All day I had worked on the concept of expanding the company. I had seen the perfect opportunity on Lacerta, and toward that goal I now focused my energies. Around 10 pm I had the draft in an acceptable state, and decided to return to the Palazzo. As I passed the Inn, something drew me to a halt, and I found myself entering the establishment, not quite certain why I was there, but as I walked through, I felt it.

At the bar was Raevyx. I had not seen him in many many weeks, and he stopped with his stein midway to his lips. In his eyes a lifetime of memories flashed briefly, but before I could move closer to greet him, I was stunned into silence. There, beside Pslyder stood Klinton. As Pslyder waved, Klinton gave me a small, almost nervous smile, ?hey Azjah?.

I moved very slowly toward him, my voice barely audible even to myself, ?Klinton, I was unaware that you had returned. Welcome home.? My mind was racing. He had returned to RhyDin, and yet had chosen to come to the Inn, where I was seldom wont to be found. Had Providence brought me here tonight, or had he come here hoping to avoid an encounter with me? Questions chased themselves round and round in my thoughts.

He ran a nervous hand through his hair and bit down on his lower lip, ?Yeah, well? I, ahh, I?m back.? He was clearly as nervous as I was, and perhaps even more so. Had he come to say he wanted nothing more to do with me? Had he come back to press for dissolution? I could not give it to him, it was beyond my ability to grant him that freedom, our marriage was one without release clauses, though that does not stop some of the Peers from living separate lives, and taking lovers or mistresses. He could do that, and I could not stop that from happening if that is what he chose to do.

It felt so very strange to be standing there, in the public inn, seeing my spouse for the first time in many weeks and not knowing what to say to him. I moved slowly toward him, ?Have your travels been fruitful?? It sounded trite to me, and yet, I could not very well ask him all of the personal questions that were swirling around in my mind. Not here, and not now.

He shook his head negatively, ?I have wasted several months.? Then his voice nearly as soft as my own, he asked if we could sit. My heart skipped a beat. He wanted to sit down here, in a public place. Did that mean he wanted out? Had he only come back to tell me things were finished?

I nodded and followed him to a nearby table, though the last thing I wanted was a cold meeting in a public place. I studied his visage a moment before telling him that things had happened in his absence, ?I have been in Rigel these last weeks, after my return from Auriga.? Even now I could not come out and say ?after the miscarriage?. Perhaps one day I would be able to put those words to voice, but not right now.

He nodded solemnly and reached slowly toward my hand, and his gesture was almost nervous as he suggested we sit down rather than standing like virtual strangers, each afraid to take the lead. I hesitated a moment before taking his offered hand. He studied me a moment before asking how my time on Rigel was. He avoided Auriga, and in that moment I was certain he knew what had happened on Gabriel?s home world.

I gave a slight shrug, ?It was intriguing. There were some moments that caused Eoin some adrenaline rushes, but not much has changed. The Arch Bishop was killed.? I took a seat. Before I would tell him what had happened, I needed to see what he intended to say. There was no point in telling him how extensive the situation was on Rigel if he was walking away. He simply nodded as he settled onto a chair, and I asked if he had spoken to Gabriel.

He shook his head, ?I have not. I literally just got in.?

I sent for a glass of scotch before looking back at him. He studied me a moment before inquiring whether he should have spoken to Gabriel.

He shrugged, ?I?m not.?

But before I could express complete shock, he continued, ?I?m more sorry that it happened.?

His words had crashed against the wall of un-emotion that I was working so hard to maintain. He was not sorry the child was dead, and he was more sorry that she had been conceived? Those first reactions vacillated between outrage and agony. I had to change the subject quickly. ?I am not certain what I hoped to find by going home, perhaps I simply needed to feel closer to my mother, despite the fact that she could not tell me why, nor what to do to fix it.?

He nodded slightly, ?I spent time looking for mother. You went to yours.?

I was still in utter shock at his comments, ?well, in a manner of speaking.? So it had come to this.

He continued softly, ?In the end, we are right back here, together, dealing with our pain.?

That brought me up short. Together? How could he say that? He had come to town and come to the Inn rather than coming to the Palazzo or the plant. But I braved it then, ?yes, we are, and without a road map.? I took a slow sip of scotch, ?Not certain where one would go for such a map.? It seems my ability to find what I needed had let me down in this instance.

He watched me briefly, ?I don?t think there is anywhere else to go.?

I nodded. We had gone our separate paths on this, and there did not seem to be anywhere for us to go. The path was diverging from this point it appeared. He did not look at me when he said he didn?t think there was anywhere else to go. I nodded, ?so, what next?? We had beat around the bush enough, and so I hoped to cut to the chase by simply asking him what he wanted to do next.

He shook his head then, ?we really have grown apart.? I could not read his intentions, he had buried his emotions rather deeply.

I nodded and set down the glass I had been using as an emotional shield, ?Yes, it would seem we have. Though I do not believe it was what either of us wanted.? When we first knew about the child, we were both thrilled, but as things began to go wrong, we drifted apart, and that distance culminated in not only a spatial distance, but emotional as well, and it is the emotional distance we may never be able to close back up.

I glanced about the crowded room, Raevyx had departed sometime during our discussion, and for that I am sorry. We have not seen one another in ages, but I had to know where things stood with Klinton, and even now, hours later, I have no idea where the road leads us. ?We have a house full of guests at the Palazzo, just so you know.? He may as well know that if he planned to return to the Palazzo for the discussion we so sorely needed, we would not be alone, although Lucien and Gabriel were always there, and heard everything within the walls of the house, it would be different with the Prince and his family there as well. So, fair warning was needed, and perhaps I was hoping he would not return to the house. I had no desire to hear him tell me he was leaving.

He glanced at me then, ?Azjah, the Palazzo is your home. If you would like to have me come there, I will. But?.? His voice trailed off, and for a moment my heart stopped, the Palazzo was ?my? home.

I shook my head then, ?It belongs to you too.? The laws of my world made everything I held his property. ?but?? I prompted, what had he left hanging unsaid?

He shrugged, ?I don?t know. We can?t pretend to act like it is just going to go back to normal.?

I wondered if he even wanted everything to go back to ?normal?. ?You said it was my home, do you have a different home?? Perhaps he had made himself a new home somewhere else in these last weeks.

?No, I do not have a different home.? He shook his head in disbelief at my question.

?Then, I think the only home we have here is full of people.? I had not established multiple residences in RhyDin, and so that pretty much left the houses on Rigel, but they were too far away to use as sanctuaries for us to talk in private.

He nodded again, ?So, do I come home with you? Am I welcome??

Both brows winged upward at that, ?I would never tell you the doors were closed. We are both walking on eggshells for the moment.? Besides, by law, I could not keep him out of his own home. I finished the scotch and slid the glass away from me toward the center of the table as he told me he did not know what to do. That makes two of us then. I glanced then down at my hands, ?I believe that makes two of us. The question is, does the path converge from here, or diverge??

He shook his head, as though he had no more answers than I have had, ?what does it mean if it diverges from here??

I bit my lip, ?I suppose that means we would follow separate roads?? We would move off and live our lives independently.

?So it would be over.? He put it starkly and plainly there for both of us to consider.

?Well, as you know, we cannot annul or divorce, but many do not remain together, if that is what you wanted.? I considered him carefully before continuing, ?Is that what you are thinking?? Did he want to get on with his life without me?

He paused, ?Azjah, I don?t think I intended to come back here, just so I could say goodbye. My gut brought me home. Here. Tonight.?

I gave him a quick nod, ?that?s good to hear.? I did not believe I wanted him gone, but at the same time, we were not the same people we had been, and I am uncertain whether we can blend together once more.

He gave me a dubious look, ?Is it good to hear? Is it what you wanted to hear??

I thought a moment, ?Yes, it is what I wanted to hear, but didn?t want to make you feel you had to say it.? I was not prepared to hear him say goodbye, but am I ready to hear him say he wants to stay? He squeezed my hand and I curled my fingers tentatively about his.

He spoke softly, ?I don?t know what to say, but I don?t think we need to say anything.?

I glanced around the crowded room again, ?crowds out, crowds at home.? It seemed privacy was something we seldom attained.

He chuckled softly, ?I know a certain waterfall, it?s made a comfortable, private getaway before.?

I gave him a startled look, ?It?s buried in snow a the moment.?

He sighed quietly, ?at some point, we will face crowds again? together, it might as well be now.? He moved as if to rise then, ?shall we go then? I must admit, I?m missing the food.?

Nodding, I rose then, ?yes, and I would wager Andre will be happy to feed you.? He had always been one of Andre?s favorite people in terms of consuming quantities of the chef?s preparations.

Klinton shot me a grin and rose too, and I took his arm as we moved toward the front door of the Inn. We were arm in arm again for the first time in a very long time. We were not healed, and not whole, but it appeared to be a good start.

Brian?s smile was disarming, ?a drink? Oh no thank you, but I do appreciate the offer. I have some work to tend to this evening, but thank you in any event.? His chuckle was melodious and soft as he shook his head a bit, ?They are rather interesting at times, more on the unbelievable side of life, but here we are.?

I sipped the scotch with a quiet laugh, ?well, knowing Kairee, this does not surprise me.? Klinton laughed as well, adding that as things go in RhyDin, it was certainly saying a great deal about Brian?s adventures that they were such stand outs in terms of being ?interesting?.

Brian smiled, ?it?s a knack my family has carried on here for years, trouble and chaos of the most unrealistic proportions. It?s a curse, and a gift at the same time, and yes, knowing Kairee, it only adds to it.?

I smiled, ?I should look the virago up to take my mind off the events on Rigel. If anyone can share adventures, she?s the one who has tales she could tell, were she of a mind to do so.? The thing with Kairee though is that she does not lean toward open sharing of her projects and travels.

Brian laughed, ?that is what I love about this realm, so many stories and every day more reveal themselves to us.?

I nodded, ?yes, I find life here much more intriguing than Rigel.? Klinton remained silent during the exchange between Mr. Ravenlock and myself.

He chuckled, ?Rigel, it sounds intere?.? His attention was instantly grabbed as about that moment, Kairee herself appeared, as if on cue. She arrived in a burst of flame and shadow already seated upon the bar, her long, splendiferous legs crossed as she spotted Brian. ?Brian!? She gave him a dazzling smile, ?there is a slight change of plans??

I quirked a brow as the virago herself arrived, ?speak of the devil.?

Brian seemed surprised to see her at this time, ?Kairee? M?Lady, you rang?? He turned and gave her a warm smile, bowing formally to her as evidently he was back on the work clock judging by her tone. ?Change of plans? No worries, I am rather flexible and what not. So what has changed??

She smiled radiantly, ?Before we go to that place with the thing, I need you to acquire something for me.? She went on to explain to him that it was a book, a small tome, something she described as ?unremarkable in its provenance, but something I want.?

I glanced at Klinton, ?Have you met Kairee?? I took a sip of the scotch as Kairee launched into her needs for her retainer.

Klinton shook his head, ?I am not entirely sure, perhaps not officially.? When I suggested that we remedy that, he chuckled. Kairee is a force to be reckoned with, and tonight was no exception.

Brian agreed to acquire this book, and Kairee continued, ?on the market, given its age and uniqueness, it should fetch 25 thousand? I am willing to double that price.?

Brian about choked, ?double??

Kairee lifted an elegant brow, ?if there is another bidding as high, I would consider going higher, as much as 75.?

Brian cleared his throat as he made a quick glance around the room and then back to Kairee, ?I see. Well, I shall do whatever it takes.?

She gave him a sly smile then, ?but, if we are forced into a bidding war, I will expect you to creatively acquire it for me.?

Brian chuckled then, ?now we get to the bread and butter, you should have stated that earlier.?

Evening arrived and I headed for the Isle. Brigath was defending his right to hold the Tower of Air for the 10th time, and I had agreed to be there as the referee for the match. Vanion was not going to stop coming for Brig, and inwardly I wondered how many times Brig could keep the dark elf at bay.

As I arrived, I found Rhaine Rustovich already there on the beach. Her association with Vanion was unclear, but I suspected she would be there not so much for Brigath, but more for Vanion. When I asked her if she had come to cheer for Vanion, she gave me a grin, ?I know how my curse works. When I cheer for someone, they lose.? I had to laugh, in that case, I hoped she cheered loudly for Vanion.

Topaz walked up to the beach from the portal, and both Rhaine and I greeted her. She seated herself on a comfortable couch and a goblin arrived with her cup of coffee. She was showing significantly now, and at this point, I would presume she was less than comfortable, although she told us that she was ?fine? if we wanted the short answer.

I chuckled, ?you have the goblins well charmed.? She laughed, ?I think Lucien?s talking to them too.?

It would not surprise me, Lucien has become excessively protective of Topaz since he recognized her as his mate. And with the impending birth of their child, Gabriel has declared Lucien to be a ?fussy old man?. Which I do confess I found immensely amusing, as I might call Lucien many things, but fussy old man would not have been one of those myriad descriptors. I gave Topaz a smile, ?I would imagine he wants you catered to, and if I know him, he's added a bit of a 'push' so to speak.? The goblins would not prove too much of a challenge in terms of ?convincing? for one of Lucien?s skill.

Topaz sipped her coffee, ?I'm sure he has. He's even making being pregnant feel a lot better.? She chuckled ?But not so much so that I'd be wanting to go adventuring.?

I sipped the scotch, ?Children are very special to his people.? So it is not really a surprise that he would try to make her as comfortable as he could, and probably has been communicating with the child long before it could make its entrance into this world. But Topaz?s next comment surprised me.

?So I hear, especially since she?s a girl. Though I wonder how much of an outsider she?ll be among them.?

I frowned at her comment, ?I doubt she would be considered an outsider. She is half Carpathian after all.? I am not certain why she believes that Lucien?s people will turn from one of their own. They are in danger of extinction, and certainly Lucien has told her this?

Topaz mused, ?half, that?s just it.?

I considered her words. ?I think you worry to much Topaz. Every Carpathian is crucial.? She is apparently still troubled by her introduction to Prince Mikhail.

She shrugged her shoulders slightly, ?here it doesn?t really matter, what with the multitude of races around, but in Auriga it might.?

I was startled by her allusion to Auriga. As far as I knew, she had little or no interest in going there, so why all of a sudden did Auriga matter? ?Are you planning to relocate to Auriga then??

?No way,? she informed me with a great deal of feeling.

I chuckled, ?then why would that worry you so??

Rhaine greeted Topaz, ?did you see this ridiculous newspaper?? Something had irritated the vampiress. ?These nose-poking goblins deserve a trashing. Can?t we cause some havoc without being seen??!?

Topaz seemed to know what she was talking about, but I confess I had absolutely no idea what was going on, so I sipped the scotch and listened as they discussed an article in the Oracle.

Topaz shrugged, ?Oh, the newspaper. Did they have anything newsworthy to say? What did the goblins do?? Topaz would protect the island?s goblins to the last one.

Rhaine sighed and sat down on the sand, ?one of these brats ran to Des and babbled out about that tiny magical experiment of convincing Errtu to change residence.?

I glanced between the two of them, ?Errtu?? I have no idea who or what this Errtu is.

Rhaine gave an oh so innocent look as Topaz continued to explain, ?Oh, that thing that possessed Artemus. One shouldn?t believe half of what?s in the paper. I?m surprised they printed anything about it at all.? She seemed to be downplaying the whole affair, but somehow there was clearly more to the tale than either of them was telling.

Rhaine added, ?complete foolishness, I must say. Such a fuss over one of your experiments.? At that I quirked a brow, suggesting that one should not believe much of what one reads in such publications. After all, the tabloids always seek to sensationalize almost everything. Rhaine scowled faintly, ?hope they won?t, I prefer not having my name in any news.?

Topaz nodded as she sipped from her cup, and I got comfortable as people began to arrive. First through the portal was a white robed initiate of the Temple of Divine Light. I have seen her around the city, but do not know the woman. She nodded to all three of us before finding a place near the rings. She was followed by Bran Bale as he slithered onto the beach and greeted Topaz and myself before heading toward the bar area. He seemed to be deeply lost in thoughts of his own, but as he concentrated, an opaque image began to form on his left side. It was something I had never seen Bran do in the past.

Etherean sauntered through the portal, he had apparently been in RhyDin rather than his tower, and as he arrived, Bran?s new entity became more clearly visible, and appeared to be a wiry lizard warrior with two belts full of knives across his chest. He was apparently speaking into Bran?s left ear as Topaz and I greeted Etherean. Bran looked up as we did so, and the phantom at his side vanished.

The white robed woman sent a goblin for tequila, and as the phantom vanished, she gave Bran a curious look.

Etherean greeted us both, and when I asked him how he was doing, he shrugged, ?I am prepared.? This was a curious response, and I asked him what he was prepared for. He turned slowly to look at me, ?Bran?s challenge.?

I had come tonight knowing about Vanion?s challenge to Brigath, but Bran?s challenge to Etherean had slipped my mind.

Vanion pushed his way through the portal, and landed squarely on the isle?s beach. Rhaine sat down and a slight smile curved her lips seeing Vanion?s arrival. The white robed priestess from the Temple stiffened visibly. Two very different reactions to the dark elf?s arrival. At length, Rhaine spoke softly, ?Finally, some entertainment.?

Brigath floated a few inches above the sand, sitting Indian style in the air watching Vanion warily.

The white robed priestess frowned deeply as Vanion?s assaults landed repeatedly against Brigath.

Kitty arrived, carrying some sort of invitation in her hands, and she grinned at Topaz, ?I?m only here cuz I was ?formally? invited.? She waggled the card she carried at the fairy.

Topaz nodded, ?how neat, who did the inviting?? As she pointed at Vanion, Topaz?s brows rose, ?oh. You?re not actually cheering for him, are you?? It was clear where Topaz?s preferences lay, and in this, she and I are of one view.

Kitty turned away from the rings, giving Topaz a look that said she had heard enough about Vanion to know better than to cheer for him, ?don?t even know him, but I?ve got my ears out.?

Rhaine gave them both a curious look, ?And why not? Someone has to cheer for Vanion.?

Topaz blinked at Rhaine, ?Why?? And Kitty simply grinned at Rhaine. Personally I do not see why anyone would desire to see the dark elf residing in the tower, especially after his soiling of the other three towers. Somehow he would seek to corrupt the tower, and personally I have a liking for the Tower of Air. Brig?s tenure suits me just fine.

The white robed priestess narrowed her eyes as she watched Vanion continue to attack Brigath, but clearly she was listening to Rhaine?s comments, and Rhaine chose to elaborate on her philosophy and drown out the soft mutterings of the auburn haired woman, ?because it?d be only fair to admit he?s a worthy opponent and deserves a chance. There?s no crime in hunger for magic.?

Topaz shook her head, ?he has challenged Brigath for the Tower umpteen times and failed. Yet he keeps coming back.?

Rhaine smiled, ?there?s no crime in being persistent.?

Technically Rhaine is correct, and yet Vanion?s incessant attempts to take the Tower from Brig has grated on me. Kitty mused aloud, ?he?s definitely determined then.?

Rhaine rose then, preparing to depart, ?Topaz, one request, please try to check the Tower of Earth for a shifter child. Amaris might be locked in there, and for me these towers are the same as Chimaera Temple for you.? She then moved toward the portal as the white robed woman turned her attention on the vampiress, but Rhaine seemed to pay her no attention, as though she simply did not care what she thought. When Topaz asked if she wanted her to check now or later, she told her any time was fine, but at the moment she was being summoned away. Topaz promised to let her know what if anything she found.

Rhaine thanked her and headed for the portal, dissolving before she reached it.

Kitty then spoke up, ?Oh, that reminds me,? as she tried to hand Topaz a key. Topaz told her that it should be returned to the Keeper, but Kitty crinkled her nose, ?We took it off him when he was? well, yanno.?

Brig shook his head, ?not quite yet. I?ve got two years worth of belongings I need to clear out. I?ll deliver it to you in two days.?

Vanion shook his head, and his hand remained extended in mid air, ?Not a chance in the Nine Hells.?

I could not remain silent, Brig has every right to retain the key for several days yet, and somehow, I worried that Vanion would try to wrest it from him right now. ?Brig dear??

Brig glanced at me, ?yes??

I gave him a beatific smile, ?Just how am I supposed to enjoy that lovely view now?? Then I held out the glass of Oban I had earlier had brought for him. It was my way of breaking the tension that had fairly oozed from Vanion when Brigath denied him the key on the spot.

He gave a soft chuckle as he took the glass, clearly not concerned about Vanion, who remained where he was, still intent on demanding the key here and now. Brig smiled insouciantly at me, ?I?ll just have to get it back.?

Topaz smiled, ?I hope you?ll get the tower again some day, or one of the others.? And then it occurred to me, no one had been here in favor of the dark elf.

