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| A slight breeze ruffled Jaxom's hair as he looked up into the bright sky. He brushed his short brown hair away for a better look at the dark clouds in the sky. His dark green eyes scanned the mass of clouds, which had come quite unexpected. He had chosen a small clearing the night before to make his small camp for the night. Last night's sky had been clear and devoid of any clouds. The air did not smell like coming rain and the season was summer. He could not fathom why such dark clouds would be here, marring the warm blue sky this day. He decided to put the matter aside, like he did with many problems, and not worry about it. He slowly got to his feet and off of his warm bedroll. He was about normal height and average weight. At first glance he looked a bit slow because of his build, but in reality, he was quite swift on his feet. He rolled up his bedroll and secured the blankets together with a piece of leather. He then tucked his moveable bed onto his knapsack, using another piece of leather to keep it in place. "Well, only a few more days of travel and I am back home," Jaxom said out loud, "And no amount rain is going to stop me!" He was determined to make it home in time. He had been traveling along the countryside and into the neighboring, seeing the world for the first time. After seeing town after town, people after people, he could not wait to return to his small home back in his own town. Also, he could not wait to return to his childhood love, Lena. He started whistling a jaunty tune as he stepped out of the small clearing and into the thick vegetation unmarked by footprints. This country was alien to him, quite unlike his own home in his own country. He was in his enemies� country, his journey forcing him to go this way. He did not mind, only wished that his journey would hurry up and be done with. �Ach, stupid plants!� He untangled his foot from a plant that did not seem to want to let go. He bent down to fix his pant leg and take out the thorns that had gotten stuck in the fabric. The wind changed directions, bringing with it a scent of something strange. Jaxom stood and stiffened smelled the wind once more. The smell, it was on the tip of his tongue� And then he realized what the strange smell was. Smoke. *** Nen stood upon the beach, overlooking the children play happily in the water shining from the morning sun. A slight breeze ruffled her hair, mingled with the salty smell of the ocean. Nen took a deep breath and sighed in contentment. �Come on Nen! Come and play!!� Sara, who stood chest high in the rolling water, screamed at the top of her lungs. Sara was Nen�s younger sister, one who loved to play with her older sister. Her family was close, tied together by her father's love for them all. Nen laughed at her sister�s carefree behavior as she sat down upon the beach�s sand. �Maybe later. I have to fix this net,� Nen replied while lifting the broken fishing net for Sara to see. �Oh, your no fun!� Sara made a face before joining friends of her own age among the surf. Nen could not help but giggle at her younger sister before setting to work upon the broken net in her hands. Her hands, slightly tanned like the rest of her body, were callused from years of working within the small fishing village that was her home. She mindlessly pulled a strand of dark brown hair away from her dark brown eyes as she worked on threading a giant needle with the woven grass for the net. She quietly worked upon the net, humming to herself a simple tune she had heard her mother hum a few times. The sun played playfully among the waters nearby and upon her hands as she worked. A new sound entered upon Nen�s peaceful quiet. The noise did not come from the children who still played, but somewhere from the village. Nen�s hands stopped and she cocked her head towards the strange sound, listening intently for any clue to what it might be. She could not really place her finger upon the sound, so she decided to drop her work and head towards the town and see what the strange sound was. The walk to the village was not far, less than twenty feet. The village was built right along the beach, so the access to the waters to fish was not far. Because they were so close to the beach, the houses were built on top of tall wooden sands to prevent permanent damage to the houses from storms. A sudden strange feeling made her feel as if she should hide instead of barging into the village. Once on the outskirts of town she hid behind on the small storage shacks, using some of the town�s supplies stacked against the wall to better her hiding place. Her feeling was justified. She looked into her village and saw horsemen. The men stood tall upon their horses, ones that neighed and pawed at the ground with the need to run. The men�s faces were bloodthirsty, craving their next scene in battle. Nen looked closer at the men�s sigil on their breastplates, and realized with a cold thought, these men were part of the enemy�s army. Had their enemy finally decided to invade their land with no warning? In front of the large party of men, surely only a small part of their army, seemed to be the one in charge. The expression he wore upon his face seemed one of boredom. A lone figure approached this person, and with a cold dread, she realized the figure to be her father. The man on the horse slid down to the ground to meet her father. Her father stood tall as he confronted the leader of the men. �What business do you have in this small village?� The leader took his time in responding, �My men grow restless.