do. She was prepared to launch herself through the door the moment her mistress called for her, but he had stepped into Nikola’s domain. He would get to experience firsthand her displeasure.

At first all was quiet, and Iris wondered whether perhaps Nikola had slept through Raef’s interference, but then she could hear rustling on the other side of the door. She grinned in an anticipation at the sound of Nikola’s angry voice. Her eyes went wide when spoke about being uncovered. Had he dared to look upon her mistress? Dared to unveil Vaelen’s heir? The thought of what he might have done sparked an ember of anger than had been quenched just moments ago and by the time Nikola jerked open the door and ordered Raef out, Iris was seething in anger once more, although this time it was on behalf of her mistress rather than how easily he had been able to slip past her guard.

She nodded affirmatively as Nikola gave her instructions and waited for Raef to exit the room into her domain – the hallway. She marched him down the hall without a word, leading him into the study and pointing to the most uncomfortable chair she could see in the room to indicate that was where he should sit. “Sit. Wait. She will deal with you,” was all she said and stood guard by the door, her own magic flaring now to cordon off that exit should he decide to disobey.
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Raef
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Re: [IRP] Visitor from the Vale

Post by Raef »

He leaned back in the darkness of the cupboard and his face pressed into her cloths. Raef took a deep breath and sighed contently. Why did she smell so good? His eyes shifted from their usual colour to gold with red iris', though if anyone looked at him now, they would notice his iris were now vertically slanted like that of a...

“You!”

He blinked and his eyes were normal again and then he was being manhandled. Huh...when was the last time someone was so aggressive with him? Food for thought. He wasn't even upset about it. Each time she asked him a question in her anger, which he felt keenly over their bond, and other feelings...he tried to respond but was shut down by another angry question. Then he was ushered out and apparently he was to go wait his punishment.

He chuckled as he followed Iris. He even held in the snort he was about to give when told to sit. Shrugging he did and flung an leg over the arm of the chair while he reclined leisurely. His body was durable and his mind a fortress...oh my!

Images began flashing in his mind of Nikki ripping his arms off...oooh brutal! and of her whipping him. Raef suddenly felt hot and bothered and had to readjust his seat and cross his leg with a flushed face. Oh my...ohhh myyyyy! He sent her an image back and grinned as a soft growls escaped him which he covered with a cough and shifted in his seat again.

Some time later, when he had taken control of himself again, he looked to the door as if he knew someone was there and then it opened. He covertly covered his body with a second magic transparent skin to protect against magical attacks. The Physical ones he would enjoy but a lightning bolt through the trousers didn't sound comfortable.

He stood up, with hands up in the universal sign of surrender and said, "I can explain..."

he licked his lips as he searched for possible escape routes.

"You see...I came in to start your teaching on control of your magic and then um...saw nothing, as I stated before...ahem...yes...and then er...I thought you might need a coat to go out in so I went to check the cupboard and erm...found...I tripped and got locked?", he asked in way of explanation, his lying spell working overdrive to combat his natural tendency to tell the truth as a High Elf.

He felt a bit light headed even. He wondered if she would whip him here or later, idly.
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Nikola
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Re: [IRP] Visitor from the Vale

Post by Nikola »

As Nikola entered the study, she was aware of magic crisscrossing the doorway. The magic seemed set to allow entry, but not exit. She glanced at Iris and nodded her approval. “You can release this now,” she told her steward quietly. Iris nodded and the magic disappeared, leaving a normal open doorway that anyone could pass through in either direction without impediment.

Raef was suddenly standing before her with his hands up and trying to explain himself. Her eyes narrowed at the lie that left his lips. It was a good lie, built on a truth, but a lie, nonetheless. She wondered how he was able to do such a thing as her understanding was that elves could not lie. They could take some liberties with the truth so that one needed to carefully read between the lines to find the full truth of a matter, but actual lying was not supposed to be possible. She studied him for a long moment, the only expression on her face was the slight narrowing of her sapphire eyes. As she looked into his eyes, it occurred to her that his were not exactly like those of the others in Vaelen’s realm that she had seen. Most, if not all had eyes the color of a variety of precious gemstones. His were a little different. Perhaps she had not seen enough of Vaelen’s people to know whether that was an anomaly or not.