I nodded at Topaz?s comment, ?Yes, you shall?. But he glanced at Vanion then. ?You can hold that out all night, but I have until Sunday to remain the Keeper. Then you?ll get it whether I will or no.?

Vanion?s eyes narrowed dangerously, ?That is not the way it works Brigath. The Key is mine. Now.?

I lifted a pale brow hearing the demand set forth by Vanion. Clearly in his world such a thing could be done, but here on Twilight Isle, the Key belonged to the Keeper until the next official postings of rank were placed upon the public cork. It gave the Keepers time to clear out their things, and wrap up what ever magics they were engaged in when their Tower?s were claimed by another.

Etherean paused from his formalities as he prepared to face Bran once more to speak to Vanion then, ?Actually, Brigath has until the next Standings are released.? There was something cold and hard in Etherean?s eyes as he regarded Vanion. Then Etherean continued, ?The former Keeper will have until the next issued standings to carry the Keeper title, allowing time for closure of the Keeper's duties and clearing of the tower.? Etherean smiled cruely, ?blame me, I did pen the rules.?

Brig smiled amiably, ?I?m afraid it is. You have once again failed to grasp the subtleties of the magic here on the Isle. It is sad that you?ll soon be abusing one of its more powerful elements.? Brig was polite, but his words were meant to sting.

Vanion frowned darkly, which did not bode well at all for future meetings, ?Enjoy the next several days. Everything changes from here on.? and then he swung around dramatically and departed the Isle.

Brig took a sip of his scotch and smiled sweetly at Vanion?s departing back. There was clear enjoyment in that small victory, but the loss of his tower would trouble Brig. I moved over on the chaise for Brig, and smiled, ?good, perhaps I can get one last look?? He gave me his devil?s own smile in return, ?Certainly, I need to get up to the tower to start dismantling some spells, but call me when the match is over and I'll come get you.?

Etherean muttered softly, ?unless something happens to him, or Xerzes.? Then he followed that with a light laugh before focusing once again on his own match. ?Pardon me,? he asked of both Bran and I before bowing gracefully to us both and began his next spell.

I gave him a nod, ?No, no Etherean, I am enjoying your elucidation.?

Brig took a long pull on his scotch before rising and bowing to all, ?evening? and he disappeared. I hoped he would be alright, and that I would not remain too long upon the beach.

Etherean and Bran battled through 3 full matches, but ultimately, the experience Etherean commands won out as he apologized to Bran, ?With Vanion attaining his goal, I need to retain this title a while longer.?

Bran lifted himself to his feet with the last bit of strength he had and bowed to the Keeper, ?Thank you for the opportunity, you dessserve to be Keeper of the Tower.?

With a graceful bow from Etherean I took my documents and headed for the Tower of Air.

I had only been back in RhyDin a matter of hours before it was necessary to go to Twilight Isle. When I arrived, I found Topaz already there on the beach curled up on a comfortable couch, and her wicker basket that she carries with her all of the time now beside her. There were no noises emanating from the basket, so I presume the child is asleep for the time being. ?Good evening Topaz, how are you tonight??

She glanced up from her cup of coffee with a smile. ?Good evening?? Then she gave the silent basket another glance before continuing, ?I am doing well, how are you doing and how?s the expansion coming along??

I made myself comfortable on the chaise before answering. ?The plant is complete, and we are doing the training now. New people learning new skills, we want to get it right.? It is amazing to me that I can happily discuss plant construction and people training, but talking about babies is beyond me. As an afterthought, I asked her how the child was.

Her smile deepened and her eyes fairly glowed with motherly pride, ?She?s doing splendid and is growing too. Soon that basket will be too small. She still sleeps a lot though.? And then as an afterthought for Topaz, she asked me ?will you have to be there for all of that training too??

I could tell my question was one she was pleased to hear, and yet I could muster little comprehension why such would result in such a reaction. At this point, the child sleeps more than it does anything, and cannot converse with you in any way. The reactions from new mothers to such an inane question never ceases to astound me. But, since it was just Topaz and I on the Isle at the moment, it would seem prudent to pay attention to her pride and joy. ?Think of all the energy she?s saving up. And yes, I wish to oversee the training. The threatening realm grows ever bolder. We need to move with alacrity now.?

Topaz laughed at the question regarding saving energy, ?Oh, don?t say that! She?ll be hard enough to keep up with once she finds out what wings and legs are for, if she grows wings.?

I chuckled, ?I hope you have been saving up your energy.? I could not say that I envied her the coming growth of the child and it?s discovery of locomotion. There had been a time when I too would now be facing that concern, but no longer.

Topaz shook her head, ?no, not really. I?m staying up with her during the day.?

It seemed natural enough that with Lucien being a night soul, he would watch over his child at night, and since Topaz is a creature of the sun, that she would watch the child during the daylight, but that would leave very little time for the two of them together. ?And Lucien at night?? I prompted.

She gave me a somewhat curious look, as though what she had said earlier was sufficient, ?Yes, but I?m up at night too. I am really getting to thoroughly dislike summer.?

I laughed softly, ?Most people like the longer days.? I knew what she was getting at, but it did sound odd to hear someone say that they did not like the longer days of summer.

She grinned then, ?I prefer the longer nights, for all the obvious reasons.?

I glanced around the deserted island before sending a goblin for a glass of scotch. ?Clearly. With all the time lag from traveling, I confess I?m happy it is not super busy tonight.? And as if the Fates chose that moment for a reason, there came a rend in the air and out stepped Lord Momus. He was produced as though perfectly choreographed with my lines. I flinched involuntarily before regaining composure. ?Ah, good evening Lord Momus.?

He gave Topaz and I a formal bow, but the air around him was different. It was colder, crisper, and had the aura of charged tension, although what the source of that was could not be detected. I pulled a silk wrap closer about myself to ward off some of the chill as he greeted us both.

Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 3:40 am Post subject:

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Cory Havoick stepped through the portal, and I was glad to have something else to think about. ?Good evening Cory.?

He removed a hand from his pockets to wave at Topaz and say hello just as a snarl rippled across the beach. Tass had touched Lucien?s mate, and his Carpathian response was a snarl of warning to the old dragon.

I gave Lucien an amused glance, ?Lucien, you will wake that child if you keep that up.? He simply glowered at me from the shadows, and so I turned once more to Cory, inquiring how he has been.

?Good? he said as he made his way through the sand until he found a vacant beach chair that suited his mood. ?Ain?t seen ya in some time. Enjoy ya vacation??

I gave him a wry laugh. Some vacation, making preparations for invasion. ?Work has kept me busy on Lacerta.? There was no point in sharing Lacerian problems here in RhyDin.

He shrugged, ?work?ll do tha??

I glanced again at Lucien, who had narrowed his eyes dangerously at Tass, who was soundly beating on his mate. I do not believe I would like to see Lucien and Tass tangle, but Lucien seems undeterred by Tass? identity.

Cory?s gaze left the rings then and lingered on one of the Towers, as if he were contemplating making a run for it, but he didn?t say anything, and instead me my quizzical look by asking how business was going.

I sipped the scotch, glad for a safer topic of discussion, ?Lacerta looks like it will be embroiled in hostilities, and right now there seems not to be enough time to get everything up to speed fast enough.? All of which was true, but did not give the true severity of the threat now being faced by the Lacertians. I smiled despite my worries for that world, ?How about yourself Cory? What is new for you?? When I had left, he was Overlord, and he was having problems with Quinn. I had hoped they would work it out, but only those two could know the critical details and how those affected each of them.

He gave me a slight shrug, ?I?m no longer Overlord ?n I spend mos? o? m?spare time remodlin? our house now.?

His words jogged my memory. I had run into Harris before and learned that Harris was now the pinnacle of dueling expertise. ?I?m sorry to hear that. I did run into Harris briefly.? I was truly sorry to learn that Cory was not the Overlord. It was anyone?s guess just what insanity Harris would try to implement during his reign. Then I moved onto safer topics, ?Remodeling the house??

He nodded, ?Yah, startin? wit? our master bath. Quinn?s wantin? new tile, paint, yanno. Build a new house.?

I chuckled softly. I would not want his task, but I was happy to learn that Quinn was part of the plans. ?And your daughter? I would imagine she is getting big??

It seemed that talking children was accepted small talk here in RhyDin, and he responded very differently thank Topaz had. His eyes slid to Topaz and Lucien before he responded, ?Yah, bu? she?s still the same l?il girl.?

His was not the reaction I was expecting. ?How old is she now Cory??

He smiled then, ?she?ll be four late this summer.?

?So she will be going to school soon?? I took a sip of the scotch and watched him a moment. Something was amiss, but I could not tell what, and he wasn?t saying, and once more his gaze lingered on the Tower of Earth.

He blinked as he came back to our conversation, ?Tha? she will. Though, I ain?t sure if we decided on public school or private. She?s been on the ranch all this time, Quinn wan?s ?er t?have friends.?

I knew my take on that topic, but it was not my decision. ?I would imagine there are strengths and weaknesses with both schools. I was privately schooled, and think it was more regulated than what I?ve seen of the public institutions.? I did not come right out and say that public schools are inferior, but I am certain Cory understood my meaning. I gave Cory a smile then, ?But then, I do like structure.?

He nodded in apparent agreement then, ?we?ve still go? time t?make arrangements.?

I nodded but knew that the best private schools were usually booked to capacity long before this point in the child?s life. " True Cory, you have time, but it seems like quicksilver sometimes.? I hoped he would not wait too long if they decided on the better schools. Then I murmured mostly to myself, ?Slipping through your fingers before you know it.?

His focus bounced between the Tower of Earth and myself, and about then the Keeper of the Tower of Earth came into sight. And again I wondered if Cory was contemplating a run for that tower for some reason. ?Contemplating a run for it Cory??

He shook his head negatively, ?not unless ?e gives me a reason t?.?

The troll seemed utterly confused by that idea. "Fit clothes? Bovinity fit in clothes! Scrawny lady get new clothes when big and strong!" The corpulent green beast fit nicely in the blanket sized piece of cloth that might have been his idea of shorts or such.

I gave the troll a discreet cough so as not to say anything insulting, "I believe that would require a whole new wardrobe."

The troll tried out the word wardrobe? "war?drobe?" And he seemed to be somewhat pleased with at least the first syllable. Then he rose, ponderously and fixed his one purple eye on me, making his way toward me. The odor increased exponentially, and I began to regret having spoken with the creature. "Here, scrawny lady take bottle of milk!! It from da Holy Cow, make ya not scrawny!"

I paled as he stood there offering me the bottle of milk, holding up my half finished glass of scotch, and was hoping that the aroma of the scotch would help keep the odor of the troll down. "Perhaps you'll sit it on the table until I finish this? Thank you for your? er?. Generosity."

Bovinity scoffed, "what dat, water?!" He mistook my scotch for water? I shuddered and had to involuntarily wonder from where the troll got his water. "Water no good. Milk from da Holy Cow do da trick for ya." He then set the bottle down gently, which was rather surprising for a monstrous one eyed troll, and then he turned and returned to his seat.

I gave the bottle of milk a very dubious look.

Harris managed to get through the portal without so much as a stumble, which in itself is noteworthy. "Ah, good evening Harris."

The troll settled back down on the hapless chair he had left earlier, and was I imagining it, or did he look to be rather pleased about having shared the word of milk? I lifted my scotch glass and took a slow sip of the amber liquid.

Harris grinned, "how's it goin' wife number two?"

I gave him a soft chuckle, "busy Harris, and I have just been gifted with a container of milk, would you like some?"

The troll spoke up then, pointing at the ring where Topaz was dueling, "Purty wing lady drank milk, she win!"

Harris shot the troll a grin, "heh, milk does a body good."

I was surprised by the troll's assertion, then motioned toward the container, "help yourself Harris, I'm not averse to sharing."

Harris gave me a grin that spelled trouble as he deliberately misunderstood my meaning, "izzat so? Hmm, I'll remember that." Which he followed with a snicker that I am certain spells trouble.

I dropped my head with a laugh, "some things are meant for sharing, and some things are not Harris."

He scoffed, "Oh, wife number two, when ever will you learn?"

Bovinity gave me a very puzzled look, "what you sayin', toe?paz? No, Bovinity talkin' bout purty wing lady! She gonna win, Holy Cow say so." He smiled widely, showing off a gaping maw that had very few teeth. "You give scrawny man some milk too. Holy Cow say spread the milk to all da people."

I nodded at the Troll, "the pretty wing lady has a name, it is Topaz." Then I shot Harris a grin, "What? You would decline my offer Harris?"

He shook his head, "Milk is no good without Oreos to go with it." He nodded sagely at that.

I laughed and called to a goblin, "Oh, well, I'm certain the goblins can bring you some."

PFAH! "Like I trust goblins not to poison my food!"

I chuckled, "How can they poison a sealed bag of cookies?'

Bovinity pointed at Harris then, "milk always good! You not stick stuff in milk!!"

Harris gave the troll an odd look, "Man, pointing is rude!" Then in the next breath, he turned to me, "You're asking me that on an island full of magic, Azjah?"

Bovinity blinked, lowered his hand, and contritely told Harris he was sorry, "you drink milk now!" followed.

News was coming in from Lacerta, even as I traveled between RhyDin and Rigel. I carried the micro computer with the down loaded information as I walked through the portal onto Twilight Isle. As I headed for my chaise, Topaz called out that she and Felix desired a ring as soon as I got settled.

I glanced up and greeted them both, then settled onto the chaise and sent a goblin for a glass of scotch before calling them to their ring.

In the shadows, I thought I saw movement, but the twilight there made it difficult to be certain. Topaz shivered in her ring, and I glanced again at the shadows. Black eyes seemed to be peering from the shadowed and it was then that I wished Gabriel had come along.

Topaz had taken a comfy couch, and set the basket containing her daughter beside her, and again I thought I saw movement in the shadows, and yet it never resolved into a discernable person. I cannot explain why, but I felt uneasy and considered calling telepathically to Gabriel, but rejected that idea as Lucien has told me, as well as Mikhail that Gabriel is too close to turning. Hunting only adds to the temptation.

Topaz was invited to duel and she accepted. Picking up her basket and heading toward my chaise, she paused as she set it down, ?would you mind watching the basket Azjah??

Before I could answer, she set it beside my chaise and headed for the ring. I am certain that I had a deer in the head lights look on my face that she seemed not to notice. From there she turned and smiled, ?She?s asleep and I just fed her, so she won?t be any trouble.?

I gave the basket a dubious look as she said thank you to me. I scooted to the far side of my chaise, as far from the tiny infant as I could go without leaving my chaise. Then something under the blanket moved and I gave it a sharp look, very softly admonishing the child within, ?don?t you dare wake up now.?

The movement ceased for the moment, whether from the warning, or natural caused I will never know.

There were very few duels that night, but as my time to return to the Palazzo neared, Harris made it through the portal without incident for a change. I took his distraction to stop incessantly peering at the basket, half expecting it to begin screaming. ?Good evening Harris.?

He immediately broke into a grin, ?wife number two.?

A shadow flickered at the periphery of my vision, and the child within the basket moved again. I gave it a worried look, but glanced again at Harris, ?Sorry my dear, but Wife Number 1 will have to go. I won?t be Number 2.?

Harris grinned, ?Naturally. After Stick divorces me you'll be wife number two, as in my second wife.?

I gave him a dubious look, ?And is Stick planning to do that ? Azjah: I mean.... won't she be there to feed you those grapes??

He grinned, ?Well, it's a generally accepted fact that Stick will most likely divorce me at some point, when she comes to her senses. So naturally I figure it?s a good idea to line up a few prospects.?

I chuckled then, ?don't know, she seems to like you well enough, and besides, you're the father of her child.? I glanced again at the basket as Harris wondered if I was refusing to marry him. ?I?m already married Harris. It would be called bigamy.?

He paused a moment, ?Assuming we were both single.? His grin returned then.

I smiled, ?of course.?

?There?s hope then. You should divorce Klinton whenever Stick divorces me. Then we can run away together.?

I suspect it will be Klinton who survives me or divorces me, who can say?? I would not go into the events on Lacerta with Harris.

?If he divorces you, then he?s crazier than I am.? Harris snickered, and completely missed my comment about surviving me. I smiled, ?he?s not crazy Harris, eccentric perhaps.?

He laughed, ?sure, that?s the nice term for crazy.?

I rose and slipped the stilettos on. ?it is time for me to go, good night Harris, Topaz.?

Nireck lifted the glass, ?better not keep the Lady waiting Mister Panther,? and he moved to Azjah?s table. He set a coaster on the table and set the glass upon it at my right hand. ?Is there anything else you require my Lady? Perhaps something to eat?

She slowly looked up at the unfamiliar voice, ?eat?? The idea seemed foreign to her as she looked at Nireck, but his query reminded her that with all of her travels she had not eaten recently. ?Is there something especially enticing on the menu this evening?? She slid several platinum coins his direction for the scotch and his trouble.

Nireck blinked a bit, as though surprised by either the payment or the question, she could not tell, but then he slid the payment back toward her with a gentle smile, ?no offense my Lady, but I did not expect payment for bringing you a drink, however, if you wish to pay me, you could come by my shop some time, I may have a crystal or glass sculpture to you? liking? As for the menu, I am a very fine chef if I do say so myself, so what would the Lady wish to have as her evening meal is what I shall acquire.?

Her brow lifted slightly at his claim, ?a fine chef?? She glanced at Panther and back again to the man wearing spotless white silk. ?Perhaps a bit of salmon would be welcome. I?ve not had fresh salmon in ages.? She studied him closely, he bore absolutely no resemblance to her own chef Andre, ?and you moonlight as a chef, or a shop keeper??

He gave a short nod, ?very well then, fresh salmon it shall be. And as to your question, my being a chef is more or less a hobby. I love to cook, but I love sculpture all the more. Enjoy your drink my Lady, I shall soon return with your meal.? He gave her a bright smile before moving silently toward the kitchen and through those doors, where he slipped out to obtain a fresher salmon from the local fish market in RhyDin.

She chuckled softly, ?a man after my own heart. Silk.? She picked up the documents again, returning to the details they contained. As she laid each page face down, there was no improvement in the information. Cepheus was massing much greater numbers than Lacerta ever could.

She moved the scotch glass from her right side to her left and picked up the glass, taking a slow sip of the scotch. The ambiance of the Dalwhinnie was complex, but she loved the creamy vanilla and heather honey sweetness along with the smoky highland finish. The scotch she had chosen came from the highlands on Rigel, and Dalwhinnie is the Gaelic word for ?Meeting Place?. The distillery that produces this scotch is located at the highest point of any scotch distillery at 1073 feet. The distillery has been producing scotch from this location for 1120 years. She savored the scotch with her eyes closed for a moment before saying to Panther, ?Excellent, if you can find this edition again, please do so.? She then set the glass down and resumed tapping the pen against her lower lip.

Rhaine ordered a coffee from Panther and Nireck agreed that a drink would be welcome as he informed her that salmon is a good brain food, and that if they were to figure out how to help her chances, they must eat and drink.? He gave her a brilliant flash of white teeth before taking a piece of the salmon next.

Azjah regarded him a moment before asking, ?Are you a fan of white wines then? And perhaps we should exchange names?? She had not heard Panther call him by name, and thusfar, he had not offered his name to her.

Rhaine spotted Azjah and turned sharply toward her, ?evening Marchioness.?

Azjah smiled, ?Good evening Rhaine, it is a pleasure to run into you this evening.?

Nireck rose with a feline grace as he agreed that names should be exchanged, and introduced himself as Nireck Sunder as he took Azjah?s hand with a feline grace, ?as for wines, I mostely prefer a strawberry wine, I have a tongue for it, if you wi?? He then bowed his head slowly to Rhaien.

Azjah chuckled, Rhaine had that impact on cats, ?then I am pleased to meet you Nireck. I am Marchioness Azjah Danaan von Drachen Walde, and this lady is my friend, Rhaine Rustovich. Rhaine, this gentleman has proven to be a fine chef.?

Rhaine gave him a slightl bow, ?glad to see you around RhyDin Marchioness. Nice to meet you sir.? Despite Rhaine?s casual attire, the military air remained with her as she made that slight bow.

Azjah smiled, ?thank you Rhaine, although I will be returning to Lacerta.?

Nireck?s eyes turned up with a smile, ?Ahh, well Lady Azjah, and Lady Rhaine, correct? It is indeed a fine pleasure to meet such beautiful ladies on my first day in this City. Truly it is a good start, but alas, Lady Rhaine, have you eaten?

Rhaine gave him a slight fanged smile as she spoke to Azjah, ?I may take an off-world trip soon to avoid certain social responsibilities. Might plan my vacation to see Lacerta.?