� His words were lighthearted and his eyes shown with mischief. �What do you�� her father was not able to finish his sentence. A sword pierced through his chest blocked all words from coming out. The leader pulled the sword free, allowing her father�s lifeless body to fall to the ground below. Laughter could be heard among the ranks of the small contingent. The leader sheathed his sword without cleaning the dripping gore from his blade before turning to his men. Fury clouded her vision as she stared upon the bloody scene. Her father, her loving, caring father lay dead at the feet of a man who was not worthy enough to live. Her father, who smile was like the sun, would no longer laugh. Her father�Dead� She was so enraged; the only thought to enter her mind was one of vengeance. She looked among the supplies around her, and through the blood in her eyes, she spotted a small fishing spear resting against the building�s wall. Her hand grabbed the weapon, her mind unable to react through the fury. She could only think about exacting her revenge upon the man standing there, the one who had stopped her father's precious life. She stood up and out of her hiding spot, unnoticed by the many people on their horses. She held the spear in a horizontal position and crouched into a small defensive posture. She had never seen battle done before, so all of her actions were taken because of her burning anger. Her feet began to move, her body following, her mind still enthralled by the rage. She made no sound as she charged the horrible man with her spear. The man noticed her, and with incredible speed, struck her down. Nen could hear the man luaghing as the pain throbbing in her head increased and her vision begin to dim. "All right men! Pillage, kill, do whatever your heart's content." Nen heard the man say before she lost her mind to the black nothingness of unconciousness. *** Jaxom could now, not only smell the smoke, but taste it. The stench hung thickly in the air, causing his eyes to water. He rubbed them as he looked over the small hill and onto the small seaside village spreading out below him. Once realizing the smoke could not be coming from the forest in which he was in, he decided to investigate. And sure enough, he had found the source of the fire. He looked closely at the men who were rampaging the small town. He rubbed his eyes and looked closer. The sigils on their back, the sigils of his home country. But as he saw his own country's army pillaging and killing an innocent village, he did not feel so loyal. Jaxom waited until all of the men had left the small seaside village. He had a burning desire to help the vulnerable people but their was nothing he could do with the army men there, nothing he could do if he was dead. Once he saw all of them dissapear from view, Jaxom silently made his way across the white beache's sand and towards the still burning village. *** Nen saw her father fall off of the scintillating sword and onto the ground, his blood trailing across the white sand. His lifeless eyes stared at the bright blue sky, the sun hidden behind the clouds. She felt treas on her face, falling for her father who could no longer cry. Her tears soon dried, the grief too much to be shed anymore. She screamed, her pain and fear voiced loudly for all to hear. Nen sat upright in a small forest clearing, birds chirpin merrily in the boughs of the trees, the sun shining brightly in the crystal blue sky. Breathing heavily, she looked around the small clearing, trying to get her bearings. She had remembered her mind going dark...So, how did she end up here? She was alone, but she saw a knapsack on the ground not too far away and someone's elses coat drapped across of her. The wind shifted and the smell of smoke, faint on the wind, came to her senses. She began to fear the origin of the fire, wondering how it came to be and how close it was to her. She tried to stand, but the searing pain in her head and behind her eyes hurt too much, making her dizzy, causing her to fall back down. "You should not try to get up just yet. You need to rest until the medicine I gave you takes effect." The voice behind her was soft, gentle, but unknown. She turned and faced the young man, about the same age as her, standing on the edge of the clearing. �The smoke�� she began lamely, her mind dizzy. �Do not worry, the fire burned out yesterday. Here, have some water.� He handed her a full waterskin. She took it and drank greedily, surprised at how thirsty she was. As her arm fell back down, she realized her whole left forearm was covered in bandages. In some parts the white bandage was stained in blood, and the smell of burnt flesh wafted up. �I found you injured in the village. You are not seriously injured, just your arm is burned. The medicine I gave you should help heal the burns and take away the pain.� Nen looked into his eyes. They were filled with compassion and sympathy, with a touch of pity. She longed to ask if there were any other survivors, but she knew the answer already. �So, uhm, who are you?� She asked, hoping to create some kind of idle conversation to chase away the palpable silence, which had enthralled the both of them. �Well, my name is Jaxom. I come from a small hunting village on the northern edge of Lavarn. I had come down here to explore the area, but I had no idea our army was on the move�� he trailed off, his eyes thoughtful. She nodded sleepily. �And what about you?� She found her hands grasping her mother�s amulet, which hung on a thick chain around her neck. The amulet was in the shape of the sun, no larger than her thumb. Her mother had given it to her when she was little, to remind her of the sun when dark and savage storms would scare her into hiding. She forced her hand to drop the precious item, the memories of her mother bringing on the vestige of tears. �M-my name is Nen.