Her mind was still trying to decipher the elf and his purpose when she finally responded to his tale.
“I know you are not just picking and choosing which truths to tell, Raef. I’m not sure how I know, or how you are doing it, but I know that you are lying,” she said flatly as she stood in front of him, her eyes boring into his as her mind sought his thoughts to see if she could determine….ah! There it was. He was using a spell. For some reason she could not quite fathom, she found herself more disappointed than angry about that. She would need to deal with it head on, though, if they were to trust one another. "Never use that spell again in my presence," she told him flatly.

“Please take a seat, Raef,” she instructed politely as she moved across the room to take a seat behind her desk. She was still gathering her thoughts when a servant entered with a tray laden with a carafe of klahua and three cups. “Thank you, ... Sara, isn’t it?” she addressed the girl, hoping she was remembering the right name for the girl who nodded with a bright smile, curtsied, and began to pour the dark, rich liquid into the cups. Nikola smiled at her again as she set the carafe on her desk, curtsied again, and left the room. Nikola indicated with a wave of her hand for both Iris and Raef to take one of the remaining two cups as she lifted the one nearest her to her lips, breathing in the earthy aroma before taking a sip. She sighed with pleasure as the liquid trickled down her throat, warming her belly and giving her the promise of a boost of energy, which she knew she would need. She waited for the other two to take their cups and get settled before she once again addressed Raef.

“There are several issues here that we need to address. First, I know that Iris would not have allowed you to enter my room during my recuperative sleep as she knows how important that is to my recovery after having used so much of my power. Iris was sent here by Vaelen to watch over me. Among other things, her job is to make sure that I do not burn myself out and to protect me during the recovery period following overuse of my power. You defied her authority by barging into my room without her consent. You will never do that again. Iris’ status among your people may be lower than yours in Vaelen’s realm, but this is not his realm. This is my realm, and the rules are different here. You will treat Iris with the respect due her position here. To most, Iris is seen as my steward, but she is much more than that. She is my protector and my friend and whether you feel any respect toward her or not, you will treat her with as much respect as you will treat me. Are we clear?”

She waited for him to respond before continuing. “Secondly, you will never again enter my bedchamber without my, or Iris’, permission. There are so many reasons for that, but the bottom line is that your Princess is asking you to not cross that line again out of respect for my privacy and wishes. If you insist on disrespecting that, I may choose to inform Vaelen of your insolence and have you recalled to the Vale. Will you agree to do as I have asked?”

Again, she waited for him to respond before continuing. “There is more that we need to discuss, but for now I wish to address only one more topic. I was unable to complete the sleep I needed to fully recover and will therefore not be ready to begin my training until tomorrow. But tonight, we need to address this…” she made a back-and-forth motion with her hand between herself and Raef, “…this bond we now have. I believe it will be permanent and I can tell that you have already begun to master how to control how your thoughts and emotions are accessible to me. I need you to teach me how to do mine. We must be able to choose what the other sees and hears, else I think I might go mad,” she stated wearily. “Please?” she added, making it a request rather than a command.
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Re: [IRP] Visitor from the Vale

Post by Raef »

|| Some time later||

The wheel of time turns and time moves on and heals all. So did that very awkward, and frankly scary time where Raef was the target of Iris and Nikola's wrath.

Raef had taught Nikola how to create rooms to store personal memories, emotions and thoughts and they now shared a single soul scape house within their minds. The bond had grown stronger over this time and it made things easier. His physical body was still weak from realm crossing but his soul and mind were stronger than ever. Nikola had taken him under her wing, so to speak, and had him on a strict training regiment. He had also joined the Town Militia, then was promoted to Lieutenant in the Wolves of Fenia Army and most recently, General of Fenia. His body ha reach level 2 in conditioning, as this realm measures it, and he worked tirelessly with Nikola who was now Viceroy of Fenia.

Those many hours spent with each other deepened their connection and their understanding of each other. No longer did they snap at each other or misunderstand, but created a harmony within.

So it was, General Raef stood Infront of the latest defense project, with his uniform on and his twin sai, sheathed at his belt. His thumbs hooked in said belt and gazed upon the upgraded fortifications in an undisclosed location near a mine. He turned to the beautiful woman besides him and spoke, "The last of the defenses have been erected and over watch is scanning the countryside with the aid of the wind enchantments. They act sort of like bat sonar but with wind that will display any non stationary item on a bed of sand in the tower. A cleaver little bit of magic.", he explained.