I was back for equipment and some information from the Palazzo, and so I decided to head down to Twilight Isle. I walked through the portal and headed across the sand toward my chaise, and as I settled in, I noticed a gentleman already on the beach looking a bit uncomfortable. He seemed to take in everything with a glance and I greeted him. He gave me a small nod, replying in kind in a voice that was civil, but certainly not friendly.

Topaz arrived in the odd silence. She walked along the beach, free from her usual basket, and no fawn trailing in her wake.

I took a sip of the scotch the goblin had brought to me, ?good evening Topaz.?

She smiled, ?I?m fine. Did you get an invitation to Koyliak?s and Matt?s wedding too?? She headed for the couch and sat down, accepting a cup of coffee from one of the goblins that came running upon her arrival.

I had not yet been to the Palazzo and any mail I had received this last week was still waiting there in Dyson?s hands. ?I had not heard they were getting married.?

She sipped the coffee, ?I actually could have sworn they got married decades ago. Obviously I was in error.? She grinned over the rim of the cup.

I nodded, ?I am happy to hear the news Topaz.? And in truth, I am very happy for Koy. She is a dear elfin soul who deserves some happiness. Doing everyone else?s wedding gowns could not have been easy as she was waiting so long for her own time.

?They do seem to belong together,? Topaz observed, and then she smiled, ?would you per chance be volunteering to babysit so Lucien and I may attend together??

Her grin was teasing, but just the thought raised the small hairs on the back of my neck. I could feel the blood drain from my face as I fought to not stammer, ?I do not believe that was what I was saying actually.?

She chuckled, ?No, you didn?t say that exactly. So I asked. It?s on Sunday, at 9 in the evening on a boat.?

I shook my head lightly, ?I fear I am working on things in Lacerta. I have just begun to debug equipment in St. Alban.? I took a quick sip of the scotch, hoping that would end this line of discussion.

Topaz sipped her coffee, ?I hear soapy water can help with a bug problem.?

I nearly gave her a double take, ?In this case, it?s more about taking care of electronic glitches, and I think soap and water would hinder the efforts.?

?Oh,? she simply said, but she did not sound convinced. ?Say, whatever happened to that annoying little guy that Lucien tried to pull into the ground??

My brow furrowed in thought, ?annoying little guy?? I searched my memories for the incident she described, ?when did Lucien try to pull him into the ground?? I could not remember such an event, but with my mind focused on Lacerta, it would be easy to forget something like that.

?Yes, I think he had a problem with Klinton, if memory serves. When I first saw Lucien, and he showered me with Edelweiss.? She had a definite event in mind and as she relayed it, I

Abruptly the image of Xander came to mind. The thin, homeless man who showed up here, and then around my home, and abruptly disappeared after I was shot. ?The one called Xander?? I asked her.

She couldn?t remember his name, and she asked if he was still among the living. An odd question perhaps, but considering Lucien?s ability to kill with a look, it did not surprise me that she wondered such a thing. ?Xander vanished about the time I was shot.?

She waved to a cloud and murmured, ?how odd.?

I was now focusing now on those days, ?and then there was Matt, an old friend of Klinton?s from years ago that has become convinced that it was Klinton who shot me, so he became a bit of a problem.? Matt had become more than a bit of a problem, but there was no point in dragging all of that.

The air swirled around everyone on the beach and brought with it a fresh scent, and then the breeze faded, Russel appeared standing solemn, ready for a night of fantastic magical wonders. ?Evening all you wonderful users of magic. As well, you Milady Azjah.?

Shuttling between RhyDin, Rigel and Lacerta is becoming exhausting. My internal clock does not seem to catch up to my body, and I find myself awake when I should be asleep, and vice versa. Constant travel and the changing day lengths coupled with stress make for an exhaustion that is bone deep and mind wearying. I have been doing this for the last three months.

In those wakeful, early morning hours, I find myself wishing for simpler days. When RhyDin was all about pleasant days spent with Brigath, or star lit nights watching meteor showers on the bluffs outside of RhyDin. No businesses to run, no invasions to worry about, no missing mates. Simpler times.

When I go to Twilight Isle, I find my attention inexplicably drawn to the Tower of Air. Brig's Tower in my mind. A place Brig had been firmly rooted in when I returned to RhyDin after my hiatus. It was my sanctuary after my captivity. Brig had granted me a guest room, and there had been nights when we simply sat in companionable silence and sipped scotch together looking out over Twilight Isle from the top of the Tower. In that time, the Tower had accepted my presence without demure. I assumed it was because Brig wanted it thus. Actually, I never questioned the Tower's acceptance of my presence, even though it allowed me access even when Brigath was not in residence. I have not been back to that tower since Brig's overthrow for the Key by Vanion.

Now, a new Keeper holds sway in that Tower, and I find myself missing the protected seclusion of Brig's Tower. It was a fine view, in all respects.

Last night, as I sat on the beach of Twilight Isle, I caught myself once again gazing at the Tower of Air on more than one occasion, and wishing I could once again enjoy the sanctuary it once offered me. Now, wishing is not something I usually waste my time on, but the stress of these last weeks must be showing.

The new Keeper, Russel, had invited me to visit after he caught me studying the Tower a couple of weeks ago, but I do not know Russel, and he would probably think me mad were I to tell him how I felt about that Tower and it's former Keeper. I laughed softly to myself. Did I miss Brigath, or the Tower? Both of course are irrelevant, for neither are mine to claim.

I wrapped up my last duel and prepared to return to the Palazzo when the softest brush of a whisper threaded through my mind. I cannot say that the whisper was a voice, but it was there just the same. It was not the touch of Gabriel or Lucien's mind touch, but it wafted through my thoughts as a zephyr might across a field of flowers. It bade me come to the Tower, for it 'missed' me.

I went absolutely still. The whisper hung in the air, yet only I seemed to have heard it. I looked again at the Tower. The Keeper was in residence, but this was not Russel's voice creating the whisper. I could go intrude upon him. No. No, I couldn't. He would think me demented.

Etherean had just left my last ring, and I glanced at him. He was not engaged in another conversation, not that such surprised me. He is not usually gifted with inane chatter.

Perhaps I was imagining things? I slipped on my stiletto heels and spoke softly as Etherean passed by me, "do you have a moment Keeper?"

He paused, "I suppose I can spare a moment from my hectic dueling schedule."

Now Etherean and I are not close friends by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I believe he may actually dislike me based on past history, but I also believe he would not lie to me about the Towers. He may tell me to go kiss off and walk away, but if he deigns to answer, I feel I can believe what he says about them.

I gave him a wry smile over his dueling schedule comment before looking meaningfully at the Tower of Air. "This is going to sound very... well... odd." I began, and then lowered my voice since I did not need everyone on the Isle to hear me and think I'd completely cracked up. I turned from my contemplation of the Tower to face Etherean. "Do the Towers 'talk' to people?"

He gave a light laugh that sent shivers up my arms, "perhaps, but only in the way in which some types of food and such 'talk' to people. At least in my experience."

Perhaps I had imagined the whisper? I pondered a moment before venturing, "are they sentient?"

Etherean's expression gave nothing away in regard to what he might be thinking, "the Isle does have some degree of sentience. The Towers are young yet. It may be that they, in time, could develop their own degree of sentience."

I glanced again at the Tower of Air and a cold shiver slithered down my spine, "thank you Etherean... I...." I did not finish my thought aloud, rather I nodded my thanks for his insight and turned for the Portal. Pausing at the Portal's threshold, I gave the Tower of Air one last glance before slipping through and returning to the Palazzo.

When sleep finally came, it was troubled by dreams of the Tower, Brigath, and days long gone.

Supplies have been garnered, and Dyson knows not to expect my return anytime soon. On the morrow Gabriel and I shall depart for Lacerta to face the cold and the invasion that has to come soon.

Tonight though, I will go to the Isle. The dreams have troubled my sleep these last days despite Gabriel?s efforts to keep them at bay. The whisperings of the Tower still haunt me. Yet I had never heard the Tower speak before, and neither has Etherean.

As I walked through the portal, my gaze was irresistibly drawn to the Tower that haunts my memories. Its new Keeper leaned now against a tree studying a book. At least he missed my unintentional glance at what is now his tower. At the return of the Dark Elf, Vanion, who was covered in blood, he glanced up. The only thing Vanion said was a cryptic "Ayreg's got some interesting friends." Whomever Ayreg is, and what that has to do with the blood is anyone's guess, which I am not certain I care to delve into at all.

I swirled the scotch that a goblin had brought to me upon my arrival and I once again studied the Tower of Air's new Keeper. He was deeply immersed in a book once again, and a soft wind began to stir on the Isle, causing a gentle rustling of leaves as it riffled through the branches, yet failed to stir the pages of his book. The Keeper was absently feeding walnuts to a squirrel, and finally his attention followed the rodent as it climbed up the trunk of the tree with its treasured walnut, where it disappeared into a hole at a Y juncture. Russel gave a very faint shiver, as though he could sense he was being studied before he found the source of the sensation. His eyes caught and held my own for the briefest moment before offering a polite nod accompanied by a smile before he turned his attention once again to the ring that hosted Vanion and Topaz.

His eye contact and smile were formal and correct. He did not maintain the interaction any longer than was formally acceptable. I had returned his polite nod and reached for the stilettos. I finished the scotch before pulling the silk wrap about my shoulders. I should be going. Morning would come quickly, and I rose to begin to make my way across the sand, but my path led me past the Keeper of Air. I paused, though I cannot think why!

He had seen me coming and risen, as though he knew I would pause, or perhaps because it is the gallant thing to do when a woman passes. Something few men in RhyDin seem to understand. I do not know the Keeper nor his past beyond saying hello, and calling an occasional match for him. I hazarded a glance toward Brig's Tower before meeting his eyes again, "might I ask you a question about the Tower?"

He regarded me a long moment, as though the fact that I stood here solidly before him were new, and this time his gaze was longer, as it traveled from my face all the way to the sand before he nodded assent to my question.

I thanked him, but felt vaguely uneasy at his protracted perusal, "it may sound a very odd query, but does the Tower 'miss' former Keepers?"

He lowered the hood of his cloak, giving himself a more open visage to face, "does the Tower miss former keepers?" He repeated the question, and I wondered if he would think me daft. "I'm not sure if it does." His expression suggested that he was puzzled, but not worried that I was unbalanced, by my question before he continued, "perhaps, as I happen to know, you and a previous Keeper had history within the Tower, you could tell for yourself sometime?"

I felt myself flush at this reference and missed the fleeting shadow of concern that flitted through his eyes. I needed to change the direction of this conversation. "It has not 'voiced' any such to you then?" I had so hoped the Towers spoke to their Keepers, but so far, none had admitted to hearing their towers speak to them per se. And if the Tower didn't talk to its keeper, then surely one would not speak to me.

He gave a slight nod of his head, "I have been witness to some things that even I do not trust my own eyes to believe." He paused and regarded me a moment before adding, "no, not really voiced."

My eyes strayed again to the Tower of Air before once more schooling my features into neutrality as I turned around to face Russel. "Thank you, I do appreciate your indulgence." I gave him a quick curtsey before turning once more for the Portal.

It was certainly an interesting night on the Island. His mind raced with thoughts, thinking about the egg he needed to finalize the last ingredient to the spell that would bring him exhaultation within his homeland of Dragon's Eye.

Having fed the squirrel and inviting Azjah to the tower, he watched as she departed the Island. There amongst other magic casters, he queried to find an apponent before retiring to the tower. Already having been beaten by Tass, Rena, once offered a mentorship by Russ, stepped forward to challenge the Keeper of the Tower of Air.

Rena had bested Russ once, not letting a single spell fall upon her. She had been subjected to defeat at the Mega Mage tourney and was beaten well before Russ. Though, he suffered a traitorous plot by Lem and the crafty gnome, Millesandre, two from the art of magic he would never trust again. His confidence was bolstered as he trailed Rena in the duel they had contracted. It dawned on him, there are two eggs to be had, in case the first was destroyed by a miscalculation or spell gone wrong, he should harvest a second egg. That of the opponent Rena, whom, he had overtaken in spells cast and finished dueling her to a tie. Their previous dueling encounter was as well fought to a tie. However, he had learned many things about her ability to cast spells and was certain next they meet, that he should be able to best her.

Opportunity, as it was, looked upon him with two possible donors upon which to carry out the inevitable spell that would lead him to victory over the desert of bone's. As he said his good nights to those still about the Island, he pondered and thought about a plan that would enable him to harvest the last ingredient to the spell.

Having returned to the Tower of Air, he watched as a couple of elementals formed to play. Watching on, as he thought about the conversation held between Azjah and himself, he snapped his fingers, then spoke to the air elementals.

"Azjah should be visiting before long!", he exclaimed to the two elementals. At which, both had stopped their play to turn and face him. From the odd conversation held prior that eve with Azjah, and now in the Tower, the elemental resembling Brigath moved toward Russ as he sat behind the desk within his study letting out a windy whisper,

"When?", asked the air elemental.

There was more conversation as the three stayed up late that night talking and plotting with one another. Russel had found the answers that puzzled Azjah. Answers to questions she had brought up to the Keeper of the Tower of Air. And now, all he had to do was carry out the planned events with the help of the Air Elementals. Help that would entice Azjah to the Tower of Air so that she could gain confidence to a man Russ knew, she thought no more than just a stranger.

I resumed my study of the Tower of Air, still wondering why it was now that I was receiving invitations to return. It is a tormenting pleasure to be certain. As though on cue, the Keeper of that Tower floated onto the beach, but the air around him was cold and blustery, which seems at odds with the man who so far has been congenial and pleasant to most everyone around him. He landed near the tree where it seems he has a regular customer for walnuts, and the rodent instantly poked its head out of the hole in the tree. Instantly the air warmed, as if in response to a fondness Russel harbors for this particular squirrel. He handed over a walnut, which was taken quickly and spirited somewhere deep inside the tree.

After delivering the expected walnut, Russel progressed toward the rings. He waved a greeting to Topaz and nodded at Lucien. He then moved in my direction, "Lady Azjah, I take it you are ell prepared to do a fine eve of calling as always?" His salute was perfectly executed. Not the slovenly caricatures so many men here perform. This was the real thing; it was smart, properly performed, and respectful all at the same time. A man who had been well trained it would seem.

I gave his salute a regal nod of acknowledgement, "I am prepared to call before the Star Dragon departs. Thank you Russel."

His eyes strayed upward as he regarded Gabriel, taking silent note of his hand resting lightly upon my shoulder. "Welcome to the Island, I take it a friend of our beloved caller?"

He was addressing Gabriel, but I could feel tension leap into the Carpathian. Gabriel never moved a muscle, and yet he was coiled as tightly as I have ever felt him as he responded, "we are long acquainted." Flat black eyes were fixed on Russel, as a cobra watches for prey.

Lucien gave his twin a quick look. Something in Gabriel's tone suggested tightly leashed violence about to burst free.

I reached up and rested my fingertips lightly on Gabriel's hand as I spoke to Russel, "Russel, this is Gabriel, and he and I have been acquainted a very long time."

Russel's gaze lingered on Gabriel a moment before he said the obligatory reply that he was pleased to meet Gabriel, but this meeting was no pleasure. Gabriel was as cold as arctic night, and far more deadly as his eye never wavered from Russel's presence. Russel broke the uncomfortable stand by accepting a match with Lem and moving out of Gabriel's vicinity. Gabriel declined to elaborate on what troubled him so badly about his meeting with Russel, saying only that Russel worked with some very dark magic.

Russel entered the ring with Lem and saluted me once again before turning to Lem, "alright my traitorous fiend," and their match had begun.

Before I could think too long about Gabriel's reaction to Russel, I spotted shadowy movement detaching from the tree line and prowling in my direction. It was Shandren, "ah Shandren, how good to see you."

She settled beside me, and when I inquired how she was doing, she gave a bored sigh, "deathly bored. Not having anything to do has stopped being amusing."

I glanced at her, "that sounds dangerous Shandren, like mischief in the making." Gabriel remained behind me, as unmoving as stone, yet I could tell he was solidly focused on the Keeper of Air.

I looked at Topaz, "I will allow Shandren to establish fair market price for the Beerenausles, and then you can decide if you still wish to make the purchase. It is one of the better vintages we have enjoyed so far."

She nodded, agreeing that such sounded fair enough.

Shandren studied the faerie, "it would be a shame if no one else got a share because you were over eager."

Topaz looked at Shandren, "oh, I will need all 60 cases."

Both Shandren and I were shocked, "the entire lot?"

She nodded again, "yes, we are having an Emperor come to visit. I'm not planning on drinking it all by myself." She gave me an impish smile then.

I was still surprised, but decided to close the deal with Shandren, "the wine cellar is beneath the Palazzo, and I know Dyson will appreciate the assistance."

She nodded assent, "any particular time I should show up?"

"I am certain Dyson would appreciate mornings," I told her. The man keeps his schedule to match my own, so I know he will be more than ready whenever Shandren can spare the time. She promised to be at the Palazzo in the morning and I promised to send Dyson word so that he would be expecting her.

I glanced longingly at the Tower and Gabriel gave me a bit of a mental shake, <<We should be going, our departure window approaches.>> I rose and slid into the stilettos, taking Gabriel's arm and made my way to the portal. Part of me sorry I had not accepted Russel's invitation to the Tower before leaving RhyDin, but if we survive, we will return here. Perhaps Russel will still be the Keeper of Brig's Tower.

The departure window loomed before her, but she needed the box of explosives she had specially made for the Lacertians before they could leave. Gabriel drove her to Drachen Walde Industries, and she placed her hand on the lock sensor when Gabriel?s thoughts intruded on her private reverie. <<You are distracted by the summons to that Tower. You do realize it could be a trap. Mr. Cedran no longer resides there.>>

She stepped through the doors as they slid open. ?There is always that possibility Gabriel, but I do not feel threatened.?

He walked in utter silence beside her to the office. The only sounds were her own footsteps along the corridor. Only security lighting kept the hall from being pitch black, which would prove no hinderance for Gabriel, but she wouldn?t make good time in complete blackness. A slight shiver rippled down her spine as she remembered the trip into Underdark with Raevyx.

Charlotte had placed the locked and sealed box atop her desk, and she ran her fingertips over the lid lightly, ?you know Gabriel, I should have taken Russel up on his invitation. The whispered beckonings are a distraction to me, as you say.? She turned to study the Carpathian in the near blackness of her office.

Gabriel?s eyes had the eye-shine of a night hunting cat, an illusion that was strengthened as he gave a low growl before responding to her. ?Distraction will end when the Cephean?s land.? She could feel his disapproval of her desire to go to the Tower to seek answers.

Azjah gave Gabriel a wry smile and then gave her office one last look around before following Gabriel back out into the night. As they crossed the lawn toward the Maybach, a whisper floated across the lawn and she paused. She was certain she had heard Brig?s voice carried on the breeze, but that was not possible. Brig had vanished after relinquishing the key to Vanion. And besides, Brig no longer needed nor wanted her in his life. He?d made that clear a long time ago. Yet, the voices on the wind certainly sounded like Brig?s.

The air around her seemed almost a living thing as it elicited memories that she cherished. The lightest caress of wind felt very real, and it brought a floor of warmth and comfort she?d been missing for a very long time. She glanced between the Portal and Gabriel. ?The Isle should be deserted Gabriel, and I promise I won?t be long.? She slid out of the backseat of the car and made her way to the entry of the Portal. The light caress of the breeze was surely a figment of her imagination, but it was comforting. Then she stepped through the Portal, missing Gabriel?s transition out of the visible spectrum. He was not going to let her go alone with the unexplained summons to the very Tower she would now approach. Gabriel followed her through the Portal.

She paused once through the transition as she studied the Tower of Air. A warm breeze seemed to wrap itself around her shoulders, beckoning, urging her to go closer to the only Tower she?d ever been inside. She steeled herself to meet the new Keeper to find out what he might know about these summons before making her way along the path she knew well.

Azjah paused at the entry to the Tower of Air. It was an entry that once upon a time had allowed her free access, but tonight remained closed. The seductive memories slithered at the edge of her thoughts. ?I am being foolish,? she chided herself aloud as she slid her gaze upward toward the very top of the Tower. A flood of memories crashed in on her as she stood there.?

When at last she looked at the Tower entry, it stood open, although the Keeper could not be seen within. In fact, much about the entry had changed. It was no longer translucent and bright. She held her breath as though pained on the very brink of some great decision before taking her first step inside Brig?s old Tower. She did not go directly to the air shaft that had once carried her to the Tower?s uppermost reaches. Rather, she remained just inside the doorway to announce her presence, ?Keeper? Russel??

He came floating down a new set of stairs. Apparently the air shaft was replaced by these more solid treads and risers. Russel carried a drink in each hand, as though he had expected her arrival.