� Was all she said. Jaxom did not seem to expect any more words, so she did not speak more. Her eyes began to droop and soon she found herself lying upon the floor, Jaxom standing not too far away, concern etching his handsome face. *** The mage, known as Aladar, walked through the remains of the small village. Crates full of the bounty of the ocean lay on their sides, supplies and food spilling out beneath the sun. Skeletal walls, all that was left of the houses, still smoldered, sending lazy trails of smoke into the air. The air itself was full of smells of burnt flesh, ash, and blood. The army had totally devastated the small village, something for which he was glad. A small touched his thin lips, an action he rarely did. He had suggested the foolish commander of the army to come this way, and the idiot had done exactly as he wished. Now he could explore this area undisturbed, find the magical item, which he had sensed in this village not too long ago. He smiled and even chuckled as he felt his plan slide together, pieces interlocking in his grand scheme. He began to chant beneath his breath, the magic words forming an unseen net in the air in front of him. The net began to grow until the invisible spell encompassed the entire village. As he finished chanting the words, a gold glittering covered the wreckage of lives and homes. He searched for any sign of a blue glittering, the sign that a magical object was near. But as he watched triumphantly, he saw no glimmer of blue. He cursed the commander. He had undoubtedly let someone survive, let the person who had the magic item survive and escape. Aladar�s face filled with unchecked fury as he cast another spell, a spell of greater magnitude, one that went farther than the village. The spell would leave him weak, but all he cared about at the moment was finding where the item of such great power was. And suddenly, he knew where the item was. Luckily the bearer had not gotten very far, giving him a chance to follow and make up the lost time. He laughed loudly and viciously, vowing to make whoever held the item beg for death in the end. He would have his revenge. Darkness was coming upon him. The two spells, ones that took great amounts of energy, had left him without any. He smiled a gruesome smile, hurting his inexperienced face. Blackness overwhelmed him, pitching him into a deep sleep, one that would energize him and bring him back to his full and wonderful state. And before his eyes closed upon the dying village, he spoke a few harsh and joyful words into the dying wind, �I am coming.� *** Jaxom�s dreams were troubled, images of a killing fire and running blood running through his sleeping mind. He tossed and turned, trying to dislodge the feeling of over, one that he could not outrun while in the throes of the dream. Most of the images of carnage were fuzzy, as if from a memory belonging to someone else. He could almost discern faces, but those brief pictures were torn away from his grasping hands. His mind ran in all directions but never left the starting point. He searched for solace, but all he could find was blood filled horrors of nightmares and demons. And then, with a sudden ferociousity, his dream became crystal clear. He saw an old man clothed in blood red robes on his knees in the sand. The ruins of the village he had seen just the day before surrounding the man. The man seemed faint, but Jaxom could sense a deep power within the man, a power of he knew could do no good. His heart raced and his mind bordered on panic as he watched in stark terror the mage. Fear and terror emanated from the mage. The background faded out and all he could see was the mage�s face, dark red eyes staring at him with an abnormal intensity. He wished to look the other way, but the eyes held him entranced. And then he heard words, spoken harshly with the hopes of vengeance, sounding from a far away distance. �I am coming.� *** Jaxom sat straight up, the blankets falling off. He shook his to dispel the capturing power of the vision dream, but the memory lingered. A few moments passed before he could organize his scattered thoughts. He placed his throbbing head between his hands, breathed deeply, and thought of what to do next. �I am coming!� The strange mage had uttered triumphantly before collapsing. And the area had been that of the village now burnt to the ground, now inhabitable. His vision dream had a clear message, almost too clear. He was not sure whether to go along or not. There was always the chance of misreading, and usually their messages were never this clear. He looked over to the sleeping girl, Nen. Her face was set in a harsh frown, and her forehead creased. �Probably reliving the horror,� he thought to himself. It would be a long time before Nen would forget and move on. He watched as she rolled in her sleep, and muttered a few words under her breath. The vision must have included not only him, but Nen as well. Jaxom felt that Nen was now his responsibility since she had no one now to protect her. She knew not the dangers of the outside world, having grown in a small village. He could not just leave her under the mercy of the mage, no matter what he might be after. The sun began to make its daily appearance, turning the sky a hue of red and purple colors. He wanted to get going well before the mage could, to avoid any needless encounters. So, he packed his belongings, leaving out some dried meat and bread, and strode over to where Nen lay. He squatted down and shook Nen by the shoulder. Nen turned in her sleep, not seeming to want to wake. He shook her harder, and this time she noticed while in the throes of sleep. She sat quickly up and hit away Jaxom�s hand, a look of fear in her face. The look of fear bothered Jaxom, he knew not why. He stepped back and raised his hands, palm outward, to show he meant no harm. �Remember me?