"Though strangely, it picked up something underground in this shaft, but we are unable to determine what exactly. I was hoping you may have more insight?", he asked Viseroy/ Captain Nikola, trying not to project how lovely she looked and smelt today.
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Re: [IRP] Visitor from the Vale

Post by Nikola »

Nikola had agreed to accompany General Raef to the site of the last tower upgrade. He had not yet said what troubled him about this one, but she had sensed through their bond that something seemed off. Instead of her usual court attire, she had chosen something more practical for the excursion. A long sleeved white blouse was tucked into black soft leather trousers and over that she wore a soft leather overskirt in chocolate and caramel shades of brown, the skirt falling only to her knees to give her maximum freedom of movement should they unexpectedly face an enemy. Black leather boots trimmed with brown leather covered her feet and her hair was pulled back into a loose braid that hung down her back, secured with a leather thong. Her diamond dagger was in a sheath hanging from a belt at her waist, and she wore her aquamarine sword in a shoulder harness slung across her back. She was not just a Countess and Viceroy, but a Weapons Master of Fenia and she liked to keep herself prepared for anything.

They had ridden out to the site on horseback and Starr and Raef’s mount were now lazily grazing a grassy patch of meadow a short walk from the tower. She was examining the tower from her vantage point standing next to Raef on the ground above which the tower soared. TK had begun this project, she had continued it and when Raef had been appointed as General, he had taken over the project.
“I do like the magical additions you have added, Raef,” she told him approvingly, her smile coming more easily now that they had found their peace with the bond and learned not only how to work with it, but to be respectful of the other’s mental spaces. Accidents still happened, but they were fewer and farther between. For the most part.

She frowned at his last statement, sensing more curiosity than concern, yet there was a note of caution in his voice, or perhaps she simply understood the meaning behind his words.
“I’ve no idea what might be there. Perhaps a nest of yvyrm? They seem to be getting into everything this time of year. Let’s go in and see what we can find, then, shall we?” she suggested, and let him lead her in through the ground entrance to the tower.

The interior of the tower was minimalistic. The floor was crafted of the same stone that created the walls of the tower. There were some benches lining the walls and pegs pounded into the walls so that cloaks or weapons could be hung up out of the way if a troop of soldiers or travelers were to stop here for any reason. Raef took her on a tour of the structure. It had the barest basics for the necessities of life. A utilitarian kitchen of sorts, a bunkroom and a stairway that wound around the inside of the exterior wall to the top of the tower. They had also dug into the earth, building two more levels beneath the ground level. That would keep the tower firmly rooted no matter what was thrown against it.

He took her into the chamber that held the bed of sand he had spoken of, and she studied it thoughtfully. Just as he had described, there was an odd shape outlined in the sand. It was not entirely clear, as if the magic could not discern its origin any more than they could.
“That does not look like any yvyrm I’ve ever seen.” Nor did it look like a Zyrk. It reminded her of a Xanthreel, but those creatures lived in the deep of the sea, not burrowed in the rocky soil of the mainland. Even the time when the Xanthreels left the sea and wandered inland to attack the mines, those who were not killed returned to the sea rather than remain on dry land for very long. There had been that pair of Xanthreels that she and TK had run into in a small lake on his lands, which had been odd at the time, but still they had been in water. She and TK had slain them and found no more in the area, so that had seemed like just a strange anomaly. Besides, this shape was not quite like the xanthreels she had seen. Very similar, but something was different, although she could not exactly determine what was different about it.

“There’s something different about this. Maybe it’s just the magic, but….” She stopped as she felt, rather than heard, a rumbling beneath her feet. It had been slight, but she looked at Raef sharply, her surprise mirrored in his eyes. “Has that happened before?” she asked, concerned.
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Re: [IRP] Visitor from the Vale

Post by Raef »

The General of Fenia just shook his head in response and frowned.

"That is new unfortunately. An it is not natural. I dare say it almost felt like...", he began to explain but then it hit him. An aura so ancient, powerful and predatory, it shook his very being.

Instincts he had long locked behind a door in their mindscape burst open and his eyes shifted from its normal piercing colour to that of gold, red and orange with vertical slits, much like a reptile. He let aout a deep growl that one would not associate with an Elf but more of a mighty beast and his mind was filled with the challenge of another predator on his territory, near the woman he...