?Aye, Milady, you have decided to present me with the pleasantry of your company? I am quite honored.? Then as though to answer her unspoken question, he said, ?I have been expecting you Milady.?

Azjah stood transfixed by the changes, but found her voice quickly, ?please forgive my late and unannounced arrival. I could return come daylight if I have come at a bad time.?

His admission that he had been awaiting her arrival registered, ?waiting?? Unease crept into the back of her mind.

Russel offered her a seat on the sofa as he took a sip from his glass, ?not as much a scholar, but well acquainted with words of magic.? He gave a soft chuckle, ?I should think the upstairs much more to the liking of how Lord Brigath may have presented this layer of the Tower.?

The glass he had given her earlier was cool to the touch, and she had to suppress a smile. If Brig could hear someone calling him ?Lord Brigath? she had no doubt how he would react. She savored the bouquet of the scotch; it was not Brig?s favorite Oban. ?Gabriel would love to bury himself in your books. He is a great lover of history.? In her world, magic was shunned, but Gabriel had seen many times and places, and there was nothing he had not tried somewhere along the line. Gabriel?s words flitted through her mind, ?he works with very dark magic.?

She glanced again around the room, then gave Russel a smile, ?Above here were the guest rooms, and above that Brig?s. The whole Tower was airy, open, and rather like Brig himself, easy going, breezy natured.?

Russel gave her a bit of a wry smile, ?aye, as Keeper for the Tower of Earth, I am not as inclined to revel in the pleasantry of openness and such. But I do hope you will like the feel of what I have done with the guest room. They are between here and the uppermost level. Aside from that, there is also a room dedicated just for the pleasure of dance and theater. Or perhaps, should the occasion present itself, parties.? His expression changed slightly, ?or should I say former Keeper of the Tower of Earth? Pardon me Milady,? he sat down upon the leather sofa and patted the cushion beside him.

She gave him a startled look. The invitation was too intimate given the situation. Her tutor?s voices fairly shrieked at her as he made himself comfortable. ?I had not intended to remain tonight. Gabriel?s waiting and I promised I would not be long.? She glanced around the library again, seeking an alternative place to sit, but there were none that would keep her in an easy distance to discuss Russel?s insight into the whispered summons.

Azjah sat on the edge of the cushion and took a sip of the scotch, ?smoky, a hint of heather, finishes with a touch of caramel. Is it Laguvulan??

He seemed surprised that Gabriel was waiting for her, and she spoke quickly, ?your taste in d?cor is not unpleasant. It is just that my memories have been haunting me, and this is all new.?

Russel rose then, ?well, perhaps I can help with the time, and Gabriel.? He stretched his hands and like life itself, the very essence of time beyond the walls of the Tower slowed. He assured her that upon her return, Gabriel would know her only to have been gone a short while. The wind blew, and Russel moved toward open windows. Outside, the air howled as it drew all it knew to a stop, as though it had harnessed time on the island. Russ?s cloak blew behind him, the hem fluttering as the air stilled all beyond the walls of the Tower. Russel commanded a power that sent a frission of fear down her spine. It was no wonder magic was shunned in Rigel.

Russ turned then and swept his cloak from his shoulders, letting it slide over the coat rack as he returned to the sofa.

As we moved higher into the Tower, she slid her gaze over Russ? profile. ?Tonight I had not planned to come and intrude upon you, but the whispers reached me even at my plant. Is that something you expected to happen?? She needed to know if Russel knew how far reaching the whispers had been, but she didn?t want to come out and say that the Tower?s voices had reached her across RhyDin.

As the top of the Tower was reached, he spoke softly, ?not exactly.? She canted her head at him, repeating his two word reply, but as they came to a halt, she saw something she never dreamed possible. Sitting before the window that she had always loved to sit in front of when she was with Brig on those evenings sat what could only be described as a mirror image of herself.

They floated across the glass floor toward the image, and Russel spoke softly, ?Milady, this would be Myraelease, or so I am told. And perhaps, the whispers were that of another elemental I?ve come to know recently as Ziephareal.? Russ?s arm slipped about Azjah in support in case she should prove faint. She was shocked, and completely taken back by the fact that this elemental had taken on her likeness. That in itself was shocking, but when Russel claimed the whispers too belonged to two elementals, that had names?.this was something she?d never, EVER heard of happening before.

One hand went reflexively to her throat, ?how? How do you know their names? I?ve seen elementals many times, but never have they spoken to us.? Brig had many of the ephemeral elementals in the Tower, but this was extraordinary. She remained motionless as she studied the elemental that had taken her shape.

Russ nodded slightly, ?Aye, they have indeed whispered to me many things, of which, is how I have come to understand your longing for the tower, as well, their own apparent longing to have you here once again.? As he spoke, the second elemental appeared right behind Myraeleaze, his hands sliding down over her shoulders as he leaned, it appeared as if the two kissed a sweet hello to one another. Azjah was completely speechless. The second elemental appeared very much like Brigath, and when he spoke, Azjah would have sworn it was he, but this image was bolder, more purposeful, and reminded her of the Brigath she had left in RhyDin many years ago.

Azjah?s brows winged upward, but her words were for Russel, ?how long have they been here?? She knew they had not been in the Tower when she had visited. Not in these forms, and certainly none of the elementals had ever spoken to her. If they had spoken to Brig, he?d never mentioned such. These two seemed to replay moments from Azjah?s distant past with Brig, and embarrassment flooded through her as she wondered just how much this new Keeper had been witness to compliments of these two.

Russ?s arm remained about her shoulder, ?they first appeared about 2 months ago. Of which, I have watched and studied them. Finally a few days ago, they spoke, as if with a whisper of the wind.? It was in that moment that both elementals turned and the whisper Azjah had attributed to the Tower itself slithered across the space, ?We welcome your return Azjah. It has been so long.?

Russel drew her down onto a couch, and her skin went icy cold. The whisper from Ziephareal curled around her like a caress, and her mind was racing at the implications of being able to communicate with the elementals. ?Thank you?. Myraeleaze, Zeiphareal? why have you whispered to me?? Her attention riveted on the two sentient elementals.

Russ spoke softly, ?there are others as well, though they have only appeared during tales that are acted out by these two in particular. I have seen Artemus, as well Vanion, whom once said about Art playing a flute, ?Now I know why my kin kill humans, for just touching such instruments.? ? His quoted words proved that the elementals had shared much of what they had witnessed having occurred within the Tower.

She had spent too much time in the Tower, and as much as she wanted to know more about these two elementals, she knew she needed to make ready to depart RhyDin. She?d found the strength to leave the Tower and return to the ship. Gabriel had been in a dark mood, and she did not press him for the reason, but she suspected he may have known about the time suspension, although if he did, he must have picked it out of her own thoughts.

She had delayed for several days, and tonight she found herself heading back to the Isle for her shift of volunteer work. She sent a goblin for her scotch as Gabriel remained out of sight behind her.

Xanth was the first to arrive, and as she gave him a greeting, his hooded head lifted upwards as though studying the sky a moment, almost as if he had not realized what time it had become, ?Ah, yes, evening.? He tapped his fingers on his arm as if thinking about something very complex or serious.

Azjah took a sip of her scotch before asking of him, ?You appear to be rather pensive tonight Xanth. Another chemistry conundrum?? About that moment, Topaz appeared on the beach with Sylviana, who was making a very serious effort at walking under her own power. Azjah shuddered, how soon would it be before the child made her way over to reach with sticky fingers to touch one of her silk suits??

Xanth dismissed her query, ?nothing a well calibrated gazometer wouldn?t fix. I am more interested in finding an opponent in magical combat.? What ever Xanth is, he can be very single minded about things.

Topaz gave a distracted wave as she remained with Sylviana, encouraging the child in her efforts to conquer human locomotion. The child looked in Azjah?s direction, and then behind the chaise, going on in baby talk as she made her way across the sand. She wondered if Gabriel had any feelings about his niece, or had even those emotions died in all of his long centuries of existence.

A swirl of wind blew over the Island, and along with it came the arrival of the Keeper of Air, who appeared before a tree, where once again his hand was extended to the squirrel who resides there with payment of the requisite walnut. Azjah?s eyes slid toward the Tower as the wind blew across the beach, and memories of what she had seen there flashed before her eyes. She had promised to return, and yet, in these last days, she had not found the time or the courage to return and face the two elementals, or the Keeper.

Thankfully Sylviana?s attention shifted to Russel, and as Topaz greeted him, the Keeper smiled and began speaking to the small child, ?Aye, well, look at you!? He crouched low before the child and Sylviana gave him her own form of greeting, although the baby talk was completely unintelligible to Azjah.

The child wriggled off the sofa where Topaz had deposited her and took a few shaky steps toward Russel, who reached out his hands toward the child in encouragement, ?Yes, you want to come and see me, don?t you?? Azjah shuddered, but was thankful the child had focused her attention on someone else tonight.

Azjah paled visibly hearing Etherean?s musings, ?No!?

He gave her a smile meant to charm, but that only succeeded in sending icy chills down her spine, ?Now Azjah, Russ has been eligible to challenge for some time now. Surely, if you truly desired the Tower, you would have challenged him before now.?

She shook her head negatively at Etherean, ?No, that would not do at all. But?..? She bit her lip hard; she would not discuss her reasons for needing access to the Tower now. Her thought trailed off and remained unfinished.

Etherean was never one to be put off so easily. He smelled blood in the water, and he continued to prod, ?Or is it that you fear your chances of success would dwindle significantly if I were to be in possession of the Tower? Or that my presence there would taint it somehow?? His expression was unreadable, ?Come now, Vanion has already been in possession of the Tower. It could hardly be tainted further.?

Azjah?s pale blue eyes crackled to life as she turned them on Etherean once again, ?do you truly think I fear to get into a ring in challenge with you Etherean? There is something in that Tower, something I need to resolve.? She immediately regretted her words, but Etherean could not truly believe that she feared facing him in a ring. They had often enough crossed spells in the past. No, it was not fear of having to challenge Etherean. But she certainly did not wish him to meet the two elementals that currently resided within the Tower of Air.

He gave a cold, short laugh, ?I know you do not fear ?me?.?

Something about Etherean embodied fear. Something cold, and hard, and very dark resided in Etherean?s essence. She was not certain she ever wanted to know just what that was either. She gave him a long moment?s regard, ?Then why did you suggest I might fear my chances of success??

He met her eyes levelly, ?but there is something in that Tower that has you afraid. Your ambivalence is obvious.?

Her gaze quickly broke from his. The creature?s intuition was too close for comfort.

She took a very deep breath, and was fervently hoping that Russel was not hearing this conversation at all as she found the courage to turn once again and face Etherean. ?Ambivalence means not caring one way or another Etherean. I care. I care very deeply.?

His expression was sanguine, ?ambivalence also means simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings.?

Azjah gave him a vague frown, ?and if I ceased my ?ambivalence? as you call it, would that suit you? Or would you find me an easier target than Russ??

Something cold and hard lit his eyes, ?If I turned my sights upon gaining the Tower of Air, I do not think it would matter who held it at the time.?

She suppressed a shiver, ?I see.?

He shrugged then; the intensity vanished as though it had never been, ?a few weeks need to pass before it is even an option for me.?

Azjah gave the Tower of Air a searching look before reaching for her stilettos. She rose as the next caller arrived and headed for the path that would lead her to the Tower of Air. She had after all promised Zeiphareal that she would come back. She paused where the path turned away from the Portal and toward the Tower she truly wanted. What she missed was a cold smile from Etherean as she took her first step onto that pathway.

I glanced around the Inn, it was going to be a very quiet evening. Outside the window came the clatter of hooves against the roadway, accompanied by a rattling snort as a blood bay mare came to a halt. The rider slid down and stepped across the porch and into the Inn. It?s eyes remained lowered, and then stepped behind the bar to claim a bottle of mixed sekanjabin before seeking an empty table where it settled with an air of distaste onto the harshly angular wooden planes.

I watched the rider a moment. I could not tell whether this was male or female for the gloves, the black veil covering its face, and body covering that defied identifying the person as either male or female. A gloved hand lifted and checked the black veil before loosening it just enough to allow the bottle to be lifted underneath the edge and yet not reveal its features. Gold flickered briefly as it gave the common room a quick perusal.

I peered out the window and studied the mare a long moment before saying, ?it?s going to be a quiet evening.? I keep my eyes on the horse outside, but waited for the rider to respond.

It tilted a shrouded head toward me, but seemed uncertain if I was addressing him or not. The mare drowsed in the evening light, and I made a soft observation, ?she is well used to travel.? The horse knew when to rest and this mare had a stance that gave her every opportunity to rest and refresh while still saddled and tethered to the rail. Silence reigned. At length there came the whisper of heavy silk that accompanied motion, yet no comment came from the rider. At length I turned pale blue eyes on the mare?s rider, ?may I inquire as to her breeding??

At length the rider moved, lifting her head and taking in a breath, and for the briefest moment, molten eyes flashed toward me before lowering once again. ?Travel is all that she has ever known. Her breeding is nomadic ? she is a border-horse of the Sun?s Mirror. Desert blood.?

I swirled the scotch in the glass, remaining as still as possible, ?old breeding then.? My eyes traveled once more to the window to regard the mare as she took her ease and waited. ?The desert people to not part lightly with their brood mares. You are fortunate to have her.? For the nomads of the desert to part with a prized broodmare was a special gift indeed.

The figure gave a slight nod, and the hesitation was nearly palpable as her voice continued in a very soft tone, ?old breeding, yes. Her sisters are not all of the same line, but they have all known the slip of sand under hoof. The clans of the Mirror and of the Hammer pride themselves upon the breeding and training of their mares.? Again came the briefest flash of gold, and this time the look of being startled before lowering once more. ?It is not luck, nor did they part with her. She is of my line. She is mine, as are her sisters.?

?A mare is of more value than a stallion in the desert.? I still did not look directly at the rider as it seemed to make her uncomfortable. For in the voice I thought I could discern femininity rather than the confidence of a desert nomad male. At the flicker of surprise from her, I added, ?she is a pearl without price then.?

Beneath the black veil, a smile curved hidden lips, ?very true. She is mother to foals, giver of milk, and companion. And too, she has more between her ears than where to find the next mare. My people use stallions for breeding, geldings for burden, but their mares are their prizes. I would sooner part with my own flesh than with my younger siblings.?

I nodded thoughtfully, ?In my world, the Bedouin would share their tents with their war mares, for their value is beyond price. I am sorry that I assumed she was gifted to you.?

She gave a glance out the window, her eyes catching and reflecting the light as they settled upon the softer blue of the sky. Something in her countenance suggested that she was remembering a different shade of blue, ?months. Perhaps a year. I have not counted. The road passes swiftly beneath the hooves of my mares, even when those roads lie through lands unformed. Time as well. I have learned the value of a waypoint.?

I nodded, and remembered the nights in the desert, when the stars glittered as though they were closer, ?the stars are less distinct though.? The pool in the canyon where I had gone after the shooting still holds magic for me.

A series of staccato clicks announced the presence of a wizard long before the black robes could actually be seen. The echoes of the sound moved through the halls and between the close buildings announcing his arrival. Dark robes billowed about him, and in his hand he held a gleaming staff of metal. The bejeweled portions refracted the light within the Inn. His pause seemed abrupt as he sidestepped the path of the corridor to take up residence beside one wall of the Inn. He surveyed the Inn?s occupants from his vantage point. I slid my gaze his direction, but I have never seen this particular wizard before.

Crimson eyes met my own. His brow arched slightly, and he canted his head to the left and offered a silent inquirey. I turned away from him then and noted that the rider?s eyes had an unfocused look upon the sky outside, ?the stars are pale here, the moon a distant memory. Upon the sand, she hung near enough to touch, almost, and dwelt both above and below; the Sun?s Mirror was also the Moon?s looking glass.? She gave the new wizard no notice at all, at least outwardly.

I looked out the window once more at the blood bay mare, ?to the east of the city, when you go out far enough into the desert, there is a crystal spring, hidden in a horse shoe canyon where the moon reflects off a still pool. Still enough to see the stars reflected there as well. But such a vision cannot be found close to the city. ? I turned again to look at the wizard as I had an uncanny sensation that his gaze had not strayed from the rider and myself.

She turned away from the window then and gave a fleeting glance at the darkly robed figure. Her head bowed and her fingertips once again brushed brow, lips and breast in a silent greeting before she lifted the bottle once more to her lips, ?perhaps, then it is to the east that I should ride.?

I gave a soft laugh, ?It would be a long ride. Several days to reach the canyon. It is why I do not go there very often. Though your mare would enjoy the feel of sand beneath her hooves, and the dry wind in her mane.? I did not tell her that by car it?s many hours.

The wizard?s gaze shifted from me to the rider, and then back to myself. A faint pursing of his lips was the only expression readable in his otherwise stoic visage. His taloned but bauble adorned fingers began their work of rapping the light cadence against the wood of the staff upon which he leaned, yet he remained silent, content to listen and watch so it seemed.

I leaned back into the chair, and held the glass of scotch before myself as the rider tilted her head and checked the security of her veil, and then her gloved hand moved higher, smoothing an ebon strand of hair beneath the shroud of the burnous. ?Perhaps. Perhaps too, it would be pleasing to escape the regions of the city, for a while. Longer have I lingered here than ever in one place, at one time before.?

?If you would desire directions, I can see you without error to the spring.? I don?t know why I offered. The spring had been my sanctuary without intrusion, yet something in the rider told me she would leave the place as pristine as she found it.

Crimson eyes slid over me, ?tell me, have ye pressing business to attend to?? His tone lowered, and a grin that promised ill things to come should I follow his baited lead, ?lie to me darling?..?

Lady Lethe continued to speak, ?frequently, I might be found in these demesnes of an evening, whiling time. So too, might I be found beyond the city, where my sisters might remain close without binding.?

I reached into a pocket that did not provide a glimpse of the shoulder holster and retrieved a business card. I slid it across the table toward her, ?I have stabling for your mare if you would care to join me.? My eyes however never left the black wizard and as she took the card from beneath my fingers, I spoke to him, ?I am unaccustomed to lying sir.? I never let my gaze waver from his in those moments.

His fingers moved along the wood as though he were working the neck of a violin, each tip depressing a different rune or sigil in succession, causing it to flare to life with a faint radiance. ?Is that so?? He slid the staves end away from my footpath suddenly. The movement was subtle as he turned his gaze toward the rider, but his words were meant for me, ?It just so happens, I?m accustomed to hearing the truth.?

Lady Lethe vanished the card into the folds of the burnous, ?then it will please me to call upon you, sera. May I have a name by which to call you? My own has been given already, by the ser ? Lethe.?

I buried a shiver before looking at Lethe, ?Azjah will do. It has been my pleasure this evening Lethe, but, I would not tarry as it seems the ?gentleman? wishes discourse with you.? I rose from the chair, smoothing wrinkles from the silk suit as I did so.

Her head bowed, but did not bow this time. It was as though she was giving acceptance of a companion?s departure rather than courtesy to a stranger, ?may the sun?s gaze fall gently upon yoru path, sera Azjah.?

I inclined my head to her, ?may the stars shine favorably upon you as well Lethe.? Then I turned to face the dark wizard, ?Good evening to you sir.?

?Such a silly notion, ye interrupt nothing of great importance.? He turned his gaze abruptly to Lethe, ?We are merely acquaintances, whom from time to time, discuss the esoteric truths of life?s riddles. Do we nae?? He then slid his gaze once more my direction, ?Donnae allow me to frighten ye away.?

I canted my head at the wizard, ?for such trifling discussion as esoteric truths of life?s riddles, I would certainly have no need of departure. However, you seem more interested in her travel plans. As such, I have no reason to intrude.?

Lethe rose then, turning toward the wizard, ?Please, ser, do you wish to speak, be seated. Is there aught that you desire of refreshment that I might offer in courtesy??

Something about the wizard worried me. His interest in Lady Lethe was unhealthy, but she had made no indication that she desired my presence to deal with him.

The dark wizard gave a cold smile, ?She has always been one to grant that wish she has wished to offer over, and nothing more. Whatever mine interests be, I ?allow? her the courtesy of her secrets.? His eyes shifted to her veil and then to her golden eyes. I pitied the woman any attention from this male.

I glanced between the two before taking a formal step backward, giving Lethe and the wizard a curtsey before turning toward the door, and making a mental note to find more out about this wizard.

Lethe kept her gaze stringently averted, however, as I stepped back, her lips curved beneath the veil, ?again, thank you for your courtesy, sera. Be wary of the mare ? she knows you not for a friend.?

I paused at the door, ?I suspected as much. I shall enjoy her from a safe distance.?