� He asked nicely. The fear dissipated into a look of sadness, �Sorry, I was dreaming of�. And I thought you were one of them.� The word them was spoke with hate and horror, making it all too clear as to who she was referring to. �I see. Come on, we must be going.� �Going? But why? I will not leave until you give me a good enough reason.� �I cannot explain right now. But we must hurry!� He spoke impatiently. �Tell me!� Jaxom pulled her hastily to her feet by her arm, and forced her to look into his eyes. �There is something dangerous coming this way. Something that means us harm. I do not have the time to explain to you how I know, but I do know that we must leave, and leave now!� He let go of her arm and picked up his sheathed sword and pack. Nen just stared, a look of distance on her face. �Look,� he said while looking away, �You have no where else to go, no one to go to. Why not journey with me? At least let me take you to the nearest village.� The distant look on her face went away, like a cloud moving out of the sun�s way. �I always wanted to travel,� she said quietly and without humor. They were the only words she would say at the moment, but they sufficed as a resignation. Jaxom smiled, trying to cheer her up, but she seemed not to notice. He placed some of the food in her hands, and with a flick of his hand, motioned for Nen to follow as he headed North into the woods. *** Aladar woke, the sun shining hotly upon his unprotected face. He instantly knew what had woken him. The bond to the magic object was stretching, which meant his prey was moving. He cursed his luck. He slowly rose to his feet, the effort straining his energy. He was still weak after the spell he had cast, the spell to help him in his doings. He had wanted to rest for another day, to regain his lost and needed strength, but for some unfortunate reason, the item was moving. Moving! Which meant that some being possessed the amulet and the power, which lay sleeping inside of it. He had to find whoever held it, and obtain the amulet before that person found the answer. He snarled and thought of the possibilities. Perhaps whoever already had the amulet knew of its power. If that were true, then he would be outmatched. There were many chances which would need to be taken. He looked northwards, where the sense of the amulet was eminating from. He knew not where they were headed, nor what they themselves had planned. He began to hum a small spell beneath his breath, one that would use the magic to invigorate him. "I will make them suffer for this," he murmured as he slowly made his way towards the North, each step becoming stronger and longer. *** Jaxom stopped in a small clearing, one not easily found. He dropped his belongings onto the ground and wearily sat down. Nen dropped onto the ground heavily and breathed a sigh of relief. Night had been holding rein over time for a few hours already. Jaxom had wanted to be as far away from the mage as he could, and so they traveled into the night. They could not light a fire, for fear of giving away their location, so the food was cold. Nen gladly accepted her food, too weary to care whether or not the food was cold. Jaxom had noticed her to brighten a bit each hour, talking idle talk every now and then. She was slowly putting behind her the horrible death of her family, and soon she would be back to her own self. Jaxom looked across the clearing, watching Nen eat. A sudden thought came to his mind. �Do you know how to use a sword?� Nen looked up from her food, surprise on her face. �My Father,� she choked on the word but quickly went on, her facial expressions not changing, �was beginning to teach me the basics. Why do you ask?� �Well, there have been more rumors of monsters and evil doers out in the world of late. You will need to defend yourself if I am not available. And I only know the sword.� �Would you teach me, then?� �Gladly. We will have to use practice swords at first, since I do not have an extra blade. But once we find a place to buy weapons, we can start real training.� Nen smiled as Jaxom finished talking. It was Nen�s first smile, and Jaxom felt the sun had begun to shine once again in the moonlight. �Well, we, uhm, should get to sleep. We can start after a night�s sleep.� *** The trees thinned out, revealing a small winding path through the woods. Jaxom held out his arm, signaling for Nen to stop. Jaxom looked carefully at the road. It was old and apparently had not been travelled on in a week or so. They would be safe to follow it at the time being. The two stepped onto the path, glad for a straight expanse to fully stretch their legs. That morning they had found branches to practice with. Jaxom drilled her on the basics, hurriedly, for they could not take too much time. Nen showed promise, though. She was quick to learn an opponent�s moves and had speed. Birds twilled through the trees, and bright sunlight broke the treetops. Nen happily watched the birds flying, a small hint of a smile on her lips. Jaxom could tell how hard she was trying to get rid of the memories and admired her for her bravery. The trail wound through the forest, grass and other plants covering more of the path the farther they walked. Soon the trail began to end, and Jaxom could see a dark mountainside. They stopped before the mountainside, and looked for further ways to go. �Hey, Jax, over there,� Nen said, pointing to an outcropping of rocks not too far off from the path. Jaxom looked closer and could see the markings of a cave. The two headed towards the cave and stood before the entrance. �Jax? What is that?� Jaxom asked with a smile. �It�s called a nickname. I prefer short names. Anyways, I have known people to use this mountain tunnel to go to the bigger towns. There should be torches inside.� �Okay, I guess we are going in, then.