***
It was a weird day, people could tell that form the start. The wind that normally blew through the trees and over the hills was oddly missing, and not a bird in the sky sang a sweet song. Nope, everything was still, quiet as if waiting, but for what, no one was sure.
It always happens on a day when no one expects it to, not a dark and stormy night like everyone thinks. For it happens on bright and cheerful days, when the sun begins to sink on the horizon and all the little children go back to their houses, nodding off to sleep. Not like on dark and stormy days, when it's drank and anyone who sets a foot outside is sure to catch a draft. For when it gets dark on those nights, it gets really dark and that's when they expect it to come. That's when they expect Danger to strike.
And in those dark nights when they sit and wait, scared out of their minds at the fear of danger, they tell them selves that they are safe. Safe inside their own familiar homes with their own familiar things. Safety is no more or no less than security, and with security comes comfort. So on those dark drank nights the only thing keeping danger away is safety, security. It's the same feeling some get from sleeping with their backs to the wall, or being locked in their houses when something is about that they don't like. Everything and anything likes to feel safe.
Well on one of these dark and drank nights where the little children sit in there beds eyes wide open in fear that the boogey man might come and get them, something weird happened. As i have said, the wind was too quiet and the birds where oddly gone, the perfect set up for a fairy tale entrance. For something unusual and unreal to twist up the mortal beliefs of reality.
"Mommy?" The voice of a frightened child cried form his room, as he pulled the blankets further up to his neck. His blue eyes flashed in the dim lighting from his dragon-shaped night light at the wall opposite his bed, the only beacon of hope in the room. For an eerie stillness had fallen over the house and crept all the way up the stairs and into the boy's room, and it was now hovering right above him ready to pounce. Like a wolf it waited in the shadows hiding it from view of the child as he gazed about the room frantically, fear rising above all in his eyes.
But something stopped the foul shadow from overwhelming the child, the sense of security that awoke form the back of his mind, reminding the child that in the daylight his room was bright and friendly and just because it was dark didn't mean that there where bad things waiting for him. So the child, content with this thought closed his blue eyes and slid back down into the covers letting the misty silver sense of safety overtake him and lull him into a peaceful sleep.
He shifted in his newfound sleep a peaceful dream forming in his now calmed mind and his thumb automatically went to his mouth. He slept, content for the moment. "Curse you." A voice muttered from out of nowhere as all the darkness in the room seemed to condense into one big shadow that hung on over the sleeping child. It was more or less shaped like a beast, a giant black beast, and where the eyes would have been where two very suspicious glints of light that narrowed as the harsh voice filled the room. Quiet enough not to wake the child, but loud enough for the other to hear.
"He's a child." another voice repeated back as all the light form the room condensed in the same way the darkness had, but from it, came silvery gold light that hung to the left of the child. It was shaped like a thinner more delicate beast, and it's eyes where more friendly less threatening. They almost smiled when the way-to-calm feminine voice responded to the other one. Anyone observing this would have noted that the light from the silvery-gold one was a bit larger than the dark surrounding the black, almost taunting the blackness. For the lighter of the two slid down closer to the child stroked the his head with one shimmering paw-like hand.
"They fall prey to me more faster than the older ones. Innocence is much more easily aroused to me." The harsh voice spoke again, and the great black shape ascended from the ceiling to the bed faster than someone could blink, and loomed over the child. From somewhere in it's 'face' what looked to be a mouth opened and rows of shadowy white teeth could be clearly visible. "I'll get one soon enough." The voice announced, still filling the room though it was obvious now where it came from.
"Oh hush up, you'll wake him. And the vice versa for me, it is only fair. In the end we both need to be here to keep the balance at rest. Otherwise there would be no terror, or too much to handle." the silvery responded her voice clearly as feminine as the black's was masculine. She removed her silvery paw from the boy's hair as he turned over in his sleep. She turned back to the dark, her thin framed 'face' twisting in what looked to be a smile.
"Your correct, as usual, it is only right that we keep the balance. Even if it means less victims for me every night." The dark responded eyes fixed unblinkingly once again on the child. He opened his wolf like mouth to say more but something stopped him. what looked to be his lips curved into a smile and before the light could even protest, he was gone. He went as quickly as one could imagine slipping through the shadows on the walls and on the ground into the sleeping child's brother's room. And within seconds a scream so loud and ear shattering pierced the stillness and the quietness of the household.
The light didn't have time to think, only to act. She patted the child once more and left him with a familiar sense of security. Then she fled out the window towards the moon, sliding through it's path like the dark did through the shadows. And when the dark had caught up with her and was nearly pacing her as they slipped through the forest, one in the light of the moon the other in the deep she spoke. "Danger..." she said her voice barely audible to the most attuned person. "Give me warning in advance before you next strike."
And the darkness responded to her a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Ah but Lady safety, No one can tell when danger will strike next. That is why you are here, to heed the mortals their false senses of security." And he laughed callously, a loud booming noise that shook the very foundation of the ground. From the skies rain began to fall, accompanied by lightning and loud booms of laughter, which of course the mortals took a simple thunder.
And the feminine voice of Safety responded her own laughter matching his and stopping the forming storm from becoming the apocalypse of the town. "there is no such thing as a false sense of security danger, for as long as i am here i will make sure that you do not touch the mortals as they sleep. for when they awake if any caught a glimpse of you.." She reminded him her own magnificent laughter that sounded of silver bells ringing from miles off ehcoced into the still night air. It was if all the choirs in heaven and all the chorus in hell where sounding at the exact moment, thunder of the silver bells.
So the two danced off into the night over the hills where the wind should have whistled and into the trees where the birds should of sang. Anyone passing would have had to stop and take another good long look, for the black wolf of death and the silver cat of light where playing together, in the moonlight.
Everyone knew such gods of creatures didn't exist. but they didn't at the least disbelieve in Danger or Safety.
"You may of won this time." Safety said and she pounced upon her black wolf-shaped anonym, pinning him easily with one silver foot. "But i will get you next time." She laughed again and the bells peeled merrily.
"We'll see." Danger said from below her, flipping her onto her back as easily as she had pinned him. "We're always equal in the end." A wolven smile crossed his dark face. "Now come, it is getting light." He announced but didn't move.
"Alright alright." Safety responded in-between a laugh. "you are correct."
And what happened next was just as confusing as it always was. For if someone where to have been watching this, already scared out of their minds, they would have wet themselves by now. Because where the cat and wolf had just been where now two very human looking humans. One pinning the other down wearing all black and the other wearing all silvery white.
Danger's human form was more or less not as surprising as one might think, he was tall and dark with a handsome luring face that he might use to draw you in with, and eyes that where more wolven than human. They glinted green from underneath the black hair that hung down into his face as he leaned over Safety his lips curved into a smirk.
Safety was fairer and smaller than he, but just as ungodly looking. She was smallish but curvy and beautiful to the eye, claming if you will. Her eyes where cat-like and silvery-gray, and her golden hair was pulled back from her face as she allowed herself to be pinned on the ground. And as she pushed Danger off her hair swayed down over her shoulders, and though there was mud all about then for the rain that Danger had brought had been sincere, neither was the last bit dirty.
And when he was pushed off Danger laughed, and it wasn't the great thunder-like noise that it had been just seconds before, it was still menacing but humanic noise.
Safety smiled but she was more intent on pulling back her hair into a very large and shinny pony tail. She reached out with one foot to kick at him. "what is so funny?" She said twisting up the silver ribbon she was using to hold up her golden locks.
"Nothing." Danger said, watching her with fascination. "Why do you do that?" He asked had titled sideways watching her with those wolven eyes. "You look prettier when it's down."
"Because it gets in my face. And don't be using human adjectives like pretty around me Danger Boy." she said eyes twinkling to mysteriously t be human, though they where trapped inside a human body. She slid back down onto the wet dirt watching the orange-red sun rise above the hills in the distance.
"Whatever." Danger said sliding down besides her with one hand behind his head. "I want to get out of this place, i want to go somewhere where the loss of innocence isn't so great." He said thoughtfully raising on eyebrow.
"You make more sense as a wolf." Safety laughed dodging a punch aimed at her face. "Where would you go?" she said as the sky turned red-pinky orange as the sun rose to it's full height above the hills.
Danger shrugged. "Somewhere where everyone still thinks that on stormy dark nights danger strikes and peaceful calm nights are safe."
***
The ministry arrived on the scene around noon, just as the sun reached it's highest point in the sky. Beams of it's graceful light danced down onto Zaephess and Raydel and as they gazed around the quiet country town, wondering why in the name of Sabbar something so odd cold go on here. The house a modern style two story tutor, rather Swedish looking but country-ish and homey, the perfect place as Zae saw it, for murder.