She then turned to the wizard, her hand recoursing in gesture toward the table?s chairs, ?Ser??

Amusement lit the crimson eyes as he watched my departure, and he is welcome to his amusement. I was not inclined to tangle with someone I know naught about, and who had truly given no offense worthy of reaction. He then smiled at Lethe, ?it seems I have a knack for scaring away the company of others. I wonder why??

Azjah sent the book to Etherean wrapped in forest green paper bound with a celadon silk ribbon. Gabriel would find a way to see the package to its intended recipient. She wondered if Etherean would read her message as intended. Somehow she doubted Etherean needed a book of dreams, yet it spoke volumes about her dreams. Hopefully he would intuit the true meaning behind her return gift.

As he departed the ship, she retrieved a second sheet of parchment to announce her intentions to Russel. The sorcerer had been kind in allowing her to spend time in the Tower. But the feel was not there when Brig had held it. Even when Zeiphereal took his form, it was not the same, and she found herself more and more wishing to hold the keys to the tower. She hoped Russel would understand it was not malice, nor ingratitude for his hospitality that drove this decision? just as it had not been either of those things when she had challenged Brigath for the keys to his Tower.

She simply wanted to be the Keeper of that grand view, and the feel of home that she had when she was within its confines.



After posting her notice to Russel and the magic community at large, she headed for the Tower. Russel was not in residence and she found herself sitting in the highest common roKeeper Russel,

I find that my ambivalence toward seeking to hold the key to the Tower of Air has been swayed, and because of circumstances within the Tower now, and the whispers I have heard from entities within the Tower, I have decided that I must issue challenge to you for the Tower itself.

While I have appreciated your invitations to come and go, it is not the same as holding the Key.

I hereby issue public notice of my challenge to you.

Respectfully,

Azjah Telyria Danaan Caer von Drachen Walde und Triberg.

After posting her notice to Russel and the magic community at large, she headed for the Tower. Russel was not in residence and she found herself sitting in the highest common room of the tower looking out over the island. Her notice may revoke her ability to sit here should she fail again to acquire the Keys by challenge, but that was a bridge she would cross when she came to it. For now though, Zeiphareal spoke to her about the history of the tower and some of the previous keepers who had resided there.

Russel had arrived at the Inn and moved toward the bar, his hand reaching up to draw the hooded cowl of the cloak away from his head. He glanced about the Inn, and momentarily his eyes lit at the mention of someone being hurt, but he slipped instead behind the bar and filled himself a glass of wine. From there he headed for an empty chair near the hearth. He found the chair and lowered himself into it, leaning back comfortably as his staff hovered next to him standing straight upright, as though waiting for him to grasp it once again. He took a sip of his wine before placing the glass on the table and drawing out a book from within the cloak he wore.

Shortly afterwards, Azjah walked through the door and she glanced about the Inn but failed to see the Keeper where he sat, and she headed for an empty chair near the windows. Half hoping to meet up again with the Rider she?d met the other evening. As she settled in and sent a serving lad for her scotch, she noticed Russel, and spoke softly, ?Good evening Keeper.?

He looked up from his book before turning to smile, and gave her a quick wave of his hand, ?Evening to you Milady.?

She noted that where ever Russel went, he always seemed to be locked in study, as though something were driving him to seek answers to a question only he knew. ?Studying again milord??

He gave her a courteous nod, ?as always, much to be learned in this lifetime.?

Azjah nodded, ?Of course. May I ask what you study with such fervor??

Someone slammed the door and Russel glanced in that direction a moment before turning back to Azjah, ?aye, just a relic of ancients it seems. I have been studying to decipher the writing for some time, and have been quite unsuccessful. He closed the book and placed it inside his cloak once more before picking up his wine glass and rising. He took his staff in the other hand and floated toward her, where he looked with a question in his eyes before setting down the glass of wine. He then withdrew the book from his cloak and set the leather tied and bound book before her. ?Perhaps you would care to have a look for yourself??

Azjah canted her head at the offered book. ?I confess I know little about the arcane arts. My world shuns such things.? She told him by way of explanation as she reached for the book. She did not expect to be able to interpret anything within, but curiosity had her piqued. However, when she looked at the pages, most of them appeared completely blank. Here and there a sigil or symbol could be seen, but there was far more emptiness than there was writing.

Russel waved a hand toward the opposite seat, ?mind if I sit with you awhile??

She glanced over at him, ?please do.?

He nodded and leaned his staff against the seat, then slid onto it. His hands reached before him as fingers clasped one another as he watched her puzzle over the book. ?I am certain this hold certain, well, life giving spells if you will.? He told her softly. His eyes studied her as she studied the odd book.

Azjah lifted a pale brow faintly as she looked from the book toward him, ?you are a student of life magic?? She had clearly heard Gabriel say he dabbled in dark arts, and life magic did not seem to fit that penchant in her mind.

He shook his head a bit, ?nae, just studious about many subjects. This book in particular has been drawing my interest, though I am always a student to life itself?

Her fingertips strayed over the symbols she could see, ?and what does this tell you that is so interesting?? Her pale blue eyes peered intently at him rather than the page beneath her fingers.

Russel chuckled softly and unclasped his hands, allowing him to pick up his wine glass with one hand and sip the liquid before replacing the stemmed glass onto the table beside him. ?Aye, if it told me something, I probably wouldn?t be studying it with such fervor.? He grinned a moment before leaning toward her some, and his hand reached over to half turn the book. His hand brushed against hers lightly, ?this symbol is that of life itself, and I believe, this is a symbol for the creation of life.?

Azjah slid her fingertip slowly over the indicated symbol, as though she might absorb the meaning of the symbol through the gentlest touch, ?what language is it written in? Perhaps I should ask Gabriel to help you?? She knew Gabriel had a fantastic repertoire of languages, both living and dead ones. He might be able to help Russel with the symbols here.

Russel glanced from the book into her eyes as she peered back at him, ?I believe it is a language long past forgotten.?

She lifted her eyes to his again, a smile curving her lips, ?I am certain it is a fascinating study, such a lost and dead language, but what ever will you do with it once you decipher it??

Russ looked at the book a moment, ?hmmm?.? He knew what use he would intend for it, however, he also noted, he had given up on retrieving the final ingredient from her. Something in her eyes as she?d looked at him now, and several times in the past made his conscience rebel at the thought of doing what he knew he must do. He reached for his glass of wine, ?I may be able to help others that are ill, or even be able to heal some someday. There are endless possibilities to what this book could reveal.? He took a sip of the win, then turned again to look at her and his eyes locked with hers as he sat beside her. Then slowly his eyes traveled to where her hand still rested atop his own.

Azjah?s eyes followed his gaze and she colored slightly, ?what makes you believe such ancients held a power that none today seem to have?? She slowly lifted her fingers from his hand, ?forgive me? she murmured to him.

?Aye, it is alright.? He caught her fingers with his own, giving them a gentle squeeze, then releasing her, ?I believe at one time, the ancients were not as bestial as we, um, the raced of today are. And this is the recipe for life used by them then.?

She gave him a nervous chuckle, ?is there someone you feel such a pressing need to heal?? She knew Gabriel could heal just about anyone, and if he could not, Gregori could.

Something flashed across his features that she could only guess at as his thoughts addressed her question. Of course there was something he felt a need to heal, though it wasn?t just life, but more, of which he was unwilling to discuss. He closed the book before them and secreted it away within the cloak he wore before quickly downing the wine in his glass. Finally he looked at her, ?aye, there is.? Briefly his eyes closed as his head nodded to her, and then in a fluid motion he was on his feet with his staff in his hand. Something she?d said had put him to flight.

Azjah was clearly startled by his abrupt rise, ?have I said something to distress you?? She had asked an awful lot of questions of this man she truly did not know. He shook his head, telling her she had not, but she rose with him, ?If I have, forgive me.?

He gave her a warm smile, as though he had truly appreciated her company, ?I do need to return to the Island.?

Azjah gave him a sad smile, ?I am sorry to hear that. You seem to spend more time alone than even I do.? And she knew how that felt.

Russel?s hand lifted to her cheek, caressing her skin lightly for the briefest moment before he leaned closer and brushed a feather light kiss to her other cheek, ?I shall see you soon upon the Island?? He took the floating staff in his hand as he spoke.

She nodded, ?have the two elementals remained to keep you company??

He shook his head, ?I Have not seen Myraeleaze in some time. Zeiphareal as well, only appears for brief moments of late.?

Azjah gave him a warm smile, ?well, I enjoyed seeing you tonight Russel.?

He headed for the door, ?aye, do stop by the tower some time Milady. I would that you enjoy the entertainment of our two friends?? With that he had vanished through the door, and Azjah soon departed and returned to the docking bay where the Star Dragon had remained and missed several departure windows.

Topaz followed her gaze, ?Perhaps. I am sure he has some goal of his own to pursue.?

Azjah nodded, ?Yes, he?s been doing a great deal of study. He showed me a book with a writing I have never seen. Something about life magic.?

Topaz?s eyes slid sharply back to Azjah, ?life magic? Something humans should not figure out.?

Azjah paused, ?He kept talking about creating life, but he can?t interpret the symbols yet.?

Topaz shifted, ?I hope he never learns.?

Azjah regarded her thoughtfully, ?he spends hours and days working on his books. I don?t see him much when he is at the Tower, he locks himself away in the Library.?

Topaz shook her head, ?he should come out and duel more.?

Azjah took a long sip of the water, ?I wonder why his preoccupation with life magic.?

Topaz blinked, ?The spark of life is a great power to wield. Almost all mages crave power of some kind or another.?

Azjah shrugged vaguely, ?we have cloning in my world, it?s not a power to crave. Kendrick?s companies were deeply into those sciences.? It did not register with the Marchioness that a difference existed between cloning, and creating life. Both were equivalent in her view.

Topaz shook her head, ?Making doubles is not the same thing.?

Azjah looked at her, ?it makes another life from an existing one, and we have in vitro creation as well, they both result in new beings.? To Azjah, multiplication of life and creating life were the same. More people resulted.

Topaz frowned, ?those are all still reproduction and not creation of something new.?

Azjah considered that, yet still to her mind, in vitro fertilization was not copying, it too was new creation. But she kept silent on that, ?You think he?s after something beyond simple reproduction??

?Yes,? came her reply. Azjah lifted a quizzical brow. ?You do not think so?? Topaz challenged her.

Azjah set down the glass, ?I know so little about magic, I had not pondered that as a possibility.?

Topaz gave her a surprised look, ?You have stories about the spark, do you not??

Azjah glanced at her, ?magic is frowned on in my homeland. We don?t encourage people to try to develop such skills.? I didn?t tell her that even today, people risk execution for practicing magic on Rigel.

Topaz seemed to think that was a shame that magic was not encouraged. Azjah told her that her world was based on industry and technology rather than magic.

Topaz said that technology and science were things she had little knowledge of, and found difficult or impossible to comprehend.

Azjah laughed, then you know how I feel here on the Island!?

She laughed, ?magic is my world. Magic and wishes.? Then she smiled, ?now that you put it that way, yes.?

Topaz shook her head at Lucien while this discussion was going on, ?oh no, you?re not shoving me into a dark corner while you go have all the fun.?

Lucien?s brows furrowed, ?I would not call this fun.?

Topaz has a serious tenacious streak that was beginning to come out, ?all the more reason for me to come along.? She glanced at Gabriel and Azjah before looking back at Lucien, ?Did you hear that? The ancient one will be all distracted. No way am I entrusting him to watch your back.?

Lucien smiled indulgently, ?you never give up.?

As Topaz accepted an invitation to duel with Xanth, she headed for the ring, saying to Lucien, ?Of course I do not give up. That wouldn?t be a very fairy like thing to do, nor is it a Carpathian trait.? She then got into a ring leaving Lucien in the shadows of the tree line.

He chuckled softly, ?No, it is not a Carpathian trait. Fairies I am still trying to comprehend.?

Gabriel remained unmoving, ?He is good in a fight. He has a great deal of tactical experience. He has reached the end of his time. How better to die??

Azjah paused and looked directly at Gabriel in disbelief, ?we don?t need Kamikazes in this fight.?

Gabriel?s black eyes levelly held hers, ?Nor shall you have them.?

Thunder echoed across the sand as Xanth reached out to touch Topaz, and Lucien?s eyes were locked on the darkly cloaked duelist facing his mate. Topaz flashed Lucien a smile as the thunder rumbled ominously, but it caused her to miss Xanth as he scored on her.

Topaz did secure the win, and as she reached Lucien?s side, she told him that she would rather only fight vampyres, not both vampyre and mate?s brother, who had made a comment about it not being needed for Topaz to join them.

Gabriel glanced then at Topaz, ?you are not mine to fight. Lucien is capable of keeping you safe.?

She turned to Gabriel then, ?Of course he can, and that wasn?t the question.?

Lucien knew what was boiling and he sought to shift topics, ?Well won my dear, though I do not like these creatures touching you.?

Lucien glanced down at Topaz, ?the man is troubled deeply by his experience.? She mused about what could have transpired that would cause the minstrel such pain. Lucien hugged her briefly, ?He will speak of it when the time is right.?

Azjah took a long drink of the liquid and never tasted it as she studied Gabriel, ?we need to talk about this Gabriel.?

Gabriel finally solidified, ?Dominik wishes to come to the ship tonight for just that purpose.? Azjah simply shook her head at him.

Topaz gave Lucien one of her best smiles, ?so, tell me more about tonight?s hunting. Are we after anyone in particular??

Lucien clucked his tongue lightly, ?WE are not after anyone. Dominik and I have a vampyre to hunt.?

She continued in her tenacity, ?Dominik, you and I. Is it an old one, or a not so very skilled one??

Lucien?s brows lifted, ?I realize I am old, but I have not yet become senile.?

She grinned at him, ?I didn?t imply that you had. I meant the vampyre. Is Dominik senile??

Lucien gave her a light growl, ?I did not believe I said three of us were hunting. The vampyre is wily, but not one of the true ancients.? He would not tell her that this one had been involved in the torture of Jacques that had nearly driven the Carpathian insane. No small feat had that travesty been.

?No, you forgot again that I am coming along. I merely corrected you.? Topaz informed him. Then she smiled, ?Ah, that is good to know.? She was pleased that it was not a true ancient, but what she didn?t know about the vampyre would not hurt her as far as Lucien was concerned.

Etherean sauntered onto the Isle about then. Azjah greeted him as he arrived near the rings. He gave her a smile of acknowledgement and she thanked him for coming out of his retirement to call the upcoming challenge match.

Lucien stepped back from Topaz and crossed both arms over his chest, ?Sylviana needs you. We will not be long. Dominik and I.? He added as an amendment so his tricksy mate could not deliberately misunderstand him as to who was going.

Topaz grew more adamant now, ?Sylviana is with Ariel tonight. Perhaps you are getting a touch of senility if you forget everything so quickly.? Then she gave him a teasing wink.

Lucien tried another tactic, ?Ariel will need time to feed.? Perhaps guilt would make Topaz see reason?

She paused as though considering, ?hmm, I guess with him not being an ancient one, Sylviana can come along too. We?ll make a family outing of it. She?ll need to learn sooner or later anyway.?

The night of the challenge loomed before her. She?d read and re-read Russel?s missive and found herself back at the Isle early, wanting to speak to him before they faced one another in the rings in public.

Unbeknownst to her, Russel was sitting in his tower in the library where he was quietly reading and waiting for the time to pass until he would meet his challenger below. As he read, Azjah made her way across the sand, uncertain whether he would want to see her so close to the appointed time, but she resolutely approached the Tower, where Zeiphareal met her at the entry. She smiled and spoke to the elemental, ?would you be so kind as to ask Russel if he would see me??

Russel?s mind had wandered away from the book he had been studying, and it had wandered in the direction of his challenger for tonight. He was enthralled in his own day dream as Azjah stood below talking with the elemental. Who, at that very moment was ushering in the very person he was thinking about.

A whisper of wind wrapped around Azjah, and pressed her toward the entry of the Tower, ?Russel would never turn away your presence,? Zeiphareal assured her.

Azjah canted her head as she was ushered through the doorway. ?Perhaps not, although with my challenge tonight, are you certain?? She stopped inside and glanced up toward the library, where she suspected Russel even now sat studying. As she glanced up, her own thoughts brought the lift of air that would carry her to the upper reaches of the tower, and Zeiphareal?s whisper caresses against her neck, ?That I am certain.?

She had experienced the air lifts many times before, and momentarily wondered if it would go to the library level, or take her on to the higher solar where she?d lingered so long. She called out as she rose, ?Russel??

Russ?s thoughts were lost to the discipline of trade while he sat pondering the joy of his imagination. And for a moment, he wondered just how real his dream had become as he heard Azjah call out his name. Then, with a start, he realized he was lost in a day dream and was brought to reality when he recognized the familiar scent of the woman as it traveled to him in the updraft that even now brought her to his library. He quickly composed his features and she found him seated behind a desk with the ancient book opened before him. ?Aye, Milady. I am delighted you have come before our challenge!?

Azjah floated away from the lift and paused in the entry of the library. ?I had promised to come, and your message was too kind. I needed to come speak with you.? She glanced around the room, noting the same ancient book he?d brought to the Inn the other night. ?Have I interrupted you??

He looked at the book laying open before him, and with a lithe hand, closed it, as well the book beside it closed and the feather pen returned to its station upon his desk as he stood up. What was very unusual about him was the lack of his ubiquitous cloak. In fact, what Azjah had no way of knowing was that it was a first where anyone of knowledge would recall. He was never seen in ?normal? clothing. The white shirt he wore was pressed and ironed, with the billowy sleeves and the vest about him dapper, to match the brown hue of the trousers that were well tailored to fit his form. ?Nae, you have not interrupted me whatsoever.? He stepped away from the desk and moved toward her. ?Please, do come in Milady.? He gave her a polite nod, and seemed genuinely happy to see her.

Azjah stepped toward him, noting the absence of cloak, and she paused, dropping into a deep and formal curtsey despite the fact that tonight she was dressed in a pale blue silk suit rather than a Court gown. Her own attire was not particularly formal, the silk suit more suited to a boardroom, with the rich sapphire silk blouse peeking through the vee at her throat. She did wear platinum and sapphire ear rings, and the platinum picks in her hair also glittered with the deep blue-black of sapphires. The pale blonde hair was swept up into a chic chignon that emphasized the length of her neck. After the formal curtsey, she lifted pale blue eyes to his. ?First of all, thank you for every moment of your hospitality Russel. You have been unerringly kind to me, and for that I thank you.? She glanced around the library once, ?I do enjoy your company, and I hope that whatever the outcome tonight that will not change??

Russel stepped forward, and as he did, his hands slithered to her waist as he leaned in to press warm lips to her cheek, then he released her and stepped back to offer her his arm, ?Aye, as those are my own sentiments Milady. I do wish, you know well, my respect and admiration for you.: He studied her a moment, ?I do believe you seem to be pressed and burdened with something you wish to say or share??

Azjah paused near the ring, giving Russel a nod of thanks, ?I shall part company until we step into the ring Keeper.? She knew the needed to distance herself for a few minutes to compose her thoughts. He bowed and headed toward the tree where the squirrel waited not so patiently for the ever present gift of the walnut.

Topaz greeted her, and she smiled at Topaz as she found her chaise. The goblin came and Azjah sent it for a glass of sparkling water. The scotch would wait until after the matches. At that moment, Brigath stepped through the portal, and Azjah heaved a sigh of relief. Her hands were already shaking, and she found Brig?s presence soothing to her nerves.

Brig came directly toward her, ?hey there future Keeper.? She murmured her thanks to him for coming as Etherean stood. It was about to begin. Brig leaned close and whispered, ?Wouldn?t miss it for the world.? Then he hugged her briefly.

Russel addressed Etherean first, ?I am ready to be received for Challenge, Milord.?

Azjah turned toward Etherean, ?thank you for officiated tonight Etherean.? Then she returned Brig?s hug and whispered, ?will you be my good luck charm??

Brig grinned, ?whatever it takes,? then he winked at her and as she turned, goosed her, resulting in a quick yelp of shock from the Marchioness.

Etherean?s voice cut above the whisper of several observers, ?We are here tonight to bear witness to Azjah von Drachen Walde?s challenge to the Keeper of Air, Russel Strong. Her challenge has been validated and will proceed in the standard best of three match format as soon as the Keeper and Challenger are ready to begin.?

Azjah inclined her head toward Etherean. ?I am ready whenever the Keeper is ready.? She then turned and blew a kiss to Brig, mouthing the word ?brat? to him as she moved toward the rings.

True to Brig?s nature, he made kissy faces back at her and flopped onto her chaise, ?go get him, darlin?!?

Russel nodded to Etherean, ?at your discretion.?