� The two entered the tunnel, hesitantly at first. Nen seemed sure of herself, knew where she was going. The tunnel was half lit, the sun shining through several holes in the ceiling of the tunnel. Their footsteps echoed on the floor, and rang down the tunnel. The tunnel they were in was short, and dumped them into a small cavern, two other tunnels branching off. The two tunnels were considerably darker than the one they had come from. And, as Nen had said there would be, torches lay at the beginning of the right tunnel. The tunnels were wide enough for a small cart and an animal to go through. Jaxom was reaching for the torches when he heard footsteps echoing up from the left tunnel. Jaxom froze and tried to look through the darkness, which cloaked the tunnel. The footsteps were light and even, the origin travelling easily over the uneven ground of the tunnel. He cursed under his breath, cursing his ill fortune. He wondered briefly if it was the Mage, but disregarded the idea quickly. The Mage could not have already passed them, the forest was too hard to navigate, leaving only the tunnel open for travel. Jaxom took a fighting stance facing the tunnel. He drew his sword, the blade ringing in the still, earthy air. He watched in grim anticipation for the person to come through the darkness. There also was the possibility that the footsteps belonged to only a simple villager, but villagers rarely traveled alone. Beside him Nen held a small dagger in her hands. Jaxom had given it to her earlier, and had briefly explained to her how to handle the weapon in a fight. He felt a bit proud as he noticed she held the dagger exactly as he had shown her. A cloudy shape could be seen in the heavy gloom of the tunnel. �Put your weapons away. I mean no harm,� the figure in shadows, still advancing, spoke softly. The voice hinted at age and wisdom. Jaxom thought for a moment before sheathing his sword at his waist, the blade clicking into place. �Wise Woman!� Nen exclaimed as an old woman walked into view. She stood tall, although she was old, too proud to let the weakness time had given her to let it bend her back. Her hair was pure white, only rivaled by the pure white of her eyes, which were focused strangely upon the two. �Hurry and follow me. He is close behind.� And with the short wave of her hand, she turned about and began walking back the way she had come. Nen began to follow immediately, leaving Jaxom. He scratched his head and stared. He then shrugged his shoulders, grabbed a torch and followed. *** Aladar lent over, hands upon his knees. He gasped for a much-needed breath, his sore lungs having troubled to properly breathe. His spell had stopped working; he was too weak to maintain it. He was too weak and exhausted. He fell to his knees, still gasping for breath. He looked up and before him saw a cave set into a gray mountainside. Blackness swarmed through his mind, and soon the scene before him left him. *** The air inside the cavern was warm, enfolding those who sat around the fire with warmth. The light of the fire played upon the domed ceiling above. Jaxom and Nen sat next to the fire, sipping bitter tea. The old lady, the Wise Woman, was busy at the far wall of the cavern, adjusting something, which the two could not see. Soon she finished her task and joined them by the fire. �I know who is following you, I can sense his power,� the woman spoke softly as her eyes narrowed. Nen had no idea what she spoke of, but decided it would be best to be quiet and listen. It was obvious that Jaxom knew, so she decided to talk to him about it later. Her eyes roamed the cavern, constantly being drawn to a shadowy object at the far wall. �What should we do?� Jaxom asked the Wise Woman. �I will help you, but in return you must help me.� She did not continue until she saw Jaxom�s head nod. �I will see if I might be able to stop him, or at least slow him down for you. But, you must protect something for me.� �What is that?� �A dragon egg,� the Wise Woman said calmly. Nen raised her head and stared at the Wise Woman, wondering if she had heard correctly or not. The Wise Woman�s sightless eyes turned towards Nen. �Nen, over there,� she pointed to the shadowy object, �The dragon egg, take it, guard it.� Nen nodded dumbly, and rose to get the egg. She found the egg in a leather holder; the inside lined with fur for warmth. She closed the bondings around the green egg, slung it over her shoulder and walked to the fire. Jaxom already stood, and with the Wise Woman�s goodbye, they left the small cavern. "I just hope they are strong enough," the Wise Woman whispered to no one and everyone. *** Jaxom watched fondly on as the fire play upon Nen's features as she lay sleeping at the edge of the fire's light. Next to her lay the leather sack in which the dragon egg was safely packed. Nen had safegaurded the green egg ever since they had left the warrens of caves. She had not let the precious object out of her sight for the past two days, making sure nothing came close to hurt the egg in any way. He sighed as she turned in her sleep, watching the warm light make shadows upon her face. Her brown hair seemed shades lighter in the warmth. She seemed to glow as she slept, and not just from the light of the blaze. Jaxom had watched as her mood had become brighter, giving a sense of merriment to their journey. He had enjoyed watching her as she accepted the past, enjoyed the fact that once again she was taking hold of her life. It seemed that all she had needed was something to occupy her time, something to give her a sense of purpose. He looked upon the egg, just looking. It was strange that the egg would be given into their care, no matter the problems at the time. He knew nothing about dragons and he assumed that Nen knew about the same. The