But they weren't called in for a murder, or even vandalism, this was much more interesting and thought-provoking. Raydel catching up to her and standing at her side as Zaephess, wolf girl and only female member of the Ministry of Magic entered into the house, where in the second bedroom down the hall a tiny boy sat huddled on his bed. His eyes where wide with fear and he glanced around the room frantically as the pair entered the room. His blankets where pulled up around him and he rocked back and forth in some self assurance, chewing on his fingernails absentmindedly.
Raydel's eyes fixed on Zae, and she shrugged clueless as to what had the boy so freaked out. so he walked forward and sat on the end of the boy's bed, watching the boy's electric blue eyes immediately fix and hold on him. He drew up the plaid blue and white sheets defensively and scooted back. "He's coming." The boy explained as if the answer to his sheer desperation was as plain as a shadow on the wall. "To get me. He's coming."
Raydel cocked his head to the side as Zae slipped down next to the boy leaning forwards over him and staring into his franticly searching eyes. "Who's going to get you?" she asked searching the searcher for an answer.
"Him." The boy said raising a finger and pointing to the mirror that faced the opposite of his bed. Raydel and Zae turned to face it, looking at it with mixed feelings of wonder and terror. Caught in the glass was a burn mark, the outline of a very large wolf, black as night. A darkness seemed to brew in it's black death and as one watched it, it filled the watcher with a silent unspoken horror, reaching into the depths of your soul without saying a word.
Zaephess blinked and in turn watched the wolf-like thing staring back at her blink. "What kind of mirrors are these?" Her voice even to herself sounded weak and hallow and even when Raydel rose to stand besides placing an arm on her shoulder, no comfort came.
"Standard soul reflectors, like the one in that earthian movie. You know the childish one, about Snow-Gray was it?" Raydel said smirking slightly at the overly simple explanation. He coked his head sideways, in the familiar habit he had had for over at least a century, a new thought brewing in the deep pools of his mind. "But.." He started the words a jumbled mess of the thought process. "But soul reflectors can only reflect one soul, the soul that they first see.."
"And their all human.." Zaephess said pulling a scrap of paper the minister of Magic, Redge had given her, notes on this family's history. "Says that they came over from a warped earth. One of those fairy-tale places. We've only had one other girl from that whacked out earth come here, and that was Snowbird who stood at your brother's Sanrix..." That explained the country-ish look to the house and also the mother and father's rather strange dialect and weird customs.
Raydel nodded. "This was the boy's mirror. It should still have had him in it-wait." The elven man said as more thoughts popped into his head. Poor Raydel he was over 3 centuries old, but still in his prime. He was handsome, Zae noted, and very muscular but they had made the decisions long ago that they were just friends. If only Zae knew that inside, the reason Raydel was all screwed up was his being this close to Zae, eh really did love her. "Only great energy, in it's lethal form can alter the original image of these mirrors..."
"Meaning that this poor kid pretty much had to of had a living breathing monster right in front of him to have changed that mirror's image." Zaephess finished her eyes unblinkingly staring into the reddish eyes of the wolven in deep thought. She took a step forward peering at the fiend as it peered fiercely back at her. If it was indeed a wolf, it would have been a god of the wolves, or maybe a devil. It's blacken coat gleamed only black, not even a bit of light reflected from that thick black mass of hair. But the eyes were worse, red as freshly drawn blood with tiny black slits that reflected all the light the dog-demon's coat refused to.
"Danger." Raydel said simply. "Great Terror, the ultimate form of danger." He nodded happy with this simple but so utterly true statement. "But this part has no black wolves, this is snow country." Raydel muttered and yet another cloud of unknown fears floated before the two high councilmen of the ministry. "Unless of course, genetics flawed and one was born. But what are the chances of a coal black wolf surviving in the icy tundra this place is?"
"There are black wolves in Beria." Zae noted her eyes flashing dangerously, everyone knew though she tried as hard as she could she couldn't help being a little more lenient towards her own kind. "And I'm not just saying that, how do you think people like me got to be like this? I mean even though I'm part tawny there are part black wolves around and everyone knows that all the wolves in Enrond are silven or tan. The blacks and whites must come from here, because no other part of Rayllom has wolves."
"Your correct on that.." Raydel said, his handsome face contorted with thought. "But you know i just can't get over it. Tell me; where have you seen this wolf before?" Zaephess blinked, as Raydel moved closer. He glared at the wolf with wide open eyes and as the blackened thing opened it's eyes wider Raydel pulled from his pocket a high-lighter. "Now watch." he said pressing the yellowy colored liquid substance onto the mirror, right in the spot where the eyes where.
Zaephess gasped the realization hitting her in the gut. "In the sweet name of Sabbar.."
***
The sun began to sink on the horizon, yet the ministry still remained working on the fairy-tale earth warped house. It mattered not, Danger planned to strike again, but somewhere far off . He didn't know of the ministry of course, or the wide spread search they had started. He just knew that to outsmart Safety, and win for the night that he must find somewhere that she'd least expect, and he had the perfect place in mind.
Though the weather was predictable, his plan was not. For it was almost night and he and Safety where sitting on a hill watching the sun as it fell behind the mountains. It was raining, sleeting more like it, and these where the summer months of the ever-cold Beria. Dark clouds etched like big black monsters where off just in the distance, in only hours a storm like living hell would be upon them. Danger knew it, and Safety did, too.
But she wasn't worried about the storm, or the mocking light in Danger's eyes. she knew him better than anyone else ever would or will, and she knew his plans exactly. She had her own to counter them once he had started, she'd win tonight, truly win. not just having the last hit, she'd safe both of Danger's chosen victims, tonight would be the night. She nodded, golden hair falling down into her face, she brushed it back hastily, and glared up at the falling sleet that had ascended upon them. It hadn't covered the sunset yet, and she was thankful for that, it was the little bit of beauty that she waited for each night. Since the invention of machinery and high tech-smoke causing things, natural beauty was harder t find and in smaller amounts. But they had warned her about it after all. "Sunsets are so beautiful.." Safety remarked her voice breaking the stillness between the two, the only other sound besides the falling sleet, that somehow or another was not completely drenching the two.
Danger shook his head. if only she knew. He remarked privately to himself. Things like sunsets and natural beauty didn't really do anything for Danger. He fed of darkened human emotions, they way she fed off happy ones. Bloodshed and violence where the things he looked forward too, and he realized within the depths of his ancient mind suddenly that he had the better hand. The world has changed, and it is getting darker as the days go by. The darker emotions of hatred and revenge grow stronger in the hearts of the mortals which they need in order to continue their survival and the survival of the planet. While love and beauty seem to disappear, only reappearing warped in magazine and television-ads, mixed with sexuality. He nodded to her but did not say a word. The only true good emotion he had ever felt and even now he denied himself of it, was love. He had felt it once strong and choking, for the only other person in this realm of mind, Safety. She was his beauty in life, and if something where to become of her he didn't know what he'd do.
He was the evil, she was the good. He the darkness, she the light. If one failed, the other took over, upsetting the balance the gods had bestowed upon this world. If humans are fearless, or too fearful then they would either try to defy the gods, or shrink back into their little holes trying to hide from everyone and everything.
"Shall we get moving?" Safety said glancing over at Danger as she pulled out her hair ribbon ready to let herself be shifted into the Cat goddess, letting her golden hair fall and hang around her in all it's radiant beauty.
"If you are." Danger replied, something twisting in his mind. Let her win tonight, she needs it, the mortals needs less fear for once. If she is gone, then you will be alone... That little voice inside Danger's head told him. so he nodded and closed his eyes, letting the painless change that took a matter of milliseconds befall upon him. And when he reopened them, they where filled with all the sight in the world, and hearing that would amaze even the most finely tuned dog's ears.
Safety's cat like cat twisted into a grin and she pranced off merrily followed by her darker partner, into the brewing storm. She was unafraid of anything that the weather could throw at her, she would go to reassure all the villagers that there was nothing to be afraid of as well. All was calm all was fine.
She dashed faster than the speed of light and in no time at all she was standing only inches away from the smallest least obnoxious and all together safest looking town in the world. A little fairy tale village, 17 houses, with snow capped roofs and chimneys spilling smoke out into the stormy night air. Safety breathed deeply her cat like nostrils filling with the scent of fear, she must move quickly, otherwise danger would win and she could not let that happen, not tonight.