Etherean bade them enter the Ring of Runes, and paused, ?One note before we begin. Azjah is presently ranked as a Sorcerer, which means that Russel will be limited to two of the standard, non apprentice spells. Russel, please state which two of your advanced five you will be using.?

Russel chose his spells as Ghost Form and Meteor Shower, where upon Etherean noted them officially and then admonished them to enter, salute and commence when ready.?

Russel entered the ring wearing the unusual red cloak, nodding to Etherean and then looking at his challenger, ?Milday Azjah, may the mana upon the Island be well received by your influences.? He bowed to her and readied himself for the opening spell of the challenge.

Azjah bowed to Etherean, then she turned to Russel, ?may you duel well Keeper, thank you for this honor.? She glanced at Brigath, who waggled his fingers and materialized a glass of Oban into his hand.

Ring of Runes. Russel's mind whip turns Azjah's arctic blast into a cool summer breeze! Point Russel. r1 1 - 0, Russel

Azjah called upon the icy cold from Rigel and cast her first spell at Russel, but he unleased his thoughts in a lash of psionic power that countered the chill winds she sought to freeze him with. Brigath?s voice reached her, ?Boo! Don?t let him do that to you Azjah!?

Russel watched her a moment, ?I have, Milady, resolved the book of ancients.?

Azjah?s brow winged upward hearing his tell her this news, and she remembered what Topaz had said about life magic as she unleashed a fear touch that was rife with the darkest images of war and death and destruction.

Ring of Runes. Russel's mage bolt is disrupted by the horrific energies of Azjah's fear touch! Point Azjah. r2 Tied at 1.

She heard Topaz say ?well timed,? and Brigath quipped, ?Oh yeah! Azjah?s touch is enough to distract any man!? She turned crimson hearing him.

Russel paled. Azjah had no way of knowing that he had lived in war for the majority of his life as a battle mage, the scene whilst disturbing and unpleasant was still bearable based on his experiences.

Ring of Runes. The ghostly Russel appears unaffected by Azjah's foul fog! Adv Russel. r3 1.5 - 1, Russel

The previous spell caused Russel to go ghostly and he startled her back as he appeared in the midst of her cloud of noxious vapors. ?Boo!?

Brig?s voice came through the fog, ?awwww, I hate it when that spell doesn?t work!?

Bran groaned, ?I don?t! Pheww!? He waved his hand in front of his nose from where he sat at the bar, which should have been a safe distance.

Azjah sent the noxious cloud out across the water, and just to tease the lizard man, she had one tendril wrap itself around Bran before she turned again to Russel. She could hear Bran?s frantic voice yowling, ?my nossstrilsss are tender!? She winked quickly at Bran.

?Sorry Brig, I do not use that spell with your panache.?

He gave her a grin and a wink, ?You will after you become Keeper of Air.?

Ring of Runes. Azjah's wizard blades fly forth to intercept Russel's meteor shower! Adv Azjah. r4 Tied at 1.5

She called on platinum blades to sail forth, and they did their job, turning Russels meteors into harmless dust. Brig chuckled, ?nicely done!

She flashed a smile at Brig, ?with you here as my good luck charm.?

Ring of Runes. The recipient of Russel's mage bolt is revealed within the recesses of Azjah's reflection! Point Azjah. r5 2.5-1.5, Azjah.

Her softly spoken spell brings forth the magical mirror to send Russ?s bolt back at him, and she peered out from around the mirror at Russel. He raised his hand and relative to his position, it looked like the bolt would hit, but abruptly he realized he was about to get burnt by his own spell.

Brig?s whoop rippled across the sand, ?woohoo! Play pinball with that bolt!!?

Xanth made a soft hmm to himself as he scratched down a note on his pad at the successful reflection spell.

Ring of Runes. Both duelists cower behind shields. No score. r6 2.5 - 1.5, Azjah

Azjah transformed the mirror into a larger shield, and Russ used the air around him to form a protective shield before they both realized the dual shields would do neither one any good.

Ring of Runes. Russel's mage bolt flies straight and true through the winds of Azjah's arctic blast! Point Russel. r7 Tied at 2.5

As Azjah sent the shield away, she missed the incoming bolt from Russel, and yelped as the bolt hit solidly and burned her where she stoodl.

Ring of Runes. Russel displaces right into the path of Azjah's mage bolt! Point Azjah. r8 3.5 - 2.5, Azjah

In return, Azjah sent a crackling bolt back at Russel, who moved directly into the path of the sizzling ball of energy. Brig continued to give her moral support as he yelled, ?Yah, keep it up Darlin?.? She tossed Brig a quick wink.

Ring of Runes. Azjah ducks beneath Russel's meteor shower and strikes with a touch of fear! Point Azjah. r9 4.5 - 2.5, Azjah

She took advantage of Russ?s pain and ducked low to reach in with another fear touch and Russ dropped the meteors prematurely.

Brig took a long sip of his scotch before encouraging her, ?that?s the way!?

Ring of Runes. Russel's shield pales in comparison to Azjah's reflection! Adv and win to Azjah!

The mirror gave her a magical advantage that ended the first match. Her knees nearly buckled in relief as Brig congratulated her. She heard Bran as well when he said ?wow, way to go Azjah!? Topaz?s melodious voice reached her too. Xanth continued sketching but his gravelly voice said ?most impressive?.

She bowed deeply to Russel, ?A fine first match Keeper.?

He smiled, ?You have done well Milady.?

Russel stood and turned to Etherean, ?I am ready.? Though in light of the challenge, he looked rather pale and drawn within the bright red cloak.

Etherean nodded to both duelists, ?proceed when you are ready.?

Azjah summed herself up to her full height as she faced Russel for the final match. He saluted her, and then spoke to something unseen, ?Aye.? It was the two sentient elementals to which he was speaking and he unleashed the elemental fury in the first salvo.

Ring of Runes. The foul miasma of Azjah's fog is unable to withstand the full force of the fury of Air! Point Russel. r1 1-0, Russel.

Azjah?s lovely cloud of putrid vapors was blown harmlessly out over the water, and once again her endeavor to use Brig?s favorite spell failed. And then she was attacked by both elementals as somehow they discovered just how ticklish she truly was, and made the most of that weakness.

Brig commented that at least Russel had gotten that out of the way early as Azjah tried to catch her breath. ?Not fair!? she told Russel. ?You may not enlist the help of elementals! That?s an unfair advantage.?

Ring of Runes. Russel reaches around Azjah's reflection once more to strike with another touch of fear! Point Russel. r2 2-0, Russel

Russ then stepped toward her and let her feel the terror and anguish he has faced over many years of being the battle mage that he was, and she shuddered at the images there. She stumbled backward at the unexpected appearance of touch behind her mirror, which provided no protection at all. The scene was of a valley of undead, the army of bones and creatures with fangs attacking the army Russel stood with, and the power of his force, as she felt the pain he saw from those that died about him.?

Ring of Runes. Azjah's mind whip snaps up short against the surface of Russel's shield! Adv Russel. r3 2.5 - 0, Russel

Azjah was still reeling from the images when she unleashed the psionic lash, but it snapped harmlessly against Russ?s shield.

Ring of Runes. Azjah's wizard blades are dead on target, unfortunately for her, Russel has taken upon the form of one already deceased. (WB/GF). Adv. Russel. r4 3-0, Russel

She tried to send the platinum blades at him, but once more he went ghostly and avoided any damage from the lethal blades. Brig grinned at her, ?Ok, enough playing with him Azjah.? Topaz added agreement with Brig, and Azjah tried to refocus.

Russel appeared solid again, his cloak turning from a faded pinkish hue to the brilliant crimson, but his face remained a ghostly graying pale color. The match was wearing on the sorcerer as well.

Ring of Runes. Azjah hides behind another reflection, but Russel once again proves that he learned his lesson earlier and counters with another fear touch! Point Russel. r5 4-0, Russel.

Brig chuckled, trying not to let concern show in his voice, ?Seriously Azjah, you don?t have to give him that much of a lead.?

She shot him a nasty raspberry.

Ring of Runes. Azjah's mage bolt flies forth to intercept Russel's wizard blades! Adv Azjah. r6 4 - 0.5, Russel

This time she rallied, and her mage bolt crackled and sizzled at it intercepted Russel?s blades. Finally something for Brig to cheer about. ?There ya go! Time for the comeback!? She heard Topaz tell her she only needed 9 more like that one. That brought a wry laugh to her as she prepared again to face Russel.

Ring of Runes. Russel lashes at his own mind thanks to Azjah's reflection! Point Azjah. r7 4-1.5, Russel.

Azjah used the magical mirror effectively this time, sending Russ?s mind whip ricocheting back at him. And Brig continued to encourage her, ?That?s what I?m talkin? about!?

Russel shook and trembled as the pain from the ricochet lashed him.

Ring of Runes. Azjah creeps towards her goal as her mage bolt intercepts Russel's wizard blades! Adv. Azjah. r8 4-2, Russel.

Azjah reformed the crackling energy before launching it once more at Russel and flashed Brigath a grateful smile. But that proved costly as Russel went ghostly and evaded her attempt to touch him once more.

Ring of Runes. Azjah's fear touch cannot grasp the ghostly Russel! Adv Russel. r9 4.5 - 2, Russel

Brig chuckled, ?sneaky bugger, ain?t he??

: Ring of Runes. Russel's wizard blades ricochet off the surface of Azjah's armor! Adv. Azjah. r10 4.5-2.5, Russel.

Azjah needed a respite, and so she armored up and hoped to keep Russel?s attack from reaching her, and his blades simply bounced off the armor shell and she heaved a sigh of relief. When she allowed the armor to dissolve she glanced at Brig, ?I think I?ll be needing that consolation scotch when this is over Brig.?

It was sufficient distraction to allow Russel to displace and reappear behind her and the shield she?d conjured for a positional advantage, and the second win of the match.

of Runes. Russel displaces behind the shielded Azjah for a positional advantage! Adv and win to Russel! FINAL Ring of Runes. Russel def. Azjah, 5 - 2.5, in 11 rounds. And thus concludes this Challenge, with the Keeper of Air, Russel Strong, successfully defending his position in a 2-1 match.

Gabriel had taken Azjah back to the Star Dragon and then gone in search of Dominik. The Dragonseeker had come to RhyDin to meet up with Gabriel and the Marchioness to join them in their trip to Lacerta.

Gabriel found Dominik in Bad Side. They went hunting and after sending the vampyre to a permanent grave, they headed back to the docking bay where Azjah was awaiting them both. She knew what Dominik was, but as they came through the hatch of her ship, she could not stop the quickly indrawn breath as Dominik turned those unique metallic green eyes on her.

?Good evening Dominik. I am certain you know how surprised I am to see you here in RhyDin.? Azjah did not mince words as she had waited up for these two to return. She wanted answers from both Gabriel and Dominik.

The Dragonseeker bowed formally to her, ?Good eef-enning Marchioness. I haff no doubt that you must haff questions. Mayhap we should be seated?? Dominik was very olde world, very formal, and even older than Gabriel. He is the epitome of a gentleman at all times, and Azjah nodded as she indicated that they should find a comfortable seat before they began.

Dominik waited until both Gabriel and Azjah were seated before he sat down on one of the seats where he could easily speak to them both. ?Marchioness, I haff heard of the invasion of your colony on Lacerta. Gabriel did speak of your impending departure, and the odds which you will face there. I am an old man. I have seen more of war than any soul should see. Yet from such tragedy we may reap some good. I offer to you my experience and my skills in effort to defend your colony.?

Azjah canted her head at the man. She had never seen a Carpathian with graying hair, yet Dominik had silver at his temples. His age was something she could only guess at, and the wars he had seen had been epic struggles in their time. She knew of the once Gabriel and Lucien had seen, and from Gabriel she had learned that Dominik had even been a participant in the Empire of Alexandre. What Dominik brought to the table besides his experience was his studies of magic. Something Lucien and Gabriel did not have per se. They could call all of nature to their bidding, but magic, that was something they could not command. Dominik can.

She pondered the settlers on Lacerta. They would not willingly accept magic any better than they would accept technology. She was bringing technology to their world whether they liked it or not. She gave a wry laugh more to herself than for Gabriel or Dominik?s benefit, but the Carpathian and the Dragonseeker both heard her quite clearly. ?Dominik, we could all die on Lacerta. The Cephean?s are coming with high tech weapons, which the Lacertians are not equipped to defend against. They are also coming in great numbers. And I worry about Gabriel?s comment that you were preparing to walk into the sun, what better place to do it than in battle. We do not need kamikazes in this battle.?

It has been settled. Dominik will come to Lacerta, but the thought of going on to Auriga causes my stomach to tie itself into knots. And now that my challenge has been fought and lost, there is no reason for me to continue to miss the launch windows that will take the equipment and my two accomplices to Lacerta. Still, I linger in RhyDin. Why?

The evening air is cooler now, the stifling heat of the day has eased, and I walked along the market district considering the root cause for my reticence to return to Lacerta. The shops are long since closed, and I am not window shopping, but the long straight road allows me privacy coupled with activity to consider my inner reasons for remaining in RhyDin. Gabriel would come as soon as he ?wakened?, and I would no longer be alone. Dominik seemed content enough to wait at the ship as I headed out to wander and think.

I found myself heading toward the Outback, where I had not been in a very long time, and so I altered my path and walked into the venue. There were not a lot of people about, but Kheldar was there with his small girls, and so too was Rena. She walked in with her hands in the pockets of her jacket and gave a glance around before she took a path to an empty seat between the rings and the door. I said hello to her, and as she settled in, I pondered the strained conversation I had heard between Russel and her the other night on the Isle.

She noted my attention and waved to a chair at the table where she now sat, ?you have a question??

I got off of my chair and headed for Rena?s table and the proffered chair, sitting down across from her. That invitation in itself was out of the norm. ?Thank you. Forgive me if I am speaking out of turn, but is there something amiss?? Rena and I are not close friends, but the tension the other night was strong enough for me to pick up on, and if I did, so too must others.

She raised her brow a bit, ?as in??

I canted my head slightly as I watched her. She is normally a woman of few words, but in this she seemed even more reticent than usual to speak. ?It was just an odd bit of comment from the other night between you and Russel. I?.? I shrugged. Putting a finger on precisely what was wrong I could not do, and yet, the feeling remained. Something was brewing between Rena and the mage.

?Go on,? she said as she leaned back in her seat, crossing her left leg over her right.

I glanced at Joex, who was seeking a match, and then back to Rena. ?You sounded strained.? If she did not wish to speak to me of this matter, it would be unacceptably rude of me to press her. And thus I accepted Joex?s invitation to give Rena an out on this discussion. He introduced himself as Joex.

My acceptance caused Bran?s brow ridges to rise noticeably. ?Whoa, Azjah wantsss a fissst fight??

I introduced myself to Joex and winked at Bran, ?I do on occasion.?

Rena quirked a brow, ?you haven?t dueled here in a while.? She seemed as surprised as Bran that I would get into a ring tonight.

Then I glanced at Rena, ?no, not for several weeks.?

As I held her eyes a moment, she added, ?I?ll explain some when you return from the duel.?

II was back in town after shuttling technical equipment to Lacerta. Dominik and Gabriel have been my constant companions, for which I am eternally grateful. Today I find myself at Panther?s place, seeing a table near the windows.

Brandon was speaking with a pretty girl and I smiled hearing him say, ?a picnic? With the sun high, or just setting?? He gave her a big smile before catching sight of me and waving. ?Your scotch as usual Lady Azjah??

I laid the valise onto the table and nodded at Brandon, ?scotch would be lovely Brandon, thank you.? Then I settled in to review the documents and waited as Brandon set about retrieving the scotch for me. As he brought the glass to the table, he handed it to me, and I thanked him before asking how he was doing.

He nodded cheerily, ?I?m, umm? doing very well Azjah,? but something Jade said caused the young man to blush profusely. It would seem that Brandon has found himself a lass and true to most youth his age and inexperience, he was rather unsettled about things.

I smiled, and told him that was wonderful to hear, and he nodded as he turned to go back to the pretty young girl, ?It?s nice seeing you again Lady Azjah.?

I waved him off and returned to studying the columns of numbers, taking intermittent sips of scotch, but the news brought a frown to my face and I tapped the pen lightly against my lips in concentration. I could hear Brandon as he gave a bright smile to the young lady, ?sorry for leaving. Lady Azjah is a friend of mine, and I know where her favorite scotch is.?

I made some notes in the margins of the documents before laying it face down. I picked up the scotch with a soft sigh. Bad news seems to have no end.

As I pondered the information, a young French girl had come in and struck up conversation with Darkmere, he smirked at her small talk, ?you could say that. Besides, I?m just a harmless old man, nothing to worry about.? Now there was one of the most misleading lies I?ve heard in a long time. Darkmere? Harmless? My interest perked a bit as Adrianna refuted him.

Darkmere smirked again, ?trust me, it would save your sanity if you don?t know me. I can be rather?. Sinister.? When Adrianna demurred, he gave her a darker smirk, ?Trust me. You don?t want to know how sinister I can be. Ask around. Most will tell you the same.? He took a sip of his wine.

I glanced at the ing?nue a long moment, ?trust him young lady.? Darkmere was not to be trifled with, and clearly this young woman wasn?t taking Darkmere at his word.

Darkmere glanced at Kitty and me, ?they know me well enough.?

She didn?t take the hint and pressed him for his name, which he gave with a polite bow of his head, and then repeated that he was ?harmless.? I shook my head and resumed reviewing the information before me, no matter how unpalatable it is. But I could not suppress a soft cough at his ?harmless? assertion.

Adrianna smirked at him, ?Temptation can make anyone sinister, though some more than others.?

Very casually he agreed, ?I am one of the others.? He then proceeded to give her a slow fanged smirk, revealing a predator?s dentition that should have rung bells with the girl. ?Maybe, but I tend to behave lately. Saves the people from being on edge.? He told her with a nonchalance that his kind uses with such effectiveness.

I glanced at the door as it opened and saw Koy walking in. She was dressed in a champagne chiffon dress with a boat neckline and elbow sleeves that was tied at her narrow waist with a darker belt with jeweled details. She was, as usual, quite stunning. I smiled, ?Koy!?

She gave me a smile that flickered with some unreadable emotion, ?Wha?s happenin? Azjah??

I laid the papers down, ?too much and not enough time, but what is new?? I motioned to an empty chair. ?Care to join me for a bit??

The following evening, I was sitting in my usual place near the windows when the minstrel, Soerl walked in. He managed a small smile and a greeting. I canted my head. He was not in his usual good humor, and that was proven out when he looked at me again, ?Something on my face?? He lifted a hand as though checking.

?No, no, please forgive me. You just seem oddly detached tonight.? I had not intended to offend him.

He hooked one foot around one of the chairs and took a seat, ?you could say that.?

I watched him take a seat and took a sip of my scotch. I did not immediately notice the change in climate the presaged the appearance of Temhota. But the subtle shift brought about a shiver, but I still couldn?t place the reason for it and I glanced about the Inn, setting down my glass and lightly rubbed both arms in an effort to warm them up. Failing in that, I reached for the silk wrap I keep with me and pulled it closely around my shoulders.

Soerl caught the shiver, ?cold?? he asked as he leaned rather precariously in his chair.

The shadows resolved into a human shape, and gliding with ease to an unoccupied chair came Temhota. Before he simply seated himself, he lowered his pale chin to Soerl and myself, and then joined us without invitation. I glanced at the vampyre and responded to Soerl without looking at him, ?Of a sudden, yes.? The reason for the chill was now apparent.

The minstrel gave my answer a moment of consideration before simply nodding.

Temhota gave us a cool smile, ?isn?t this a pleasant surprise??

Apparently the minstrel had not felt the chill from Temhota?s arrival, and I kept ice blue eyes on the vampyre. ?is it?? For me it was no pleasantry.

Temhota?s amber eyes never blinked, ?the seasons are changing, Marchioness. Sun sets sooner and winds grow stronger.?

Longer nights are a source of glee for vampyre, but I chose not to acknowledge his meaning, ?yes, autumn is here, and I suppose chill winds are inevitable.? Lucien and Gabriel delighted as well in the longer nights that cause so many humans distress and depression. Given what walks the night, this should not truly surprise anyone.

The vampyre?s thin lipped smile never waivered, but his eyes swiveled toward Soerl, ?.:: If I'm interrupting anything of importance. Excuse me.? Although he never moved a muscle to indicate that he would really relinquish his chair.

Soerl shrugged vaguely, ?if I?m involved, it?s rarely important.? Then the minstrel gave a grin of sorts.

I drew my brows together slightly, ?I should think anything you are involved in would be of importance.? I have never liked hearing people think of themselves as insignificant or unimportant. He seemed puzzled by my objection, and I explained that ?music touches lives in so many ways.? Music is the voice of the soul and is never irrelevant or unimportant.