satchel rocked back and forth, but stopped before Jaxom got a good enough look. He rubbed his eyes, thinking only that is was a trick because of his tired eyes. But the satchel rocked back and forth once more. He soon realized that it was not his eyes playing tricks, but that it was moving ever so slightly on its own. Jaxom quietly stood and walked over to where Nen and egg lay. He sat down on the ground next to her and the egg, and took the egg out of the leather satchel. The egg was warm and rocked of its own accord beneath his hands. The rocking gradually grew, slow at first. He looked over to Nen, still slumbering peacefully in the shadows and light. A peice of hair lay across her face, disturbing his view of her face. He reached out and softly moved it away while gently whispering her name. She immediately woke, and looked up into his dark green eyes looking tenderly down. "Is something wrong," she asked of him. He watched fondly as her face fell into a frown. "I think the egg is hatching..." He trailed off as he looked towards the egg. Nen scrambled out from under her sheets, going straight to where the rocking egg lay. She hovered over the egg, her hands only a few feet away from the green egg. Soon the egg's shell began to crack as the rocking grew. Soon a gray snout broke through the green shell, making an excited laugh come from Nen's throat. She quickly helped the hatchling out of the broken egg, allowing the dragon to get its first taste of the outside world. Jaxom watched on quietly as the hatchling as it crawled into Nen's lap. For some unexplained reason, Jaxom felt a twinge of sadness creep into mind. He knew not why, especially on such a joyous moment. He looked into the stars which where seen through the opening in the clearing. He remembered another time, during another joyous occasion, when he had looked onto another girl with the same stars looking down. *** Jaxom woke to the sounds of weeping. He opened his weary eyes, looking across the clearing to where Nen lay. The firelight and moonlight both illuminated her figure beneath her blankets, her chest heaving. Jaxom filled with worry quickly crawled from out beneath his blankets and quickly made his way to where Nen lay crying. �Nen,� Jaxom said quietly as he laid his hand on her shoulder. Irihi was doing much the same thing, his claw on her arm. He was worried about Nen also, and was trying to do all he could to help her. Nen rubbed her eyes, banishing her tears. She tried to put on a brave front, but Jaxom knew that her sadness was breaking her down. �Nen,� Jaxom said as took Nen in his arms, gently holding her to his chest, �let it out. You will never truly be healed unless you let it out.� He gently rocked her as she began to cry once more into his shoulder. Jaxom held her tightly, doing the only thing he could to help her through her sadness. Irihi sat next to the two, nuzzling both of them to help drive away the bad feelings. Soon Nen�s tears ran out and she fell asleep, nestled in Jaxom�s arms. *** The sun streaking through the forest canopy brought Jaxom�s mind back to the clearing. He had been thinking of his village, where they would be in a few hours, and what he would find within. He looked around the clearing, noting the familiar trees and plants. The sun was not quite up yet, only a gray light hanging in the forest air. Nen had already woken to Irihi, the hatchling, chirping merrily. Ever since the hatchling had come from his egg, he had enjoyed watching the sunrise. Jaxom yawned as he watched the hatchling�s face brighten. The sun was coming up, and the new sunrays were reflected in the bright green eyes of Irihi. Nen, who had begun to nod off, was wakened once again when the hatchling nuzzled her side. Jaxom watched happily on as he saw Irihi cuddle up with Nen. �We are not far from my home village. There we will----� his words were cut off by the hatchling who had crawled into his lap. Irihi had started to nuzzle his cheek, wanting his full attention. �Alright,� Nen said quietly. She got up and went to the fire where she began to put it out. The hatchling did not like the dark, something Jaxom and Nen never figure out. So, they had always had a small fire going to make sure the hatchling would not be afraid and let them sleep. Jaxom began to pack his pack. The hatchling decided to help also by picking up the small belongings scattered about his bedroll. Irihi tried to pick up a shirt of his, but only succeeded in getting his front legs entangled in the cloth. Jaxom and Nen laughed as the two helped the hatchling out and finished packing everything away. The two quietly left the small clearing where they had slept, leaving no trace behind them. The hatchling walked in-between the two, occasionally chasing after butterflies that crossed their path. It was during one of these times when Jaxom looked over to Nen. A small smile had planted itself on her face, making her beam like the sun itself. Nen awed him every time she smiled, her smile like a ray of sun striking into the dark places of his soul. Nen was very much different than the first time he had met her. She had become less reserved, and the sadness behind her eyes was hardly ever there. She had seemed to blossom, her fear, anger, and sadness taken away by the wind. She added joy to his journey, had brightened his own mood, had chased away all dark thoughts from his heart and mind. As he watched her happily watch the dragon, she looked over to Jaxom, their eyes meeting. Nen smiled warmly, making Jaxom feel lightheaded. He smiled back, but quickly averted his eyes away from her smile, the smile that always made him feel weak. �Jaxom, uhm,� Nen began as her eyes turned back to the hatchling. �I just want to thank you for last night.