Leaping out form the forest as fast as the eye could blink she landed nimbly on one of the roofs and snuck in, passing by the uneasily sleeping people. As soon as she had but past they rolled over in their beds and found themselves in a state of sleep so deep and peaceful that nothing else seemed to matter but their fairy tale dreams. Safety smile d a warm catlike smile and passed onto the next house and the house after that, until the entire village was sleeping like a baby.
Something was fishy, where was danger? Wasn't he supposed to be beating her? she glanced around her silven-blue eyes searching everywhere, but he was no where to be found, and the presence of fear had faded totally tonight, everyone would sleep well. Safety's heart raced, where could he be? She dashed back and forth up to the forest eyes scanning the horizon, it was useless, the storm was even to thick for her to see through. She didn't even notice the fluffy white stuff begin to fall, until it had covered both her, the village and the ground with it's crystal like flakes. "Danger?" Safety called her voice was powerful, from the victory but it sounded weak to her as it passed form her lips. Without him, she was only half..
"Danger Boy?" She called again and this time she heard a faint response weak but still present in the now coming darkness of the night's storm.
"Safety, over here." The weakened voice of Danger called as he inched slowly out the the forest on shaky legs, his red eyes catching her own as he fell into the snow.
"Danger!" She yelled and nearly galloped over to him her immortal heart giving out, if he ceased to exist, she didn't know what she'd do. She found herself immediately in her more human form as she touched his face trying to slap him back awake. "C'mon danger.." she muttered as one of his eyes opened. "Shift-shift, you're to weak.." He shifted, weakly back into his human form and his eyes closed again. "In the name of Sabbar.." Safety muttered as the snow fell thicker, she'd have to do something and quick, danger was blinking out of existence and it was all because of her greed, if only she would have let him take half..
Desperate times call for desperate measures and at the time, Safety was frantic, the balance would be overthrown if Danger ceased and the mortals, oh the mortals would screw everything up. The whole reason they had been created was to keep the mortals from defying the higher powers form trying their hand at creating immortality. Danger was created to scare their pants off, keep them fro even thinking about it, and Safety, to keep danger in check. If one of them faded the world would become a nightmare, either a living hell or a society beings so arrogant they would defy their creators.
She had to act fast. Safety pulled him to his shaking legs and drug him down the hill leading to the darkened forest and into the village where everyone, thanks to her slept peacefully. She had never made contact with the mortals, but now she had to. It was sad to think it, but the fate of Rayllom rested in her hands at the moment. Pitiful, resulting to the mortals for help she should be able to supply, if only she would have been closer to a city...
"What..?" Danger muttered weakly into her ear from where he leaned on her, eyes rolling back and froth into his head. "Nothing.." Safety responded reaching an arm up to knock on the door of a particularly large home. She had passed through earlier and knew for certain they had a 3 guest bedrooms, although 2 where already occupied.
She knocked with her spare hand on the door. 1...2...3...she waited impatiently, her mind racing with fear and her immortal heart beating way to quickly. The door slid open a crack and a very tired looking man answered, his eyes tinged with sleepiness and he scratched his head thoughtfully staring at the two. "Yes ma'am and how may I help you?" That's when he caught sight f a very snow covered weak looking Danger. "In the name of Kyrix! you should have told me you had a sick'en." He opened the door wider and helped Safety drag the all to large body of Danger in.
Safety glanced around nervously watching the man wearing funny pinstripe pajamas walk quickly up the large staircase in the center of the house leaving her and her anonym alone. He still leaned against her groggy and weak unable to do anything but blink. Safety doubted he could even connect the pictures that where floating before his red hued eyes with his brain to make sense of them. Safety's eyes drifted around the old-time decoyer room, white curtains hung at every window which where fastened down tight to keep out the brewing storm, Danger's last link to existence which his mind had probably subconsciously created to keep him going.
Safety's eyes now moved to a shiny object that hung on the wall to their left, she blinked almost dropping him burden as another Safety and another Danger peered back at her from the mirror. She blinked and watched her reflection blink, it had been forever since she had seen herself as a human, almost too long. she suddenly noticed how shaggy her hair had gotten, and how short she looked. "Stupid.." she muttered breaking her gaze from the mirror, she knew better than to let the human part of her brain take control.
That's when the funny pinstriped man came back down the stairs, followed by another man and what Safety took to be his wife.
***
Raydel blinked, unhappy to be woken form his sleep, he was having such a pleasant dream, too. His blue eyes tried to focus themselves on the two blurry forms that stood in front of him as he followed the man who had given him and Zaephess room and board down the stairs. They had decided to stay here, since it was away from the commotion brought on by that wretched kid who was scared by the wolf thing he saw in his mirror. Raydel shook his head trying to keep work out of it at least at night time.
He blinked again this time watching as a silver and black figured came into focus. the man was leaning against the golden haired girl, and though he seemed to have looked like something had taken a bite out of him, there where no visible breaks in his flesh. "What happened?" Raydel asked following his room-loaner over to the girl and prying the black-dressed man off of her.
She glanced up at the elven man something deep and unreadable flickering in her eyes. Raydel sighed inwardly he'd have to milk it form her. He focused his mind as he and his boarder carried/escorted the black haired black dressed man up the stairs. She followed them carefully, not letting even a strand of her long golden hair brush up against anything. If she didn't have to walk, Raydel was sure she would have floated, it was if she was afraid of everyday household things.
Raydel concentrated hard as he helped the man up down the hallway, it was an easy task for him. Even though Raydel was elven he wasn't thin and skimpy, he was very muscular for even a human. His metal ability, he had had since he was around 12 was now activated and he used it to read people's minds. He had promised a few people he would never do this, and to others it was an invasion of privacy, but Redge had his reasons to have a physic on the counsel. This girl was a stranger, so he had no problem with it. He closed his eyes and tried to read her mind but found he was oddly stopped, there was a block way between him and her brainwaves. What? He mustn't be concentrating hard enough, unless she was part god..
They had reached the last bedroom down the hallway, next door to Zae's and across the hall from Raydel's. It was big enough for two, but small enough for one and it had a homey feel. The girl walked in quickly and all but dashed to her black counter-part's side. Raydel nodded to the man in the pinstripe pajamas and was about to leave when he turned around fro one final glance at the two.
The girl was beautiful, like a song turned to flesh and in her own way looked every-much as elven as he. But the guy, was dark and looked almost demonic, they where an odd couple they where. Raydel wondered what language they spoke, or if they spoke at all, from what he heard the girl had but uttered nothing to the elder who ran this place. He yawned a sudden calm sensation overtaking him and when his eyes cleared form his yawn he would have bid them goodnight, if the girl hadn't been staring straight at him. She held him in her gaze, it was more powerful that the strongest handcuffs and when she spoke her words her smooth. "Thank you kind one for your help, I ask one more favor for i feel that you too are of immortal blood. Tell that mortal and the other she-wolf that resides here not to disturb this room at night. I and my...companion will be staying only shortly but he is weak from...battle and needs my care. thank you again from your assistance and please heed my words."
Raydel nodded almost involuntary and felt himself being drawn back out of the room and across the hallway where he started down at his bed. It looked so comfy-so cozy, who cares about the storm outside, it's safe inside here and that's all that matters...
Raydel awoke the next morning with a start. Was all of that a dream? Ha he really seen a living goddess on Rayllom? He rubbed his eyes and glanced out the window of his rented room to see snow half covering his window. He blinked, wasn't this a two story house? he got up and walked on groggy legs over to the window flung it open and looked out. the whole freaking village was snow-bound and they would be a for a long time. His brain immediately went to panic stage; Food? In storage? Water? melt the snow? Heat? Dragon's flames? What dragons? Find some? Call Sargs?
Raydel shook his head and relaxed somewhat, they where in Beria after all, it was the most snow-bound continent on Rayllom. This could happen often who would he know. he walked out the doorway, wearing only his pajama pants and forgetting that his crush was sleeping across the hallway. He closed the door behind him and looked up to see a Completely dressed robed Zaephess standing in the doorway of her rented room. She giggled as his face went red and he retreated back into his room to put some real clothes on.
She giggled to herself, he was so funny, and such a gentlemen. "Early riser i guess?" He yelled from within his room as she patiently stood outside waiting. She took a few steps forward, and was about to say something when to her right the door from the third unoccupied bedroom opened and out slid a very sleek looking elven woman. She was about Zae's height (rather shortish) and very thin. She looked up at Zae startled to see her there but there was something hidden in her silven-blue eyes that gave away the fact she had deeper knowledge. she was shocked, but not startled to see Zae there, it was almost expected. "Oh Hello." Zae muttered trying her best to be friendly. "I didn't know that there was someone else staying here, too."