Temhota?s presence was troubling, and Gabriel was not with me. I felt truly alone and I vented my nervousness by nibbling on my lower lip.

Temhota smirked slightly, ?the lady begs to differ.? He kept his eyes on Soerl, ?I should go. Allow the two of you to discuss your business.?

I pulled the silk more tightly around myself as Soerl tried to follow this very odd conversation before he said to Temhota, ?well, you don?t have to. We weren?t talking about anything life or death.?

The vampyre gave a smile that chilled me to the core, ?life and death, how appropriate.?

Soerl perked hearing Topaz?s name, and his chair landed on all four legs with a dull thud.

Temhota gave me a nasty leer, ?but how important will the Faerie?s name be come the closing months of Solstice??

Both brows winged upward, ?you say that as though there is a threat.? I truly do not like the tone of his words.

The vampyre gave a blas? smile, ?we both know the Citadel of Star is no fortress.?

My fingers began to turn a faint shade of blue from holding the silk wrap so tightly as I fought the urge to pull the DE beneath my jacket, but the bullets were not silver, and would only anger Temhota, not kill him where he stands. ?Lucien will keep what is his safe from threats.? Surely this vampyre understands that much about the Hunters.

Temhota gave Soerl a mockery of a pleading look, ?Have I made threats tonight??

The minstrel appeared torn, ?not really, from what I can tell? Soerl answered. But Temhota had not waited for his answer as his dark eyes glinted the familiar crimson of his kind as he locked gazes with me, ?Lucien has hunted the weaker of kinds. I hunt him.?

My blood ran cold at that pronouncement, ?then you court your death. For even if you could hunt Lucien, Gabriel would not let you see another sunset.? I know what the twins are honor bound to do for their Prince, but in that moment I understood fear for them.

Temhota maintained his blas? smile, ?for his brother, I have an equal.?

?You have taken offense to the work Lucien has done?? I could not keep the words back. Then I registered his comment about Topaz, ?But then why does Topaz?s name have no meaning??

A sneer crossed Temhota?s face, ?Lucien hunts when all is in his favor. Let us see how he reacts when the numbers are against him.? He then shot Soerl a jagged smile. The minstrel was lost and his confusion showed clearly in his face, but he didn?t say a word. Temhota turned to me then, ?The ?work?? He?s done a service?? He was aghast at the notion.

?Are you here to give me this message for Lucien?? I needed to find out why he?d come here tonight. What purpose did he have in telling me that he intended to hunt Lucien? ?Perhaps you truly seek final rest? Are you in a hurry for Lucien or Gabriel to come for you? To ease your suffering perhaps?

Soerl grew distinctly uncomfortable and rose, ?um, if you?ll excuse me a moment?? This was something he clearly wanted nothing to do with being involved in. He moved at a steady pace for the stairs and never looked back.

Temhota leered, ?tell me Marchioness, where is Gabriel? If Lucien is concerned with another, where is yours??

I gave a faint shrug, hoping it showed more confidence than I felt in that moment. ?Gabriel comes and goes.?

The Vampyre gave a nasty smile, ?and tonight, he is gone. As well as your last defense.? He stood then with purpose written in his face as he lurched closer to me.

I leaned back into the chair as far as I could, but there was no escape from the deep cushions.

Then slowly, almost reluctantly, he glided back into his own seat. ?I don?t take advantage of helpless prey. Tell them. We live. We thrive.?

I released the breath I hadn?t known I had been holding, ?I shall.? Then quickly getting to my feet, trying to cover the fact that I was shaking badly, I grabbed the valise and made for the door, pausing briefly to give Temhota one last look.

He nodded briefly, ?Our fingers press against the pulse of life.?

I gave her a quiet laugh as I know how much she chafes under Lucien?s desire to keep her away from danger, ?I would have to say Topaz that hunting vampyres can?t be ?fun?.? Then I returned my attention to Harris, ?You are?? Harris proclaiming that he was dragging me anywhere seemed dangerous. He cemented that worry with a brow waggle at me.

I glanced again at Sylus as he sent the jar of magma off through the shadows and he began his quiet walk toward the Tower of Water. But Harris? comment was intriguing, ?and are we going to square off again or am I simply joining you for appearances??

Harris grinned up at me, ?that?s totally up to you of course.?

I pondered a moment, ?Ah, I did enjoy our spar, but I don?t want to monopolize your time.?

He snickered, ?my time is worthless, trust me.? When I questioned him on that, he stretched, ?pretty much.? He dug into his pockets and produced a handful of peanuts, ?at this rate, I might just fall asleep.?

I took a drink of my scotch, inquiring if he wanted anything to drink He combed his fingers through his hair, ?meh, I?m gonna get you out and about if it kills me Azjah.?

I smiled faintly, ?that might not be too wise.?

He frowned, ?you?re gonna turn into a hermit at this rate.?

Josh had arrived and spoke up then, ?all ya gotta do to get Azjah moving is steal her shoes.?

I flashed Josh a grin, ?Hey now Josh, no fair telling tales.?

?I?m not dead, so I can tell as many as I please.? He seemed rather pleased with the notion.

I chuckled, ?the problem Josh is that Harris just might listen.?

Josh gave a snort, ?Harris? Listen tome? Like that?ll ever happen.?

Harris sniffled, ?I?m gonna make you my project, Azjah.?

I quirked a brow at him, ?a project?? The idea of Harris making me a project of his was a very scary notion.

He nodded, ?uh huh, I?m gonna teach you how to have fun. I mean, with Klinton being MIA, who do you have to keep you company, hmm??

I gave Harris a sad smile, ?Yes, well, I have Gabriel and Dominik.? Word was spreading through the community it seemed. It was inevitable I suppose.

?Pfah? they obviously suck. You?re hangin? out with me now Azjah.? He seemed very sure that this was a grand idea.

I chuckled and agreed that I was indeed at the moment hanging out with Harris. He grinned, ?so clear your calendar.?

Sylus repeated the ritual with the jar at the Tower of Fire, and had now moved to the Tower of Water. He was dipping the jar into the crystal waters of the lagoon.

I glanced at Harris, ?Just for you Harris, only for you.?

He grinned, ?Of course, I?m awesome.?

I laughed, ?no one would question you there Harris.? He was awesome, but precisely what kind of awe inspiring soul he was seemed to depend on the day and the place.

He gave me a toothy grin, ?and in a show of good faith I?ll even volunteer to duel.?

He grinned even wider, ?Oh, don?t worry, I can handle it. Can you??

He had me there, because with Harris, one never knows just what one is going to get, ?I do not have an answer for that Harris dear, but we shall see it seems.? I took a sip of the scotch and hoped I was up to what ever antics Harris had in mind.

He then reached up as if to muss my hair, which caused me to pull as far back away from him as I could, ?Hey now? I pay good money for this chignon!? I never went out in public with so much as a hair out of place.

Isis swished her tail back and forth as she looked at Harris as he reached for my hair, and she swatted at his hand with one of her paws. ?Mewww!?

He grinned at us both, his eyes holding mine, ?oh, you?re gonna be getting? down and dirty while you?re with me,? and this time he came at my hair with both hands and a cackle that spelled trouble. As I grabbed for his hands, he snickered and swatted back, ?Having fun yet??

Isis seemed thoroughly disgruntled at seeing my hands occupied in trying to keep Harris?s fingers out of my hair, and she looked unhappily at the man and gave him a ?mrew! Growl?

I reached for a platinum pick that held the chignon in place, and brandished it menacingly at Harris, ?Back!? It was difficult, but I tried to hide my grin at the blue haired lunatic.

In that instant, Harris turned and hissed back at Isis, who poofed her tail up like a bottle brush as she stood now on the chaise and returned his hiss.

?You know, cats that get drop kicked rarely land on their feet,? He told Isis with a wide grin before he focused once again on me, ?oh ho, now I?m scared!? But his snicker said otherwise.

Isis punched her paws into the air as a threat toward Harris before she jumped off the chaise, ?mrew growl.?

I gave Isis a sad smile, ?You?ll have to forgive him.? She gave my hand a sandpaper lick before making her way toward the portal. ?Mewwwww!?

Harris seemed to have expended all of the energy he wanted to, and he resumed his reclining position on the chaise. I chuckled watching him, ?comfortable now Harris??

He gave me a toothy grin, ?Oh yeah, we most assuredly need to have another special sparring session tonight. I?ve got a plan.? He had gone sing-songy and I lifted a brow at him. He gave me a knowing grin, ?just you wait.?

That made me cringe. Harris had something in mind, and I strongly suspect I?m not going to like whatever it is. ?Why does that grin make me nervous?? Not that I expected him to give me an honest reply.

Sylus was still talking to the elemental that had met him at the Tower of Air, ?no thank you, I think I have what I came for.? He capped the jar and let it vanish through the ether. ?But I do appreciate the offer of assistance.? He departed from the Tower and made his way back toward the beach. He whispered Myraeleaze?s name as he vanished through the portal.

Harris simply retained his grin, ?you?ll find out soon enough.?

I sipped the scotch, ?You know Harris, projects take patience and coaxing.?

He snickered, ?You?ve obviously never seen any of my projects.? I flashed him a smile and said I had not, so he grinned, ?you?re gonna get some firsthand experience.?

I canted my head slightly, ?should I be afraid??

He winked, ?you should be overjoyed.?

Harris nudged the double doors to the Outback open with a booted foot and wandered in still carrying me. I shook my head, ?this is kid napping Harris.? But I couldn?t help but chuckle at his antics. I?m not certain just what motivates Harris, but for now, he?s being fairly harmless.

?Is not. Cor! I need a ring. A very specific one at that.? He cackled as he moved toward the section of the Outback where I had seen a muddy pit at one time.

Corlanthis waved to us both, and added, ?You?re already married, Harris!?

Harris cackled madly, ?No, a ring in here, smart guy! Hit the lever for The Pit!? He hung onto me with a deathlike grip that I could not evade as the doors slid open. The sound of the doors creaking open was ominous enough that it immediately drew my attention from where I was suspended by Harris. Suddenly this didn?t look so innocuous.

I craned around trying to see what kind of pit Harris had requested, ?what kind of pit?? I was having nighmares of jello or some other kind of food item, as Harris simply cackled harder.

Kitty O Helston chuckled as she peered at Harris and I, ?And here I thought I was the only one who liked to fight in there.?

Koy grinned, ?At least he didn't club ye over the head, Azjah. Tha's how he got Stick I think.? Koy could make that joke without fear because Stick wasn't here to hear it and give her *that* look. Hearing Koy?s voice, I caught sight of her quickly. There are not many people here, but it?s nice to know Koy is here, at least I have a potential ally.

Isis was sitting near the rings, and as she looked at Harris, she gave him the evil cat eye as he walked toward the edge of this pit. It seems Isis had not forgiven him for his early threat to drop kick her.

As Harris freed up one hand long enough to wave to everyone, I began to seriously fight Harris. This pit was full of reeking mud! ?we are NOT going in there!? He waddled over to the edge of the pit and peered down into the muck. He grinned and told me to stop fighting and advised me that it was ?time to get down and dirty?.

?No, no no!? I continued to try to break free from him, suggesting instead the fern, but abruptly I found myself released and dropping into the muck directly below us. I yelped as I landed into the stinking morass.

?Yes, yes, yes!? He cackled as he peered over the edge at where I had landed in the mess. ?Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!? he flailed now that he was freed from having to hang onto me. I could hear Koy, ?Harris! In her nice clothes??!?

Harris laughed merrily as he peeled off his shirt and took the easy way down, via ladder to join me in the pit, where I was ineffectually wiping at the clinging muck. I gave him a look that would melt metal as he descended into the mire. He laughed and scratched at his bare chest.

When I made a move for the ladder, he intervened, ?whoa there!? He scooped me up and dumped me in the center of the ring, right back into the muck. So, I picked up a fist full of the mud and threw it at him with every ounce of strength I had in me.

Harris did a little hopjab to avoid the muck and managed to land the first point. ?having fun?? He snickered some more as he tromped around in the mire.

I stalked after him now. There was no point in worrying about the mud because I was coated in it, and the silk suit was completely ruined beyond salvation anyway. ?I?ll have more fun when I can repay the favor and drop you into it.? I muttered as our match continued.

Harris made kissy faces at me, ?izzat so??

I nodded solemnly at him, ?and jump on your chest for good measure.? I nodded, figuring the stilettos would inflict the maximum amount of suffering when I did manage to make good on my threat.

He licked his lips at that threat, ?oooooh, violent. I like that! Rowr!!?

Corlanthis laughed, ?I like the way Azjah thinks! Unfortunately, not this round.? Harris flipped me once more into the filth.

The next round I got some measure of revenge as I planted a stiletto firmly into Harris? midsection. I wasn?t going to win, but I would go down fighting. The kick was not elegant, but I landed it despite an awkward rendition. I endeavored to get as much muck kicked up with it as I could just for the hell of it.

Harris squinted up at me as he took a bit of time to shake the daze from his head, so I picked up a handful of mud and slung it at him just for good measure. I peered up at Corlanthis, ?Oh, I?ll have my revenge one day.?

But it was not to be today as Harris flipped me into the mud for the final score. His kick landed solidly enough to put me on my derriere once more. While I was down, Harris came over with a handful of the mud and wiped it on my cheeks. I sputtered at him, ?stop that!? and as I rose, I grabbed two fists full of muck and tried to rub it into his pretty blue hair. Then using the ladder, I attempted to climb out.

The new shop Tea?s n Tomes had opened, and I went there to get a bite to eat and read up on the new nanocoatings that will be a godsend for spacecraft. As I sat in the balcony reading, I heard the door chime below and looked down to find Rena moving inside. She spotted me in the balcony and then looked around, ?nice place here.?

I nodded, ?I find it a nice respite. The cheesecake is very good.?

She chuckles, ?Never had a taste for cheesecake.? Then she surveyed the lower level briefly, ?first time I?ve been here.?

I smiled, ?ah, well, the lemon pound cake was the favorite of Mr. Savage yesterday.?

She nodded, ?now that I can get into.? She smiled as she moved toward the counter and requested a slice of the lemon cake. Then glancing my direction, ?would you like a slice of cheesecake??

I looked up from my book again, ?that would be lovely.? She proceeded to order me a slice of the excellent confection, and paid for both items. ?Care to join me then Rena?? It was not usual that Rena and I shared time together beyond Twilight Isle, but today she seemed to be in the mood for company. She brought both slices up the stairs and placed the cheesecake in front of me before taking a seat across the small table from me. She leaned back into her chair and crossed her legs.

I lay the book down beside me, ?I confess a weakness for a good cheesecake. Thank you. And so how are you doing??

She smiled, ?I prefer chocolate cake myself. And you are welcome.?

I picked up the fork and broke off a bite, ?I think this place will become popular. Good food, and fine books to read at one?s leisure. Yesterday the shop was visited by the novelist who recently moved to town.? I slid the bite into my mouth and closed my eyes in appreciation of the exceptional flavor and texture of the cheesecake.

Rena seemed to ponder my query, and she bought a bit of time by taking a bite of the lemon cake before she responded, ?I'm doing good. Val made a brief visit into town the other day...and I'm getting used to the fact that one who called himself a friend seems to want to not spend time with me anymore. Ah...who is that??

I nodded, ?I'm glad to hear that Val is doing better. Will he have a long convalescence, or is he pretty well back on his feet?? I gave her a wry smile as she said a friend seemed to no longer be one, ?One has to be wary of those proclaiming themselves friends. Pressure seems to change some people's minds at bad times.? I took a sip of the tangerine tea, ?the gentleman?s name is Wil Savage. He writes romance novels, believe it or not.?

She nodded, ?He?s been laid up a month now, it will probably take a few more weeks, but knowing him, he will push it and relapse.? Then she added, ?Men can be so stubborn.?

I gave a quiet laugh, ?yes, men do tend to be stubborn.? I had learned that at a very early age, and Klinton had confirmed it many times over.

She nodded, ?he and Paige used to date, I believe.?

I canted my head, ?Paige?? I had never heard of anyone called Paige.

Rena nodded, ?PJ, I always called her Paige to piss her off.? She chuckled softly.

?Ah, the model who likes to drink profusely?? PJ I knew, but could not recall ever hearing what PJ had stood for. And PJ has a reputation in RhyDin that is impossible to ignore.

?That?s her,? Rena agreed, nodding before she took another bite of the cake. ?It is good.?

I smiled and took another bite, ?they found a fine baker for here.? Then I glanced at Rena, ?Klinton had a ?thing? for PJ as I recall.?

She gave me a slight frown, ?I know.? When I told Rena that I didn?t think Klinton had ever gotten over PJ, she asked me ?why do you say that??

Not that it mattered any more, and I gave myself a mental shake, ?because when ever she walked in, his attention wandered.?

Rena nodded slowly, ?I know the feeling.?

I chuckled, ?no, these new coatings are self healing, and my star ships could benefit from that kind of protection.? The damage inflicted on the ships from dust particles in space requires constant maintenance on the hulls. A self healing coating would help reduce the costs associated with that upkeep. So my research is strictly because I?m looking for ways to keep my costs down.

She chuckled softly, ?you still flying back and forth from here to where ever you were flying off to?? I nodded and told her that we had just shuttled more communications equipment to Lacerta, and she asked me why.

I lifted a brow slightly, ?I?ve a commitment to the colonies there, and I?m setting up observation and communications to keep tabs on the Cepheans.? She did not know who the Cepheans were, so I tried to explain, ?they are a race of brutal Neanderthals who are planning to invade Lacerta. Since Lacerta is a colony of Rigel, I owe service to the Kaiser.

She nodded thoughtfully, ?I hope things go well then, for you and them. Don?t know how much I can do, but any help I can do is willingly offered.?

I thanked her for the offer, ?they are seriously outnumbered, and out gunned, but we will do what we can to prevent their invasion.? Then I grinned at her, ?How are you at watching satellite feeds?? Not that I expected her to board one of my ships and spend any time in the frozen wastelands of Lacerta, but I could tease about it.

She called my bluff though and told me to explain what she would be looking for. I studied her a long moment, ?we?re watching for movement of the Cephean fleet. They?re massed in striking distance of Lacerta, but they?ll have to come closer to land their forces.? She nodded slowly and I continued, ?the complication is that the colonists left Rigel to get away form technology and return to a ?simpler? life. They hate the presence of my weapons and communication equipment.

She asked me if we could disguise the equipment so that the Lacertians wouldn?t know it was there. ?I?ve put the communications station in the arctic archipelago where there are no settlers, but the weapons, no, we have to have them where they can protect the major population centers.?

She nodded, but remained convinced that something could be done to disguise the weapons. I told her that we are keeping as low a profile as we can and she took a sip of her tea, ?they will come around when they realize you are helping them.?

I chuckled, she?d never met our stubborn brethren. ?Someone suggested I use magic to hide things, but the Lacertians abhor magic even more than technology.?

She laughed, ?as do some folks around here.?

I smiled, ?perhaps, but the hard core settlers won?t even allow man made products on their land. Everything has to be ?natural?. She shook her head and suggested that it sounded as though we were up against a brick wall so to speak, and I have to agree. ?Yes, all so that the Kaiser can hang onto his colony.? This was all about land and hard won gains that my Kaiser did not want to lose.

Rena asked if I was taking this all on myself, and I smiled, ?we have help, but since I have the license for weapons, I?m running rather crazy at the moment.? Oh, the Kaiser has his hand in all of this, and the military aspect is being run by people who know much more about military tactics and strategies than I do. No, my role is simply to provide the munitions and support for the military.

She inquired whether there were any moons or asteroids surrounding the planet, and there are 2 moons, but the Cepheans have set up a blockade and getting to them would be nearly impossible. ?I don?t know who sold the technology to them, but it?s way too advanced for what the Cepheans SHOULD have access to,? I explained to her. She didn?t know anything about the Cepheans, but the ships and weapons they?ve displayed so far are much more advanced than anything on their home world. This is not their technology that Lacerta is facing. That worries me.

She cut off another bite of the cake, ?what time is that??

As I told her that our lift off window was between 4:40 and 5:10 PM, Topaz stepped through the doors. Rena glanced at the door as the bell jingled. I cut off a small section of the ?clair before following her gaze, ?Ah, good evening Topaz.? Then glanced at Rena, who had observed that it was not a very large window, ?no, but when you consider the impact of the vector and how far afield you could be sent if you left outside of that window, you learn to appreciate how big it really is.?

Rena nodded again, ?so if you miss it, something is out of line and it throws something off??