� Jaxom looked over to Nen. Her face held a slight blush as she watched the ground beneath her feet. �Nen, just remember that I am here for you,� he said as he looked up into the blue sky. �I will. Thank you,� she said quietly before running after the hatchling. *** Aladar woke to sunlight in his eyes. He had needed he night�s rest, for he knew what would come soon. He needed his magic to be at full potential, knowing that without it he would be at a disadvantage. He had been using his magic quite a lot recently, trying to keep his presence hidden by those held the artifact for which he was out in the damned forest. He quickly stood up, feeling a tie to those people. They would suffer, he knew. They would suffer for making him follow them, make them suffer for not dying in that village back at the ocean. Joy filled him, however. Through all of his dark thoughts, he felt joy surge through him. He would soon have the artifact, soon have power to which he was denied. And soon he would have his revenge, which was his right. He felt the bond pull, and he walked forward, his own greed and ambitions propelling him forward. *** The trees parted, revealing a large village set within the trees. Goat and sheep walked around, herded by young children who filled the large village with laughter. Nen looked around, nervous. She had never left her seaside village before, never truly meeting any new people. This village was at least three times bigger than hers, and she felt a bit unsure with all the people around. She looked over to Jaxom who was smiling. Well, as long as he is here with me, I will be fine, she thought to herself. Irihi nestled against her leg and crooned. Nen looked down into the bright green eyes, which held sympathy. Once again she was amazed at how well the dragon knew her feelings. She smiled at the hatchling. She scratched Irihi�s head, causing the small dragon to croon once more. �Jaxom!� Nen heard one of the running children yell. Nen turned and watched as a young girl, about the age of ten, run into Jaxom's arms laughing. Jaxom joined in the laughter, hugging the small girl before setting her down. Jaxom placed his hand on her head before saying, "My you sure have grown Mel. Its good to see ya!" Jaxom ruffled Mel's hair and she laughed once again. "Who is this, Jaxom?" Mel asked of him as her eyes turned onto Nen. "This is my friend Nen. Nen, this is Mel, my sister." "Nice to meet you!" Nen said to the little girl who smiled. "Your pretty," Mel said to Nen causing her to blush. "Mel," Jaxom said in fake exasperation as he watched Nen. The shouts of the name Mel brought the three out of their shared looks. "Well, mom is calling. See ya later!" Mel ran off a few feet before looking back over her shoulder. "By the way, Lena is will not be here until sundown." Nen waved and smiled as Mel ran to one of the small cottages near the edge of the village. "Come on, Nen. I want you to see something." Nen had no choice but to follow as Jaxom walked through the small village. *** "Over there is the Kisui river, and over there is the Sansui foothills." Jaxom's eyes beamed as he looked over the land spread out below them. "It's so beautiful..." Nen said quietly. The land before her was indeed beautiful, and she felt almost awed. The two of them sat near the edge of a cliff, one that gave a bird's eye view of the surrounding land. Green meadows, rolling hills, and deep blue rivers scored the land, a myriad of colors daring to compete with the colors of the setting sun. Irihi stretched in his sleep in between the two. The small dragon had gone to sleep not long after they had come to this spot on the cliff, exhausted from the day's walk and events. Jaxom and Nen, for the most part, sat in a friendly silence. They felt no words come to mind, letting the wind speak for them. Nen felt like she needed to say something important, something that would change the way she was. But the words would not come to her mind, leaving her feeling hollow, empty. "I wish beauty like this would last forever," Nen said without thought. The sun had not set competly yet, colors of purple and and red mixed in with the blue. The sight held her eyes captivated, and she felt it hard to look away. Jaxom thought for a moment before answering, "But if we had beauty like this all the time, could it still be considered beautiful?" His words came out slowly, as if his mind were elsewhere in the world. "Is something wrong, Jax?" Nen asked as she looked over to Jaxom. "Uh?" He looked startled as he looked over to meet Nen's gaze. His eyes seemed to cloud, but the sight was soon gone. "Nothing, nothing at---" "Jaxom! There you are!" Both of them looked over their shoulders to see a woman, of their age, standing before them with her hands on her hips. "Lena..." Jaxom whispered as he stood. Lena's eyes floated to where Nen still sat. "You didn't go and get another girl while you were gone?" Lena said with laughter in her voice. "You just remember that your promised to me," Lena ended as she threw herself into Jaxom's arms. Jaxom hugged her tightly to her chest, his head nestling her shoulder. Nen stared on, not quite comprehending. She just stared dully on as she watched the two embrace. But, something seemed to snap within Nen. She felt as if she was falling, falling into darkness that only she could see. All emotion left her, except for the feeling of loss and sadness. She quickly got to her feet, feeling as if she were not truly alive, but only witnessing everything in a foreign body. Irihi woke from his nap, sensing once again Nen's mood. "I should get going," Nen said, void of all emotion. Jaxom looked up, and with horror saw the wave of sadness behind Nen's eyes. But before he could say a word to Nen she turned and ran away from the cliff edge, away from the terrible scene