Raydel emerged back from where he had retreated pulling a sweater over his head. His eyes caught the girls and he all but choked. Zaephess took another two steps forward and slapped him on the back so he'd stop, but when she looked back the girl was gone and the door hung open, inviting. Zae lowered her hand and stared into the room, all the lights where off, except on very small candle that was placed by the bedside. Zae glanced up at Raydel and he nodded. The wolven girl slunk forward as quietly as she could followed by the physic elf and she peered into the room, surprised to see only a man laying very still under the sheets of a two person bed. "He looks...He looks...like he's dead.." Zae said quietly swallowing hard. "Read his mind, see if he's past." He commanded Ray.
"I..I.." Raydel said trying his best but finding the same problem he had experienced last night, so it wasn't a dream. "I can't." Zaephess glared up at him like he was crazy. "They must be outlaws or something. Because they have to be half gods or fallen angels for their minds to be blocked off like that. Outlaws because the last half-god to ever be born was Sargs..." Raydel muttered. "Go in there and wake him up."
Zaephess rolled her eyes and muttered something about never tell a man to do a woman's work and quietly walked in. she breathed a heavy sigh, for all she knew this dude could be some kind of mass murderer some killer...She felt the fear grab hold of here and even the fact that Raydel was only a few feet away didn't comfort her like normal. Every inch she got nearer to that bed the terror in her increased. So finally as she reached down unwilling, everything spinning around her head like this was some screwed up scene straight form a horror movie she shook him. Gently but rough enough to wake a god from his sleep.
***
Danger bolted upright in the bed and grabbed the woman's arm, who screamed as loud as humanly possible. The scream powered filled him, as he fed off her terror, at least now he could possibly walk. And now the whole house would be disturbed, everyone came running into the room as fast as possible, that physic elf, the pinstriped man and another old lady. Where was Safety? He glanced around still not letting go of the woman, who shrieked again. he felt himself filled with a little more power than before. What had happened? Why was he in this house with these people he somehow remembered, as if from a dream? Dream? he hadn't dreamt in over 6000 years!?! Where was Safety?
He had let go of the woman's arm, and suddenly he was vaguely aware that al the mortals where looking at him. well there was one immortal but he was of elven blood, elves don't count worth beans. "Graugiad doium Freau?" He demanded in a demonic-wolven tongue, a language only select wolfs and true blooded demons knew. "Graugiad doium Freau?" He asked again wondering why these fools of mortals weren't jumping on their heels to get her. Oh where is Safety you fools!?!
The wolven one spoke. "He wants to know where she is.." she said slowly still fear stricken, and she should be. The physic elf glanced at her, his blue eyes shifting uneasily. He was scared, too. Good immortal fear is more powerful. Danger pulled himself form the bed in one quick movement so that he was standing facing the group. It took their slower brains to process that he had moved, since the gods could move faster than the mortal and immortal eye could see, that's why Danger danced through the shadows and Safety through the light. He would have demanded again, or he would have pulled some heads off to find out what they had done with her, but he need not.
"Ayiadonna ilynai? " Safety pranced into the room slipping underneath Raydel's, as she had learned he was called, arm and running over to Danger boy flinging her arms around his neck. Her eyes, as humans do, began to leak. "I thought i had lost you." She said speaking in the common tongue so that the mortals would know she meant no harm. Raydel knew elven, but he shouldn't have to translate.
"What happened?" Danger replied, his scratchy way to powerful almost wolven voice alarmed the assembled but they said nothing. He glanced sideways at the group, besides the wolven had stayed quiet. "Can you mort- can you leave us for a minute?" He meant to ask, but it came out sounding like a growl.
"We'll be happy to explain in a minute, just give us some time alone?" Safety added to soften her companion's words eyes locking on Raydel. He nodded and the rest of the group followed him out as he left. Hmmm, maybe Safety should put more trust in the elven. She turned back to Danger, her immortal eyes leaking horribly all over the place.
"Don't cry.." He said cocking his head sideways, not knowing the joy that she was feeling. He didn't understand the happy human emotions, like i have said before, he knew only darkness. He raised a hand to wipe away the tears that formed in his partner's eyes.
Safety smiled but did not remove her arms from around his neck like he thought she would. "Shards, i thought you where...where...dying.." She said pulling him into an unwilling hug.
he didn't know quiet how to react. He patted her head but said nothing, he knew he some part of him loved her, but he didn't know what part of him that was. Danger was confused for the first time in his millennia of existence. "Um...well you didn't Safety girl, I'm still here. Thanks to that wolven's scream... she got the whole house going." He grinned showing white fangs that hung down over his pale lips.
"I think they call her Zaephess, and the immortal is Raydel. He's son of Sabbar and that's good enough for me to trust. So the wolven must not be all that bad to be with him." Safety explained pulling away from danger and taking his hand. "We'll have to work out a way to get out of here later, you've scared the mortals." She smiled that warming smile that could break your heart, and you wouldn't care.
Safety pulled him out into the hallway where the assembled looked up with fearful eyes. Safety cast a 'don't even think it' glance at Danger. The familiar 'here comes Johnny! run away or die!' look faded form his face with a 'hrmph'. "I'm sorry my friend, Damien here, he grew up in a rough neighborhood so he's a light sleeper. " Safety explained. They couldn't know who he was, it was for one forbidden and for two, just plain stupid. If anyone knew how they really were, bad things would happen.
'Damien' nodded understanding at once what Safety had meant. He bowed his head in mock apology and said with a hint of relevance in his voice, "Angela's right, I'm sorry." Fine, if she where to dub him Damien, she would be dubbed herself.
Safety nodded, but something flickered in her eyes, unreadable as usual but Raydel had seen it. The elven man blinked, was it unfamiliarity with that name? Now he was suspicious. He had no time to ponder however, for the pinstripe man interrupted his thoughts. "Well that about settles it then, and to bring up other matters of business." all eye turned towards the man who still wore his ugly red and gray pinstripe pajamas a look of deep worry was cast over his elder face. "We're completely snowbound, that was one hell of a storm, don't get those very often. Haven't for years. And we've no contact with the others in the town.." He stopped and stared at Raydel who was grinning like a fool. "what is it lad?"
Raydel shook his head. "Tell everyone to prepare there things." His blue eyes locked curiously on Angela and Damien. "We've got to candidates amongst us. I've spent enough time with my brother's crazy searches to know that by now." He grinned.
Danger mocked his smile and shoved Safety so she'd do the same. she smiled, but her smile was nervous one. their plan had worked, but now the mortals thought they where...dragonbound?
***
"Where are your things?" Raydel asked the Angela and Damien as they cantered up the steps rather quickly. If it weren't for Safety's glare he would have sped right past the elven, he caught himself in time and stopped.
"We're light travelers." Danger/Damien said his eyes concentrating on the small hole which they where to climb through to get out. If only he where allowed to be wolven... His strength was increasing for the villagers where becoming frantic, stuck in their homes like mice in holes. And Safety, though she showed it not, was weakening. Rather odd how the balance flickers between good and evil so frequently. If only they wouldn't have trusted in the mortals...
"Um...right." Raydel muttered. "Ladies first i guess." He said reaching a hand out to 'Angela' who immediately dodged it and almost instinctively hid behind Danger. "I don't bite." Raydel said watching her with his suspicious blue eyes.
Danger was on the verge of kindly telling Raydel that if he even tried to lay a hand on her he'd show him that Damien could bite very well. He changed his mind. "I'll just help her.." He said lifting her ease so that she slipped up through the small vent way up to the roof. When she was up he turned to Raydel. "You next I'll make it by myself.."
Raydel nodded still looking a bit suspicious but clambered up without the aid of Danger. If he had even needed it, Damien would have offered none. It wasn't the fact that Danger wasn't a nice person, (and he wasn't) it was the fact that he wanted to remain out of contact of mortals the best he could. He took a few steps back and leaped up the hole rather, and landed just behind Raydel crouched down on one knee with his hand spread wide open in front. He looked more deadly and wolven than ever. Angela's eyes widened, what did he think he was doing? Trying to blow their cover? "Did ya call 'em yet lad?" pinstripe who was now wearing about twenty sweatshirts asked gazing over the horizon.
Raydel looked up at the pinstripe his eyes clouded with thought. "You b-better h-have.." Zae chattered her face paler than it's normal rosy hue. She rubbed her hands together briskly and pulled her violet shaded ministry robe tighter around her. Her eyes fell upon Angela who was wearing littler clothes than she. A tight silver shirt and a long flowing silver skirt, made of some kind of silk she was sure. "A-r-ren't y-y-ou col-d-d?" Zae chattered breathing into her hands.