"Mine!", he roared and grabbed the air with hands that now resembled claws covered in golden scales that went under the cuffs of his uniform. A rent in time and space opened and he kicked off the ground without thought, but to meet this challenger and dominate or kill it. The last thing Nikola would have seen as he disappeared into the portal and the darkness of what seemed to be a cave system, was the sound of ripping uniform and Raef disappearing.

The portal remained open but within the cave, Raef began to shift into a form that only his liege Vaelen knew about. He was a Half Dragon & High Sidhe of the Summer Realm which explained his high affinity for magic, his endurance and his ability to lie with some effort. He had no time to think about what Nikola would think but all his secrets were now bare to her as his mind was effected by a deep primal need to do battle with what was surely an ancient predator under the Tower.

His body swelled to to the size where one claw would the size of a average human. Flame licked from his snarling maw, illuminating the area and making his golden scales to shimmer while he moved. His wings were tucked close to his body as he prowled, sniffing the area then cocked his head down a narrow tunnel. He gave an earth shaking roar and lobbed towards it. His body compacted to shrink as mana was expelled to shrink his size to that of a small dwelling as he raced down the tunnel and towards the source of his ire!
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Re: [IRP] Visitor from the Vale

Post by Nikola »

Raef was about to tell her what he thought the disturbance might be when he cut himself off in midsentence. Her own power was stirring in response to whatever was happening, but she dared not unleash it until she knew it was needed. She fixed her gaze on Raef when he stopped speaking, but he did not speak again. The link between them was suddenly filled with new memory and knowledge as he growled deep within his chest. Her eyes widened as she was nearly overwhelmed by this new information but understood what was happening as he began his transformation. She could not sense what he had sensed, but she did feel his protective anger toward whatever it was beneath the surface and realized that he was being protective of her.

She was still processing all the information that had been laid bare to her when he ripped a hole in what may be time itself and was certainly a portal between this dimension and another. He was through the portal and lost to sight before she could react, but she shook off the surprise and jumped through the portal after him, not knowing what they might face, but she was determined to be there to lend what aid she could with her own power.

Once through the portal, she found herself in a cave. She did not know how far underground the cave was, but she had the impression that they were deep within the earth with layers upon layers of rock and earth above them. She found the dragon by the fire that danced from his maw. She knew he was Raef and although she could not see him clearly, the flames lit up the area enough for her to see his full dragon form, even if some of it remained in shadow. He was magnificent, with golden scales reflecting the light of his flame making his movements seem to ripple as if he were swimming gracefully under water. She cautiously sent him a message through their link to let him know she was behind him as he chose a tunnel and raced toward it with a roar. She felt the release of something into the atmosphere as his huge body compacted down to a size that allowed him to race through that tunnel. She sought to absorb as much of the released power into herself, hoping that perhaps if she was able to store it, she could return it to him should he need it.

She followed behind him, letting his flame light her way while staying out of reach of his tail. If he was protecting her, and she got too close and got swiped by his tail, he might never forgive himself, or her for that matter. He soon outran her, his powerful dragon’s legs leaping quickly ahead. Through the bond, he seemed more primal beast than learned elf mage, but where with TK she had been given pouches of an herbal potion made with klahua leaves and other herbs to help tame his lycan beast in bloodlust, she had nothing of the sort here. She hoped their bond would be enough. She released enough of her power to dimly light the floor of the tunnel ahead of her once he was too far away for his fire to lend its light, following the sound of raking claws and crunching gravel. She had little fear of being lost. Even separated by great distances, the bond between them had proven to be as strong as when they were side by side in the same room. If she lost him, he would find her, she had no doubt. Her concern was that in his rage, he would attack whatever had aroused his dragon side without thought to whether he could win the battle or not and get himself killed. She could not let that happen. She would not let that happen!

The tunnel must have taken a turn at some point for the pinpoint of light that was Raef disappeared and she was left alone in the darkness save for the area around her lit by her own power. She stopped and stilled her breathing to listen and was relieved to discover that although the sound of his passing had faded, their bond revealed his position in relationship to her own. Once again, she began running down the tunnel, following the bond until the sound of his challenging roar shook the tunnel so that loose rocks and debris began to rain down upon her. She formed a protective bubble around her with her power, but not before several falling bits of debris had pelted her, landing on her head and back as she ducked. Once the bubble was up, the debris struck that and slid harmlessly to the ground as she continued moving forward, but now she was concerned about the viability of that path as the way back to the portal opening once they were done here. They would be done here, she told herself. She would not lose another friend. She could not lose Raef.
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