of anguish. She felt as if she was falling ever deeper into the darkness, ever deeper into the sadness. She could not even shed a tear, even though she felt like she could cry a sea's worth. Irihi looked to Jaxom, one of his bondmates. Jaxom saw anguish in his eyes, and sadness much like Nen's. And then, he too, turned and ran away, following Nen. "I should go after her," Jaxom said brokenly. "No," Lena said, holding onto Jaxom tighter. "She will be fine. You are with me, and I will never let you go again." *** The tears finally came. They had been at the edge of her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. Nen had tried desperately to keep them at bay, but alas, they came anyway. She stopped, leaning on a tree for support, her body racked with sobs. Irihi watched sadly and scratched at his side. It took Nen a while before she could control herself and stop the tears. She looked over to where Irihi sat, watching her. She gasped as she watched the dragon. She had been too preoccupied in her run away from Jaxom to notice that the dragon was bigger then he was this morning. And as she watched the dragon only grew larger. And his color gray was changing, lightening. �Irihi, I think you are growing!� She made herself forget what happened not too long ago. She rushed to Irihi�s side and gave the growing dragon all of her attention. Irihi kept growing and his color changing. Soon he grew no more, and his color had finally rested on orange, a color just like the sun itself. �Oh, Irihi, you are handsome!� Nen cried as she threw her arms around Irihi�s neck. Irihi rubbed her head against Nen. �But are you okay?� Irihi asked softly of Nen. Nen backed up a bit and stared at Irihi. His eyes were filled with sympathy and sadness as he looked onto his Nen. �I can talk,� he said matter-of-factly, watching the reaction on her face. Nen was not in the mood to argue or point out the fact that she was confused. Oh well, she put her hands back around Irihi. �I am well enough.� �No, no you are not,� he said accompanied by a snort. He then murmured, �Stupid Lena�.Come on, we need to find a place to sleep tonight. And hurry! The sun is going down!� *** �So, how long do you think it will take to set everything up for the wedding?� �Maybe a day or two. We can have it on the first day of summer�?� �Oooh, I like the sound of that.� �Good. That gives us two days to prepare. I just can�t wait!� �Jaxom, aren�t you excited?� Lena asked as she laid her hand on his arm. Jaxom was jolted out of his reverie and looked into Lena�s excited eyes. �Uh?� �Jaxom, pay attention!� Lena scolded with humor. �Oh, ignore him Lena. I doubt he finds the small matters of the wedding excite him much,� Lena�s mother said before Jaxom could say more. Jaxom sighed quietly and turned back to his thoughts. Lena and her mother continued talking about this and that, their talk not resting on one matter for very long. Jaxom looked at Lena, watching the animated excitement on her face. Lena, the girl he had always loved, the girl who had waited a year to be his. He loved her did he not? Loved her so much that he could not live with out her? She had been the reason he had come back to the village, the one reason he did not leave his home. He should be happy that he was settling down with the love of his life, the one who mattered the most. Shouldn�t he�? But he only felt a deep sadness. A sadness he could not explain. And every time he looked over to Lena his mind was filled with the picture of Nen fleeing the scene. Nen� She had not left his thoughts since she had left. Why? Why was Nen in his mind, especially this night? The night he was planning his wedding another girl was in his mind. He asked himself a dozen of questions, but no answers would come. He looked back to Lena. The conversation had ended and her mother was preparing for the night�s sleep. Lena�s eyes met his, and as they did she smiled sweetly. Jaxom wanted to smile back, wanted his fears to go away, wanted his doubts to freeze. But Nen stayed defiantly in his mind, and as he looked into her eyes, his doubts became the truth. Jaxom lurched to his feet unsteadily and headed towards the door. �Jaxom? Is something wrong,� Lena asked quietly. �I�m sorry Lena,� Jaxom said barely above a whisper. �What?� Lena stood and walked to where Jaxom stood by the door. She rested her hand on his shoulder, but that action only set him into motion. �I am sorry Lena, but Nen�� His hand was on the door handle and began to turn as Lena pulled on his free arm. She knew what he meant. She had seen the way they looked at each other, seen the feelings pass before her eyes. But she had not wanted to believe them, had not wanted to face reality. �Please, don�t go,� she said quietly as the tears began to fall. �Lena, I am sorry. If you truly love me, you will let me go,� Jaxom said quietly and opened the door. Lena stood, crying, watching the love of her life walk out the door and into the darkness beyond. She did not run after him, even though her legs burned to move. She had to let him go, let him be happy. Jaxom thanked her silently and cursed himself for waiting so long as he began to run through the heavy darkness. *** The dragon has finally grown into an adult!! I will add to the story soon! |
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| Dragon Stats: Name: Irihi (Evening Sun) Gender: Male Age: Adult Color: Sun! Type: Air Mate: Shoshun Clutch: Meeka and Tagnik'zur |
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| "Hello. I am a yellow sunshine fennec. I was adopted from Dragon Moon. Since I can control sunshine, the adopters of the dragon decided that I would be a perfect campanion to the new dragon." Our Fennec was aodpted from Here!! |
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