Angela shook her head, her long golden hair waving with it. The storm had stopped but left it's mark all over town, and the air was still chilled by the frozen raindrops, though the sun shone brightly. "Sargon said he'd be here, but he needed to round up the others." Raydel explained switching the subject. "Oh yes and he wanted me to ask you two, are either one of you shifters of some sort?"
Safety nodded without thinking, then shook her head, then nodded again. "Yes we're both shifters, that's why she's not cold." Danger covered, his harsh voice a disturbance in the stillness of the air.
"Of what sort?" Raydel asked, and when he breathed out the water vapor in his breath condensed forming tiny droplets of water hanging in the air. It gave the illusion he was breathing out smoke, something Danger and Safety had never seen before.
Danger blinked fascinated for an instant but quickly regained control. "I'm wolven and she's feline. nothing to fancy." he lied. He was wolven and she feline, but their altered forms where so magnificent and mavlent at the same time. Raydel nodded and turned his back to them looking skywards as 3 great shapes appeared on the horizon.
One was larger than the other two and flew in the front. It was the shape of a dragon no doubt, and the way it flew even for something so large was rather majestic in it's own way. Even though it was colored black and bronze, it held it's royal air.
The second was as white as the snow that trapped the villagers and this was no doubly female. The way she flew was magnificent and she seemed perfectly at home with these wintry conditions. She flew to the left of the large bronze-black though not far behind.
The third and final was the color of a setting sun, gold as new dawn light though her shimmering coat was slightly silvered from age. With age however comes wisdom and this dragon still held her royal air as well as the other two, and even paced the young graceful white.
As the three came into view the large black-bronze banked, allowing the white and the gold to come to a landing as he fell in place behind them. At a closer view both Safety and even Danger where taken by their beauty and sheer power, even in all there years of journey had they never seen a dragon, for when they where out and a about they dragons where as well. Paths that never cross for dragons fear nothing and are always safe. Nothing can scare something so powerful, or think of bothering it. It seems Damien and Angela had met there match...
"Ah Raydel." A strong but velvet smooth voice called as a man cloaked in black pounced in a rather wolven fashion like Danger, down from the black-bronze's back. "i see you've found yourself in a pickle along with the townsfolk." His eye caught site of Zaephess. "and hello to you too Zaephess, always a pleasure." she smiled and then coughed, having a rough time with the cold since she was so used to the island feel of Azon.
Raydel nodded. "And I've found you these two." He began but was interrupted as from the white slid a golden haired woman who walked quickly over to them.
"Now where are they?" she said looking straight past Danger and Safety who said nothing, and dared not move.
"Nice to see you two Lani. Damien will be going with you." Raydel said pointing to Damien whose eyes widened like Safety's had.
The woman, Lani, was clearly not satisfied with this. "I thought you said he was a shifter Sargon, you owe me ten bucks." She grinned.
Damien blinked. "But they are shifters." The elderly voice for the third rider announced as she made her presence known by slipping form her ancient gold. Her hair was brown touched by silver and the fine liens of wrinkles had began to sneak up on her face. not like the other, Lani, who was young and in her prime like her white. the firelancer was more newly accustomed to her job. Lani rolled her eyes at the other. "Aren't you?"
Safety nodded as the woman addressed her, she didn't seem as fierce as the other one. "Good then, Angela dear, you will be going with me." She nodded and turned back to the man-rider Sargon. "I thank you for your help recently finding me candidates for the flurry and i do think that I'll send some your way for your frenzy hatching dear. Now come along Safety we must hurry if we want you to even qualify for the clutch."
"One second ma'am." Safety said, thinking it only proper to call a woman of her unspoken status ma'am like the mortals did. Safety turned her eyes upon Danger and pulled him close. "Scare no one and i will comfort none. the balance must remain equal if they are to spilt us apart."
"Why let them?" Danger replied. "I can take them." He glanced back over at Lani who was stamping her foot impatiently. "and i don't like her.."
"Because. Look at the dragons Danger, look at them. they are so full of malice yet at the same time so peaceful. We are bound for them.." Angela said turning to go.
Damien grabbed her arm. "Look out for yourself Lady Saftey, your one hell of a gorgeous woman you know, and this time I won't be there to watch your back." He let go and walked up to Lani, leaving Safety with his final words.
"C'mon Romeo," Lani of RoF laughed leading him back to her white dragoness. "Next time you want to charm a woman with words, try not to say 'hell', it throws the whole nice guy thing off."
Safety stunned at Danger's words followed Tiyanni of Ryslen back towards her great golden she-dragon. "Be careful of him hon, he likes you but if i were as young as you again, i wouldn't go for the bad-boy type." the elder woman's smile was warm and Angela pulled her face up to reflect it.
***
As snow-white faith rose higher into the Rayllomian skies Lani yelled over the slight altitude wind to Danger. "By the way, we're off to Ring of Fire in my home world. Gets a bit warmer there than here."
"Whatever." Danger yelled, not thrilled at all from being taken from Safety. He worried about her, he knew the darker side of all the worlds and prayed that no one would try and hurt her. If they even thought it..
"What? do you not like dragons or something?" Lani asked her voice barely audible to a human ear over the wind. "Or are you afraid of flying.
Danger smirked, if she only knew. "What type of Dragons does this RoF place have?" He asked, trying to keep conversation going. anything to keep his mind off his present situation.
Lani turned around a smile gracing her lips, Danger blushed suddenly realizing she had the same natural beauty as his anonym. "That could take me all day to explain to you.."
***
"Now dear, there's a special sort of requirement to become a candidate at the flurry sands." Tiyanni announced as she and Safety landed at Ryslen a very beautiful, Weyr as Ty had called it. "you need a f'lizard."
Angela turned to Tiyanni, her thoughts a drift. What had Danger meant by those last words? Was it possible that in his cold dark immortal heart there was some sort of love? "F'lizard?" she asked. "Like a little dragon? I've heard of them.." She said nodding a smile pulling at her face.
Tiyanni mirrored her smile. "And yes dear i have the perfect one, a small silver from the last batch that was well, sort of left behind." she smiled. "But she's just as happy and healthy as ever, i think she was waiting for you." And from within the pocket of her large coat, the one she had worn to protect her form Beria's normally cold temperatures, she pulled a tiny silver flitter.
"Aww." Safety said her expression becoming so humanic it almost scared her. she gently picked up the tiny silver and giggled as she made her way up to Angela's shoulder and perched herself there. "I think i shall call her hope, for she is the only hope i have of impressing something."
Tiyanni smiled her mysterious smile. "We'll see about that dear."
It had been a great deal of time since Safety had arrived at Ryslen and she was beginning to grow worried. Everyone so far had been pretty calm nothing big had happened so she was glad she didn't have to use her abilities. She didn't even know if she wanted to if something big happened, after her promise to Danger. His words had confused her, he said something about her being pretty? Long had she pondered he mystery that was him, long had she wondered about him.
But today, she knew that she would not be able to worry about her dark companion, today she would be attending the hatching of hatching the flurry. And the way people talked about it here, you knew it had to be spectacular even more to live up to last year's. she had been some of those beauties return to become clutch mothers or fathers. By the mortal skies they were gorgeous and some of them had two sets of wings! What flyers they must be. The golden haired light pondered while she sat on the edge of of the sands watching as other candidates gathered.
The dragon mothers began to hum like Tiyanni had told her they would she said it was a long upheld tradition to alert everyone in the weyr. It seemed these hatchings were big deals. Angela rose to her feet long gold hair flowing out behind her, she hadn't tucked it back behind her head since Danger had left her. He had told her not to and she was more loyal to him than any of the other gods or goddesses even her own siblings.
Watching solemnly as the others impressed upon their dragons Angela found their graceful Rylsenese style to be breathtaking. All seemed similar and yet so different, it was then her eyes caught the most different dragon of them all. (in her opinion of course)
Breaking through her shell a four colored dragoness revealed her radiance to the candidates who stood before her. Silver, white, bronze, gold all swirled elegantly on her smooth skin hide with small white snow flakes dotting it, barely visible against the white. She pushed off the remnants of her cream white shell and spread open gold-bronze wings to reveal larger crisper snowflakes. On her head were two tiny knobs, but no Ryslen crest. Her swirling white-purple eyes fell upon Safety and she felt the strongest sensation she had in a long time a strong sensation of friendship mixed with love that only a dragon and rider could share.
Murmurs shot through the crowd concerning the gold-silver-white-bronze's gender. Wasn't it obvious by her sheer grace that this was a female? "Her name is Sentrenith." Angela/Safety muttered the draogness's name planted on her lips before she even realized what she was saying.
