Before he could comment, she fixed her gaze on him. "So now that we've 
recapped, we can get back to the topic at hand - I told you everything 
I know, or most, it's your turn, and I would appreciate a similar courtesy." 
 
Audion's eyes gazed through her as though she were a broken mirror. He 
shrugged non-chalantly, "Your inquiry was specifically about our earlier 
incident?
It is a magic I have...I'd made offer of it to Lyr once. I can dampen 
elemental power. It seemed appropriate to sedate you." 

Stana quinchedher nose in annoyancenc, not just at the rememberance at 
her behavior, but also at his non answer. 
"And what about Ramdek? You recognized him in the Nachtmer, didn't you? 
Exactly how much more do you know about what is going on here?" 

"I know only what you and Lyr have chosen to impart to me about your 
Prophecy. From my own land I am a guardian and servant to my deities. 
Chaos was the origin 
and greatest foe of the Rulers, so of course I should recognize it." 
He stood and indicated for her to follow "We begin our journey again, 
if you wish to continue your pace." 
 
She was sure that she was learning a valuable lesson here; sour as it 
tasted in her mouth. She had talked quite a bit about what series of 
events had led her to behere with him now and naively expected him to 
reciprocate. Nevermind that there had been a lot she had glossed over 
it was still loads more than he had just offered. 

She looked at him for a moment, tempted to be stubborn and refuse his 
request. Common sense won out. They could sit here all day and not get 
anywhere. Recalcitrance was not going to loosen his tongue - and deity 
protector that he was, she was sure that he would leave her sitting there 
in a heartbeat. Stana noded silently, traveling a shoulder width away as 
they walked. The elementalist remained quiet for a long time, but when she 
inspected him in her peripheral vision he seemed well aware that he had not 
yet satisfied her request. His eyes were directed toward the road, but it 
was vastly apparent that his focus was elsewhere. When the winter chilled 
wind blew through them she shivered, but Audion remained still and 
reserved, as though he were made of Jack Frost's breath as much as 
the cold that assaulted their poorly supplied duo. 

She waited, she could be patient if she had to be. And it wasn't as if
he was giving her much choice. 

"I came to the Chosen out of curiosity, mainly. To an elementalist the 
power you emit is more radiant then our worlds sun," Audion looked over 
his shoulder with a worn expression. "The advent of your arrival was 
an untold event, and had to be investigated. However, it has since 
become apparent that, foretold to my people or not, the place of the 
elementalists is to once again aid against Chaos. That is 
why I chose to travel with you and your colleagues." 

She seemed to take his words in with caution, her expression 
that of goading. 

At some level she had heard fragments of this explanation, 
and she hadn't caught any outright contradictions, but he 
hadn't finished all of her questions yet,in fact he didn't 
seem to be answering any of them, despite his words. 

"Then, for all the benevolence you speak of, why did Lyr-" 

"Because Lyr and I encountered some cultural differences." 
His voice was icy, a herald of everything that seemed to 
uphold the General's warning. 

It seemed she was getting more with honey then with vinegar. 
Stana chose not to get offended, and kept her voice gentle, 
"And what culture is that? You have a strange accent..." 

Audion stopped, his countenance quizzical. He raised his 
ringed hand and ruffled his hair before pushing it 
ineffectively out of his face. Then, most bizarrely, 
his voice broke into a low, musical laughter. 

Stana stared. Of all the reactions she had anticipated, 
laughing was the least of them. Despite that she felt
his merriment prick at the corners of her lips as well.

The elementalist cupped a hand over his mouth aristocratically, 
his eyes still smiling where his laughter was no longer. 
"You'll have to forgive me. I had forgotten....I've not been 
as diligent as I should be. As for my homeland, it is of little 
import." 

"You realize you dance very well, right?" she commented,  
and although the statement said otherwise, she was not 
talking about the danceroom ball.