Yes and your name is hardly Angela. A cool comforting voice whispered into Safety and all the surrounding's heads. Your my rider, Safety. It hissed again and Safety found her self walking towards the beauty subconsciously lost in those swirling purple white eyes.
Hands running over the smooth skin of the young multi-colored queen Safety lifted her to her arms and carried her from the sands and to the room set up for newly hatched dragons. "How did you know?" She asked the gorgeous little dragoness as she placed her on a bench next to a table so that she could eat some of the meat set out for the babies.
We are a bond now, i know everything about your life and you know about mine, though there is not much to tell. She gave a draconic smile and suddenly noticed the meat, taking to it gracefully as if everyone was watching her. Some of the riders who had newly hatched already fed young dragons were but only because they weren't quite sure of the gender like the crowd had been.
"She's a queen." Safety muttered to one young man who was staring at her gorgeous creature with fascination. he nodded and went back to feeding his silver-white. Safety rolled her eyes giving a shy laugh to her dragon who was licking off little pieces of meat that clung to her snout.
"She certainly is." a semi-familiar voice responded as the man named Sargon with the golden colored eyes took a seat besides the little queen. she jumped startled by his presence. He grinned showing white fangs and ran a hand over the queen's head. "She'd make an awesome addition to Azon, and i think you'd like the atmosphere there, certainly unlike the place your used to and you and Danger can play your little games as often as you like." He smirked. "not all sanrix-folk scare easily."
Safety gave a sad smile. "I couldn't i mean i need to talk to Danger about it.." she looked hopefully around as if he might appear any moment.
"Taken care of, i think since what happened to cause you to seek out shelter changed his mind about snow. I think he'll be happy for a change of scenery." Safety didn't bother asking how he knew this. Sargon looked to his left as if Danger was standing there as well. "but let me tell you he's a good guy underneath it. At least his human form is a good guy. He'd never want you to know that of course."
Safety rolled her eyes half-heartedly, if he only knew. "Well i guess we can go...." she said as her golden-silven-bronze-white beauty nuzzled up to her.
Yay! field trip! She giggled bouncing down to the ground with one nimble leap and flaring out her snow-gold printed wings. I want to fly there!
"who says your allowed to fly? i don't want you getting hurt stay on the ground at least until your big enough to leanr properly. " she turned to Sargon. "does Azon have a weyrling master?"
He shook his head with a grimace. "but I'm sure Bolton would love to teach her, when she's grown she'll be really big being a queen and all." He grinned evilly. Safety didn't know if she liked the idea of a giant black-bronze teaching her little beauty how to fly but then again he'd make a great protector....and she did need to learn.
Glancing down at her gold-silver-white-bronze Sentrenith she smiled and nodded her head; it was done. Off to Azon to start a 'new life'.
***
Safety was growing tired of waiting for her black counterpart to show up, Sentrenith was officially a weyrling, Sargon had brought the news to her yesterday morning and Danger still hadn't bonded. Azon was grogoeus and the mellow-dramatic beach settings were perfect for the golden haired goddess to live at full time though there were darker parts to the area. The mountains looming to the north looked devious and it was rumored that the tomb of an ancient evil rested there, one more powerful than Sargon was willing to discuss.
Sargon himself was around most of the time, trying to keep Akitna from messing with the frenzy eggs, she had taken an interest in messing with draconic DNA and had created some pretty interesting specimens, like the colony of tri-color wyverns that now inhabited the aeries of Azon. She was a nice girl, wild and unappreciable but the conversations that Safety had had with the young daughter of kings proved her to be stronger than meets the eye.
Contemplating on what her dark partner was up to Safety sat on the beach staring out onto the silver water as her silver-white-gold-bronze came striding up besides her. Gueeeeeess what? The quarto colored queen asked mentally, coming to rest on her swirly haunches next to her bond.
Saftey grinned and played along with her bond. "I dunno my lovely queen...what?"
Bolton said that I'm old enough to start my training. He said that i'd make a fine flight fighter. She said giving a draconic smirk as she stared out onto the silvening water created by one of Rayllom's many moons casting a shadow out onto the silver sea. It rotated to closely to the planet and it's shadow often hung over the sea for days at a time, hence the name of the large body of water.
"Flight fighter? What's that supposed to mean?" Safey asked curling her legs up to her chest wishing that she could transform back into her cat-like stage. she liked being human, it was ok, for most of the time.
It means that he and Phantom and Jangelith are going to teach me how to do all these cool aerial stunts and tricks and that when it comes time for me to fly, I'll be able to beat up all those naughty boys easily. Her smirk grew wider. Flying sounds like such fun, the only kind of flying I've done so far is dull, just practicing to strengthen my wings by taking short flights here and there. I wanna really fly!
Safety nodded, she had watched Sentrenith zip here and there doing errands, but Sargon had explained over and over the importance of this step of her training. If Sentrenith were to become a real queen, she'd need all the training she could get and Safety wanted her gold-silven-white-bronze to get everything she needed to be so she could become one of the legendary dragonesses. Like one of the ones that Sargon had told her about, one of the ones that went down in the books..."I bet you'll be a great flier Sentrenith, half the dragons around here don't have an attitude close to yours. They say a good attitude makes all the difference."
Sentrenith nodded her head. But half the dragons around here are either jerks or evil. In fact, most of them are evil have you noticed? And all of them seem to be dark i don't think i fit in very well. Her head remained bowed as she said this and Safety suddenly felt a ping of pity for her queen. It was true most of the dragons at Azon were dark.
"Paianith is a flurry." A voice said from behind them and Safety turned to see Lady Kat, the Sanrixess of Azon standing not to far off, she must have heard most of the conversation. Walking towards them she sat down besides Safety, from behind it was hard to tell who was who, both looked similar with long golden hair. "I'm sorry to intrude but Pai said something about Sentrenith today and i had to tell you about it. You see-"
I can tell my own stories. The gem coated perdiot said strutting out and coming to sit besides the young queen. It was rather odd, seeing the two lightest colored and purest hearted of all the Azonese dragons coming to sit besides each other. It was even odder that both were Rylsenese, and both were flurries for that matter.
Paianith, the Cassiada cast her gaze onto the younger queen blue-white eyes meeting purple-blue ones. Don't you dare let them get you down. Your a queen no matter what they think and if i say so myself your a hell lot more of a queen than i was at your age. you see when Kat decided to fall for Sargon she gave no thought to anything but love, and it was only luck that i and Bolton ended up loving each other with the same passion. I know it's hard to be a light colored dragon in this place of all places but hey, in all of Azon's history all of Azon's Cassiada's have been light. All of them, like your rider you must maintain the balance, don't back out now. In a world of dark there must be light and in a world of light there must be dark. Though I'm not saying i recommend you try to be Cassiada, i recommend you at least try not to fight your queen-ship because of your color. She said awing the younger queen by this 'you go girl' speech.
And it was true, though there was no possible way Sentrenith could ever be the lead dragoness of Azon, it was possible perhaps that she would land a highly regarded roll. You're very true. Thank you for your encouragement. Sentrenith responded regarding the elder glitz with the same respect if not more she had regarded the younger with. Then she added to her rider. She is right you know, Danger will no doubly bond a dark we must retain the balance of good and evil at all costs. I will be the good and danger's future bond can be the evil. But i will try rider oh dearest to like him because i know you feel something for Danger, though you will not even admit it to yourself.
He is still not back then...Sentrenith's sweet and powerful voice drifted into Saftey's mind as she sat on the banks of the beach once again like she had for the longest time, only this time tears stained her cheeks as she curled her legs towards her. Long golden blonde hair floated down to rest all around in in a circle as she tried to make herself as small as possible, embarrassed that anyone even someone as close as Sentrenith could see her like this. She lifted her face to look at her gorgeous queen, silvery blue eyes reddened from tears and stained from hurt.
"Do you think he forgot me Sentrenith Do you think that he found some place else were the balance didn't matter? was he tempted id he go on purpose? does he hate me? am i rambling?" The golden-silven goddess of Safety and all that is pure said very quickly and buried her face into her knees again another spell of weeps pouring over her.
Saftey, listen to me. Sentrenith said, slowly resting a large golden-silven-bronze-white paw on her rider's shoulder gently, rainbow facetted eyes whirling purple blue as they often did when the queen spoke of her feelings. I may not know much about this character you call Danger, for i have yet to meet him, but there is one thing that i do know: he will not forget you. the way you speak of him is very passionate, and i feel that it cannot be a one sided thing. If you have been together for as long as you know, then he will return. Later, sooner, any minute i do not know. But you do love him Safety, whether you realize it or not you do love him. It could be love like one loves a nest mate, the love that two souls meant to be together in this world share, and i myself feel that he is your other half. You are his light and he is your darkness. The balance ahs bound you together. Sentrenith said, eyes glowing brightly as Saftey looked up, forgetting about her tears and staring into the glowing queen's eyes as she stared back.
What a wonder that dragon had become, what a sight to behold. She had grown sleek and stealthy, and quite a wonderful flier thanks to Bolton, Jangelith and Phantom's training. Her coat glistened brilliantly with the four colors as it had at birth, but only now did her true colors begin to shine, not shine they began to radiate. And the dragoness spoke with such wisdom and truth, that Safety found herself learning things she did not know. Such knowledge Sentrenith had of the feelings and hopes and reams of others, everything she did it, Safety found herself shivering with goose bumps. she had helped so many of the azonese dragons and riders that when one would come to Safety telling her of her queen's deeds, the goddess was no longer surprised. In her own way, Sentrenith was a goddess, a goddess among dragons.
Safety swallowed, love for a nest mate. She closed her eyes and reached a hand up to pat her dragon's paw as it leaned gently on her shoulder. But she felt more for Danger she had to admit, more than just the love one has for one of one's same blood. Safety had given her heart to him, she realized sitting back and staring weakly at her dragon. "I have given my heart to one who cannot love Sentrenith. It is not possible that he can love, it would deny all of creation and it's balance. He can seem kind and caring but there is always something that he can get out of it. He always finds a driving purpose to manipulate feelings. Love is a good. He cannot ever feel good." Silent tears stung the corner of her eyes as she realized this, Danger had had another reason to manipulate her. He always had a reason.
Sentrenith sighed a long draconic sigh and closed her eyes flexing out large gold-white paneled wings. Love.. She said simply to herself repeating the word over in her sweet draconic voice, soft as a locus petal and twice as gentle. love. Love is the driving purpose of humanity, it is the very thing that drives humans to do everything. Why do mothers give birth to their children, when it causes them so much pain? Because of love, the love they have for the child. And on the opposite paw, why do some mortal men kill the husbands of the wives they have fallen in love with? Because they feel love. Sentrenith reopened sparkling silver blue eyes and glanced down at Safety.
"I understand what you mean my friend." Safety said wiping her eyes with one silven-white sleeve. "But when the feelings were created and a god was named in charge of each, all of the love gods and goddesses were made to be pure. Made to be good."
But not all of them remain that way. Some weren't to begin with. Safety, see it from a mortal point of view as you have taken mortal form, love is neither good nor evil, light nor dark, it is the danger of safety. The feelings you have when you give your heart to another of the same kind, you do not know if they will feel the same but you do know it's the right thing to do. The queen finished raising to her feet and fully extending her pair of shimmering gold-white wings. Come now we fly to Ring of Fire to go get your Knight in slightly dull maybe not so shiny armor, for quite possibly he is waiting.
Safety, bewildered again by her dragon's ability to connect with and help her in ways that the goddess of safety did not understand, stood immediately. She walked back over to her dragon's side and climbed up the offered arm settling herself between her dragon's shoulders and grabbing on tightly to a four colored neck. Sentrenith rose off the ground in a few quick sweeps of her star-studded wings and then burst to the darkness of between. It took them only a moment but Safety could never get over the cold she felt as she popped through time as space, it was so cold, so empty.
Sentrenith came to a smooth landing over the ancient volcano and allowed her rider to jump down as quickly as possible, Safety was already on the prowl. Feeling a bit out of place, noticing quite a few more light colored dragons and in fact a few of her nest mates Sentrenith backed away. She was shy bless her draconic heart, very shy and used to being around dragons she had known since she was young. These were all very new to her, very new and all their oddities were intriguing, but not intriguing enough to cause her to go and investigate. s she decided it would be best to hang closely to Safety, Safety would make sure her queen was alright at all costs, even if it meant blowing their 'mortal' covers.
Safety charged forth into the mix, pushing through and having to mutter a lot of polite yet rushed " Excuse me," s And "Sorry um, didn't mean to do that" s. She had charged through the whole gathering and been down about every hallway, office, courtyard, nook and cranny the place seemed to offer in no time and had seen no trace what so ever of her other half. Coming back to the same hallway the second time Safety rolled her eyes and leaned against a wall feeling her body begin t slide down it until she was sitting on the floor staring out at Sentrenith as the dragoness came to her side. "He's not here Safety, i can't even feel his presence."
Maybe whoever took him away is doing a kick butt job of keeping him on track. Sentrenith offered and then seeing her rider's face she tried again. Maybe he's um...look can we please please find somewhere else to mope? don't mean to be rude or anything but that hydra is giving me funny looks. Really funny looks, Safety I'm scared. It was a funny sight watching Sentrenith try to hide her eyes by covering her face with one wing and cowering next to Safety as if the rider could somehow hide the massive queen.
"Sentrenith you may be wise and god forsaken gorgeous but your a bit of a chicken." Safety laughed. "do not be afraid, nothing can get you while I'm here. And think about it, I'm always here. That's my job, stopping danger from doing his." She said patting the queen's head and when she glanced towards were the 'hydra' was she found it to be gone. "c'mon let's go, he's obviously not here...maybe I'll stop by and ask Lani where he made off to after the hatch or whatever."
Safety rose again to her feet and sadly began to walk back down the hallway in an effort to find the exit. She glanced back at Sentrenith to see why she wasn't hearing the padding of golden-silven-white-bronze feet and all the sudden--safety was on the floor staring up at the ceiling. "Ouch?" she said realizing that she had impacted with something and when she tried to lean forward her head spun and she was forced back down. Allowing her blurring vision to clear a bit Safe watched as Sentrentih appeared suddenly above her, well the part of Sentrenith's underbelly and chin she could see.
A hand reached down to help her up and Safety took it, glancing down at the ground at the feet of her helper, black shoes, against black pants. "Thanks." Safety said placing in head in her hands to keep her world form spinning again and almost feel forward if a pair of strong arms wouldn't have caught her. She opened her silven blue eyes and they met gold-red ones that stood out vividly against a pale complexion and death black hair. A gasp escaped her lips as Safety's brain made the instant connection, and it sounded more like "Danger?!?" The Sentrenith's wondering ears.
He grinned rather evilly, unable to conceal wolven fangs that hung over his bottom lip. "Oh safety girl how I've missed you. It has not been the same without having anyone to talk to, to compete with. Heck, i even miss the simple things, like your hair and your face.." He said running, tangling a hand in her golden hair as something vague flickered through golden red eyes. He swallowed hard and removed his hand fast. "I believe something has gone wrong with me, i have stayed in this mortal body to long.." Daemon/Danger said but he did not release her.
Safety blinked pressing her hand against his forehead. "You might have a fever, i have seen many mothers determine this when their children declare something is wrong." She said, though she felt better than she had in the longest of times, she had missed him so badly it had hurt.
Danger's face went blank and he stared at her, making Safety feel very uncomfortable under the pressure of his unbreakable glare. She removed her hand and blinked at him, wanting to go back and hide under Sentrenith's wing. Something weird was flickering in his gaze, something very odd. And why suddenly, was he leaning closer, every second his face grew closer to hers. as she running a fever? "Danger?" She asked leaning back away from him trying to get a good look at his face, trying to read his expression.
He blinked, breaking his gaze and leaning back clearing his throat rather uncomfortably. He released his hold on her since she seemed to be feeling better from the fall and took a few steps to the left, suddenly noticing Sentrenith for the first time. His eyes ran over the gold-silver-white-bronze and since his knowledge of dragons was slim he assumed her to be female simply because of her beauty. she was a nice match for Safety. "Maybe perhaps I should give up and go check Azon out. We should probably shift back into our real forms, i do not feel like there is something here for me."
"Why give up? I can stay here with you if you like, it's no big-" Safety began, walking slowly back over to Danger but he retreated distancing himself.
"No." Danger cut her off more sharply than he meant her to, still inspecting the dragoness as she inspected him right back.
"Well why not?" Safety said a bit irritated, what was he acting all weird about?
"Because.." Danger said, struggling with himself now more than ever. He knew why they needed to leave, why he needed to distance himself further until it passed. Further until the feelings past and things went back to normal. Normal, huh, was it possible this was normal? Was it possible his feelings had only magnified under the strain of this mortal body?
Out with it already boy, i have seen this poor girl suffer enough on your account. The gold-silver-bronze-white swirly beast said narrowing her eyes at Danger, it took him only a minute to realize that Safety had not heard her voice.
"Oh curse the mortals and all of their damn feelings!" Danger spat whirling on Safety and stepping again towards her, anger flashing beneath his eyes unable to control his rising voice. "It's like this Safety." It was her turn to back away from him as he cornered her against a wall. "Since as long as i can remember i don't know what but i have felt something, something that i am ashamed to admit i do. I am not supposed to be good i was created in dark by dark to be DARK, but i feel GOOD. GOOD AND DARK WERE NOT MEANT TO BE TOGETHER!" He roared, and still walked closer to Safety as she realized she had run out of room to go and was now being pressed against a wall. "If you haven't noticed their not exactly the same thing, good is good dark is bad. I don't know why in the name of Kyrix I'm feeling these horrendous things that i know you do. But you see that's my dilemma; if I'm feeling something i shouldn't can you feel the same thing? Or is this thing something that defies everything we've know to be true? is this thing something that is both good and evil?" Danger said his voice falling now to a lower than normal level barely above a whisper.
But something was still thee clear as day but clouded by thought as it mixed itself in Danger's mind, as he tried to make sense and grasp at the concept he was edging on, the same thing Sentrenith had been talking about. "Is it possible that some things can be both dark... and light? Is it possible for something to be bad and good..?" He asked more to himself than to Safety, she noted though wondered why he had a thing for touching her hair as he was doing now. "IS it possible for something to be dangerous?" He asked and Safety could see he was fighting some kind of battle on the inside, as his voice rose again. "Yet so very safe feeling at the same time. Feeling Safety feelings, so complex, yet simple enough for mortals to understand them. This must be the simpliest o fall feelings since it is the one that i am finding to be most complex. I'm so confused I've though over this for endless hours and I've denied myself what i know somewhere in this blackened heart of mine that it's true...." His face was so close to her now, so close that Safety could his his breath against her face. "Safety girl, I've know you for as long as i can remember so hear me now and do not ask any questions..."
"I won't Danger, you know you can tell me anything." Safety said prying it from him now, she wanted to know what had been hurting him for as long as he said. she didn't like to see him suffer.
Danger swallowed hard. "We must go and turn back into our other forms, because...beacuse this mortal body of mine if causing me great pain. Bt don't worry, please don't worry." He said turning a shade of crimson and giving a shy smile as Safety waited growing impatient for him to speak. "When we were two i found myself in the pain of speak, horrible retched unbearable pain. And the good and evil phenomena i have stumbled upon that unveiled itself to me is the cause and i can no longer deny it. This mortal form no matter how evil and disgusting it is is still mortal, and in it i have grown increasingly attracted to yours." His eyes searched hers red-gold meeting silven blue, and also silence. So it was out. Danger swallowed again. "I feel if you change back and we go back to things as normal perhaps this feeling will leave."
Do you want it to leave Daemon? Now that you are back with the one you are drawn to by forces you do not understand? Sentrenith interrupted present for the whole thing but keeping her mouth shut as Danger made his plea. If you no longer are in pain and you were before being separated from Angela then look at it this way, if you separate yourself again you shall only hurt more. You two were made for each other, you are meant to be together.
"S-Sen-Sentrenith.." Safety stammered eyes still locked on Danger's trying to keep herself from falling victim to the thing she did not understand either, as he starred at her. "Do not speak of things you do no understand!" Safety said pleadingly to her dragon silently urging her to continue and help Danger through whatever it was that was bothering him so very badly.
"The dragoness is wise." Danger said placing his hands on top of Safety's as they rested on the wall unable to go anywhere else. He glanced at them as he placed his larger hands on top only for a second before staring her straight back in the face, the darkness looming all around him once more. Danger's face moved yet closer to Safety's and his forehead pressed to hers and she watched wide eyed and scared to death as his eyes closed briefly and he fought another silent war. He opened them again and muttered a very silent "forgive me Safety Girl" as he crossed all previous limits by pressing his lips to hers breaking all mortal and immortal boundaries. He kissed her with all the passion and all the love that had been stored up within whim, building and building for century upon century.
And Safety felt herself kissing him back, and she knew why to she loved him like a life mate and not like a nest mate, thank the mortal skies that Sentrenith had been there to guide the two together. If the whole world would have fallen down and burnt between them at the moment, all according to some elaborate plan danger had created Safety wouldn't have cared the least bit as long as Danger would have still been there to love her. For that matter, Danger wouldn't have cared if hearts and stars and pretty pink ponies popped up all over the place either, for he had finally made the connection that Love is a trivial thing and he should not deny the only one who could ever love him back. He pulled away from her, breaking there embrace only to be met by a slap in the face. "what was that for?" He glanced up seeing Safety's hand still raised and felt another one come hard down on the side of his face. "Yeouch?" He asked weakly massaging his stubbly cheek with one hand. (he had found out why mortal men used razors during his stay) "And that!?"
Safety stood above him breathing hard and all but glaring up at her darkened counterpart as he loomed above her, still about seven or eight good inches taller. "That was for waiting so darn long to tell me!" She said even in her frustration refusing to utter a single cuss word. "And that, was for kissing me without asking, in public of all places!" she said looking around at a few folks who had stopped to watch the bitter scene unfold.
Danger glared at them and they left quickly suddenly feeling very overcome with a profound sense of uneasiness, his spell had taken to them quickly. "Sorry." He said sincerely for the only time in his years of existence, red-yellow eyes finding the floor. His face still stung slightly but he wasn't ready to tell her that, he'd probably get slapped again. "I didn't think."
"That's the problem with you Danger boy." Safety said pulling his face back up so she could look into it. "You never think about what i think. I bet you didn't ever think that perhaps I'd feel the same way." She smiled weakly. "And all this time i thought you hadn't come back because you didn't like me anymore. I thought you had finally found a way to break yourself free form me."
From us. Sentrenith corrected, giving a sly draconic smile.
Danger smiled, a sincere smile that was rarely found on him, so rare that until now Safety thought it to be impossible for him to smile at all. "Safety....that's the last thing I'd ever do." He said winking slightly and looking around him. "IS it ok if i hug you are am i going to get slapped again?"
"Nah...nothing's wrong with hugging i guess." Safety said a little to late as Danger drew her up into his arms. She hugged him back watching Sentrenith's draconic smile widen over Danger's shoulders. The queen had been right all along...
***
(written by Silver Midnight)
A candidate who had been at the Ring of Fire for perhaps too long didn't even bother to stand and watch the hatching, he sat in the sand and stared down at his feet feeling quite morbid. He'd been here, waiting, since the hatching of the previous Flurry. Far too long. High above, his lover and antitype sat on a ledge with her gold-white-bronze queen. Safety was praying Danger would bond, before he got any worse.
A single dragonet whom no one had seen hatch slunk out of the shadows. He was a rich, dark silver with two pairs of rainbow wings. Fins stuck out from his neck between curved horns that mimicked the sinister-looking blade on the end of his tail. His spine stuck out as deadly-looking spikes. Overall, he was bigger than any dragon to have hatched at the Ring of Fire so far. Bigger than many queens at many places, as well. Not a dragon to be messed with.
Instead of walking all the way over to the candidates, the big black-silver sat his rump down in the sands and tilted his head back releasing a powerful, echoing roar. Danger jumped up from his seat in the sands, swinging a fist in a throwing motion at the dragon though the hatchling was too far away for him to hit. "Shut up, Klirrashero!"
Gone a little stir-crazy, have you, Danger? Wake up and smell the non-Azonese coffee! I've finally come and that's all you have to say!? the rainbow-silver-black spat back, crouching down and digging his daggerlike Azonese claws into the sands. No doubt about it, he was one of Kioli's offspring.
"...wha?" Danger asked in confusion, the realization finally dawning on him. Then he got angry. "Klirrashero! IT TOOK YOU FREAKING LONG ENOUGH!"
Good things come to those that wait, the dragon responded sarcastically. Finally, he walked across the sands and nudged his chosen out to the kitchens. Soon after, Safety and her queen disappeared from their perch in a flurry of wings.
Name: Klirrashero
Gender: Male
Bond: Danger
Color: Black-silver Dark Rainbow King
Size: 70'
Strength: 10
Magic: 8
Big, moody, and overall dangerous as his rider's name would suggest. Klirrashero
is the second largest dragon to hatch from the Ring of Fire yet, and he
certainly knows it. He's always waiting for a chance to blow up in someone's
face and do damage...not to mention, he hates to be held back from doing so.
That's Bolton's genes for you. Klirrashero would likely be a lousy leader, one
would always be afraid that he'd just suddenly take a chunk out of one of his
soldiers. Overall, he's just plain scary... Except to those he cares about, like
his rider... Not to mention he'd do anything for Safety and her
bronze-gold-white-silver queen. Even bad-boys can love.