I smiled, ?You can correct the vector of course, but it wastes time and fuel.? The costs associated with missing your window make it very undesirable to miss your launch times. She nodded but didn?t look convinced, so I tried to explain further, ?picture a pin cushion and the different directions each pin points toward, if you are in the wrong place, you would go off in a direction you don?t necessarily want to go.? I savored the bite of ?clair, ?I?ll have to be sure not to tell Andre about this place.? Rena gave me a quick laugh before asking who Andre is. I gave her a conspiratorial grin, ?my personal chef, and he?s rather?. Ahhh, shall we say, opinionated about his cooking??

Topaz wandered to a set of shelves and searched for something in particular based on her focus.

A bit later, another woman walked into the shop. She seemed slightly uneasy as she ordered a cup of elderberry tea. She sat down quietly, but seemed still to be ill at ease.

Rena glanced toward the door and a quick frown crossed her features, which she quickly erased and I nibbled on another bit of the ?clair. Moments later, the young woman rose and approached our table, speaking softly to Rena, ?come talk with me a moment??

I glanced at the woman a moment, and Rena rose, ?this won?t take long.? I nodded and took a sip of the hot tea.

Rena and the woman stood a few meters away speaking quietly and so I glanced at Topaz, who had found a book of interest. I motioned to an empty chair and she brought her book and sat down, ?I didn?t think to find you here,? Topaz told me.

I shrugged faintly, ?we were going to leave, but Gabriel asked for a one day delay.? She gave me a puzzled look and asked if he mentioned why he wanted the delay. I shook my head, ?no, he did not, but if he?s asking, it must be important.? I have never known him to make a pointless request. But then too, this was not adding up because he would not tell me the purpose for the delay.

Abruptly in a non sequitur, Topaz blurted, ?he killed one of those witches once.? I lifted a brow at her, clearly puzzled by her shift of topics, ?they are not usually all that destructible, but Gabriel could be delaying for another reason.?

I canted my head slightly, it hadn?t felt like Gabriel was going off to hunt the witch that was teamed up with Temhota, ?witches are not the twin?s specialty, perhaps he was simply in the right place at the right time??

She nodded, ?oh, he was definitely just in time. Do you have to be away very long??

I nibbled on the Bavarian cream a moment, ?we?re shuttling equipment to Lacerta, I don?t plan on being away long.? I never know how long we will be out, and a lot depends on the Cepheans, but my intentions are not to remain away overly long.

Topaz surprised me then, ?oh good. Still, RhyDin will seem smaller while you and Gabriel are off world.? She noted my surprise, ?for one, I do enjoy your company, and two, while Gabriel is gone, there?s only one hunter left here.?

I set down the fork, ?do you think Temhota will do something while Gabriel is away??

She considered a moment, ?should he be aware of Gabriel?s absence; that would be a perfect time. Depending on his plan of course.? She paused, ?Lucien had better not get himself hurt, or it?ll be a dark day for vampires.? She gave a small grin, ?perhaps I should say a very bright night.?

I frowned, ?since no one knows where his lair is, it?s hard to know what?s in the plans.? Neither hunter had been able to home in on Temhota and his hiding place.

Topaz shrugged, ?perhaps he will ?invite? one of us, then we?d all know.?

The next day, there was still no sign of Gabriel. Dominik simply remained mute, but followed where ever I went as a shadow and a pair of brilliant green eyes. As the departure window escaped again, I stormed furiously away from the hangar where the Star Dragon was still moored. I did not take the time it required to change out of the flight suit I had worn in preparation and expectation of departure and as I swung the door open to the new bakery and book store, I struggled to bring civility to my voice as I ordered a cup of tangerine tea and another ?clair. The shadow behind me wavered slightly as I ignored it and searched for a comfortable chair.

Rena spoke up, ?evening Azjah.?

I glanced quickly in the direction her voice had come from, and she inquired whether I had missed the window yet again. She lifted her mug and I could read in her eyes that she had made note of my unusual attire. I took a deep breath, ?oh no, my flight companion has vanished. And while Dominik knows WHERE he is, he won?t tell me.? The shadow flickered briefly as I vented some of my frustration.

She quirked a brow, ?Gabriel??

I nodded, ?I don?t know where he?s gone, or when he will return. All Dominik will tell me is that it?s important.? I stabbed the ?clair with my fork.

Rena?s brow rose fractionally as I vented my anger on the hapless fork, ?poor utensil.? She took a sip of her tea, ?but does he not know this sets things back with your schedule??

I glared at the shadow a moment, ?Oh, he knows.?

She nodded as she watched me, then inquired if there was something in the shadows. I blinked, ?yes, my ?shadow?, Dominik.?

She gave me a slow nod and said Okay, but I could tell that I had not been entirely clear with my explanation. ?Since Temhota made his appearance, my shadow follows me everywhere. But tonight my shadow isn?t telling me where my regular shadow has gone.? I stabbed at the ?clair once more.

Rena frowned slightly, ?the one Soerl was telling me about??

I thought a moment, ?Soerl was present when Temhota made his threat, but he left before Temhota made his threat on me.? She told me then that the minstrel had indeed gone right to the Arena to tell Rena to warn Topaz. I paused in the shredding of the ?clair to look at her, ?that is possible. I do not know where he went when he left the Inn.? She then told me that the minstrel had threatened to go after Temhota himself, and I blinked, ?he would be very foolish were he to try something like that.?

Rena nodded and said that she?d told him as much already. I hope Soerl listens to her advice.

I begin to wonder if all men are witless wonders!

Our discussion drifted away from vampires and minstrels and we spoke about Val?s recovery and the threats that Russel had made to Rena. She told me that the mage had rescinded his hold over her for his safety, and I told her that Zephaereal had told me the same thing. Rena did not know about the two sentient elementals that currently reside in the Tower of Air.

I am uncertain how much to say about them because they are rather unbelievable, but as I began to tell her about them, the story began to tell itself. At one point, I could feel my face color, and she asked me what I meant when I said that they had seen more than everyone realized. Rena glanced up at me, ?like??

I bit down on my lower lip, ?they have seen many of the previous keepers, and were witness to private moments for most of them.? I took a quick sip of the tea as Rena made the painful observation, ?you and Brig??

?People underestimate the elementals of these towers,? I told her. It was simply too easy to ignore their presence, just as peoples who keep servants often tend to ignore their presence and forget that they have eyes and ears and tongues. I locked my gaze onto the ?clair, but closed them as she?d asked the question I didn?t want asked. My voice was barely a whisper, ?Zephaaereal takes Brig?s likeness, and?.? I couldn?t finish it but simply shook my head.

Rena?s voice was a mirrored whisper, ?the other one yours??

I gave her a single affirmative nod before I said, ?it would seem nothing was sacred.? I hoped that was explanatory enough.

She nodded thoughtfully, and I stirred my tea in silence as Dominik resolved enough to show metallic green eyes watching us as we sat in a corner of the shop.

Rena noted his presence too, ?does he ever come out of the shadows??

I gave her a wry laugh, ?when it suits him, yes.?

The shadow resolved a bit more into the form of a man, about 5?11? tall, wearing old world top hat, boots, breeches and cloak with a cravat tied immaculately at his throat, but the most startling thing about him are the eyes. They are eyes a person never forgets. Brilliant metallic green peered out from the dark shadowy form and simply watched. I glanced between Rena and Dominik. ?Dominik is a Dragon Seeker.?

She nodded, ?any particular dragons??

I chuckled softly, ?On Auriga, magic is considered to be ?the dragon?. He is one of the last magic masters of Auriga.?

She nodded her understanding then, and I told her I should be going. I had whined long enough about my missing copilot. I told her that I wished Val a quick recovery and headed back to the hangar thinking about the things she had told me about Val and his homeland and history.

Harris looked as happy as a kid in a candy store, ?lookit that, you?re loosening up already. Now all I need is an opponent.? I reached over and opened the bottle to sniff the contents, and he handed me the shot glass as well. ?Well, somebody volunteer already. I?m not picky!?

Xanth offered to demure since Topaz had offered either herself or Xanth as potential opponents, and I wafted my hand over the open bottle trying to get a whiff of the fumes that would emanate from the opened bottle to discern just what it was that I would be doing shots over.

Xanth agreed to engage ?the mortal? as he referred to most living creatures, and as I prepared to send them off to a ring, I caught a whiff of the alcohol, and it nearly slammed the air from my lungs. It was going to be truly ugly if Harris scored too many points. ?Oh lord Harris? this is AWFUL!? I grimaced as I poured a dash of the liquid into the shot glass. The first one went down like fire itself, burning from lips to stomach, and then some. It was going to be crucial to avoid tasting this lighter fluid as much as possible was the first lesson of the first shot!

As the second shot was required, I choked it down, and coughed for the entire next round, which thankfully Xanth won and saved me from a third consecutive shot in a short period of time, ?keep it up Xanth, that stuff is AWFUL!?

Xanth?s red eyes gleamed from the cowl of his cloak as he stated without any noticeable rancor, ?I find it ironic that I am defending a woman in peril here.?

I had to smile as Harris popped an Advil into his mough as Xanth landed yet another score.

The next round saw Harris gain only an advantage and I took advantage of that to ask him, ?I only have to have half when you only score an advantage, right??

He snickered, ?sure.? Where upon he promptly scored another advantage, and I was forced to top off the shot glass.

Wincing, I closed my eyes and tossed it down, and wound up coughing over it anyway. Harris displaced away form some of Xanth?s blades for another advantage, and I looked again at the bottle, ?oh lord, Harris, this stuff must be 150 proof!? My head was beginning to feel light and unstable on my shoulders.

The ninth round had Xanth and Harris blasting one another with dual mage bolts, and yet another shot was required. I picked up the bottle, and nearly missed the shot glass. My hand-eye coordination was slipping and I found I had to especially focus now to get the liquid into the small glass. I set the bottle carefully on the table top before picking up the glass and taking a deep breath before swallowing the burning liquid. Thankfully Xanth managed to score and saved me from another set of back to back shots as he reached out and touched Harris with images of Death Knights charging down on Harris riding wild black steeds, which secured him the point and the win over Harris. But, it was 3 and a half shots of the vile fluid that I had been required to ingest.

Xanth saluted Harris and then turned to salute me, ?I decreased your intake by 30 percent. Next time, mortal, I suggest not making rash promises which involve high strength and questionable liquors.? I smiled. What ever Xanth is, he has no compunction about calling things the way he sees them. He turned then to return to his seat muttering, ?not that you?ll listen anyway.?

I quirked a brow at Xanth, ?well, there?s a reason for this agreement.? Then I winked at him and focused on Harris and Topaz, but I could hear him grumble low at my comment, though he made no further retort.

Topaz observed that Xanth had helped keep Harris from reaching the full five points, and Harris simply grinned as he eyeballed Topaz, ?thankfully I have another match lined up already.? She announced that she was ready and I sent them into the ring.

Topaz moved into the ring, ?I?m going to try hard, Azjah, but no promises. It?s been years since Harris and I dueled.? She turned her gaze and focus onto Harris and bade him cast well as she told us she would be using Nether Ray as part of her arsenal.

Topaz went for a fear touch on Harris, but he wasn?t in the mood for such touches, and when she suggested that Harris didn?t want to be touched, I grinned, ?Oh, he wants to be touched?.? But no sooner had the words left my mouth than I wanted them back. ?I did NOT just say that!? Mortification swept through me at my giving voice to a thought that should never have been spoken.

He snickered, ?you already have. But, feel free to drink some more.?

I gave him a smile, ?yah, but you don?t have any more opponents? so, I?m sa-afe.? His suggestion that I go ahead and drink some more finally registered, ?nooooo?. That is ssome wicked stuff.? I tried to shake my head no, but that turned out to be a bad idea and I ceased trying quickly.

Harris chuckled, ?oh, don?t worry, you?ve still got s?more loosening up to do. Gotta let your hair down, literally.?

I reached up and gently patted the flawless coif. Keeping my hair in a perfect chignon is something I have paid very careful attention to maintaining, and reflexively I checked on the three platinum picks that held the chignon in place. As I was checking, Harris reached with those grabby hands of his for my hair once more. ?No, no? the hair stays up!? And by dumb luck rather than grace or skill, I managed to evade his attempt to bring my hair down.

Devan walked onto the Isle during this, and Xanth?s red lights shifted toward the portal where the current bearer of the Ring of Klytus entered. Harris noted his arrival as well, and thumbed toward Devan, ?I bet I could get that guy to duel me.?

I gave Devan a bleary wave, ?Hey De-evan!? Then looked back at Harris, ?nah?.

Harris simply snickered, ?the hair?s comin? down, one way or another Azjah.?

Devan made it to the ring area and asked if anyone was in need of a duel. Topaz spoke up, ?Harris is having a dueling night, and Xanth always is looking for a magic combat.?

Harris began to flail and flop around, ?meeeeeeee!? And I cringed?. ?nooooooooooo!? But I am not entirely certain if I was saying no to Harris and my hair or no to Harris and another duel.

Xanth grumbled, ?I do have a burning desire to face Wallace in magical combat, but unfortunately this absurd liquor game will come first.?

Devan gave us an amused grin, ?looks like Harris it is then.?

Harris was gleeful, ?oh yeah!? He chuckled as he headed off to the ring again, ?the hair?s coming down after this match Azjah. I guarantee.?

I paled hearing him, ?go lose to Devan?.

He puffed a whisp of blue hair from his vision before offering Devan a thumbs up to begin their match, and about that moment Rissa walked in. I seriously wanted to hand this match over to Rissa to avoid any more of the white lightening that the bottle held, but instead of handing over the match, I settled for asking her if she would like some of the bottle.

Topaz volunteered to have a try of the liquid, and I grinned hearing her. At least I would not be drinking alone. She came over with her coffee cup in hand and I poured a shot of the clear liquid into the shot glass and handed it to her. She took a sniff of it, ?Oh, Lucien will just adore you Harris!? She emptied the shot glass and then grimaced.

Harris went immediately on the offensive and sent a trio of sharpened knives across the ring, and scoring a full point. When I did not fill the shot glass quickly enough, he flailed from the ring, ?Driiiiiiiiiiiiink!? I winced

I snickered and offered Harris some of the liquor, and he glanced from the ring at me, ?Just remember what I said Azjah!?

Topaz looked at me, ?what did he say??

I tried to concentrate, ?ummm, he said a lot of things.? But for the life of me, I couldn?t grab onto a coherent thought. Topaz?s announcement that Devan had let Harris score again elicited a groan, and I glanced at the bottle in question until Harris? voice yelled once again? ?Driiiiiiiiiiiiiiink!?

I gave him a defiant look, ?yah yah,? but I grabbed for the bottle once again.

Rissa shot Harris a look, ?I knew you were behind it Harris.?

I grinned at her, ?Oh, he is behind a lot of things!?

Topaz continued to expound on Harris? proclivities, ?and in front of things, and in the middle of things,? she nodded sagely, and Rissa laughed, acknowledging that she knew that too.

Devan managed to fall victim to Devan, and I was grateful to Devan for not letting him score a full 5 points. I flashed Harris a smile, picked up the bottle and held it out for him, ?Here ya go.?

Harris smoothed every blue hair back into place before exiting the ring and heading my direction, ?had enough??

I smiled up at him fuzzily, ?that sstuff iss vile. Le?me change out of uniform.? I reached for the stilettos, but they moved and I waved a dismissive hand at them. ?Bah!? I began to walk a not so straight line through the sand barefoot.

Harris snickered, ?That could take forever considering the condition you?re in.?

Somehow I managed to make my way from the Tower to the beach again, and paused beside a tree. ?I don?t suppose we have sparkling water around here, do we?? A goblin hurried off to return a moment later with a glass of mineral water.

Harris simply stood with his arms folded across his chest, chuckling the whole time.

I smiled at the goblin and took the water, using both hands to hang onto it for dear life, and my eyes remained riveted to the sand so I could see where I was placing each foot as I crossed the sand toward the rings and my chaise. As I paused near the chaise, I looked up and stuck my tongue out at Harris. ?I made it.?

He simply grinned, ?uh huh. Too bad you don?t remember what I said. It?s ok though.?

I paused in mid drink of the water, ?wha???

And then Harris went all grabby again, reaching for the trio of platinum picks that kept my hair in place as I elaborated ?I drank for each point? HEY!? I dropped the glass of water as I tried to grab his hands and keep them out of my hair and away from the picks. He gave me a charming smile, ?yeeeeees? You did have the option of doing this the easy way, yanno??

I slapped at his hands and pulled back, ?easy schmeazy. Why d-do you want my hair down?? I blinked and hung onto the picks as best I could.

?It?s all a part of lesson two. Don?t make me pin you to the ground.? He gave me a toothy grin, that had I not been in a state of intoxication I would have read clearly. However I was in no shape to accurately read Harris.

Vincent Smith had arrived somewhere during all of this, and I heard him say as he blinked in disbelief, ?Is Azjah drunk??

Topaz smiled beguilingly at Vincent, ?maybe a little. Harris made her drink shots whenever he scored a point.?

Vincent died laughing, ?I?ll have to do that the next time I face her.? Topaz corrected him that Harris had not been facing me in a ring.

I gave Harris a horrified look, to which he threatened to dump me into the Pit again. I shuddered, ?but? I only wear it down for bed? not in public!!!!!? I could hear my nanny tsking about my hair as I had been growing up, and the notion of being in public with it all fly away was simply too much.

Harris gave me a charming smile, ?well, no you wear it down in public. Too easy.?

I strung out my hair with my fingers as it flew in all directions, ?but?. It?ss all fly away!?

Harris waggled a finger at me, ?no buts!?

Vincent spoke up to Harris then, ?Duel me so we can get Azjah a few more drinks!?

Simultaneously I was glancing behind Harris, and then at Topaz?s derriere, ?there?ss lotss of buttsss around, we all have one, see?? I pointed at the fairy?s and then at Vincent?s as I nodded sagely. ?Even Risssssa and Vincent have one.?

Vincent laughed, ?Yes Azjah, I do have one.?

Topaz initially misunderstood when I said there were lots of butts around, ?HEY!? But then she heard the rest of my comment and laughed. ?It?s more like they each have one, they?re not so much sharing one.?

Harris snickered at Vincent, ?She doesn?t need anymore drinks, and I already dueled three times Vince.? And so Vincent sat down and kicked up his feet, agreeing that Harris had dueled enough.

I nodded belatedly at Vincent, ?he did?. Thhree timesss, and that?ssss got to be a record.? Then I looked at Topaz, ?sharing isn?t ssso bad.?

Harris gave a satisfied smirk, ?this Azjah is so much more entertaining than the sober version. I think lesson two is a rousing success.? His comment elicited a full blown raspberry from me as he wiggled his fingers at me, ?but now methinks it?s time to go home. You?re gonna have a raging headache in the morning yanno. And I have to prepare lesson three.?

Vincent chuckled hearing Harris, ?I?m in agreement. Lesson two worked well.?

I closed my eyes and the world tilted oddly as Topaz grinned, ?Depends on what?s being shared and with whom.?

I groaned, ?headache?. Ookay?. I?m going home.? Then I smiled as that brought back old memories, o/~ ?Home, home on the range?. Where th? deer an? th? antelope roooooooooooooooaam?.?

Harris snickered and Rissa corrected the lyrics?.?not roam, play,? but I was not in any condition to register much of what was being said, but I managed a blink at Rissa.

Harris reached down and scooped me up, slinging me over his shoulder, ?here, I?ll take you.?

I managed a wave to everyone from over Harris? shoulder, and a ?nitey nigh?? to everyone as Topaz wished me sweet dreams.

Harris headed out the portal, ?you can give me directions from back there, right??

But I don?t recall what happened as Dominik solidified in step with Harris and it was the Dragonseeker who led Harris to the hangar where the Star Dragon waited for its missing copilot.

I walked through the portal with my hair up in the usual neat chignon without ever giving it a second thought. Topaz waved hello as I headed for my chaise, but she was engaged in conversation with a gentleman whom I have never seen before. He shook his head, ?he would be defined as Grand Father Time.?

Topaz laughed, ?he may even like that title.?

I settled onto the chaise and sent a goblin for a glass of sparkling water before kicking off my stilettos. The stranger was discussing titles with Topaz, ?so do you have any plans for a title?? His gaze slid over me briefly as he spoke.

I sipped the sparkling water before pulling out my book that I had brought along for the night. Topaz laughed again, ?not at this time. I was recently relieved of a barony.? His opinion seemed to be that all title holders needed to be challenged now and then. It was not until Topaz asked whether we had been introduced that I paid closer attention to their conversation.

I inclined my head toward the man, ?We have not officially met, although I have seen him about RhyDin.? I had seen him in the Arena, and perhaps had passed him once or twice on the streets, but we had never spoken nor had reason to make acquaintances before now.

She pounced on the opportunity to introduce us. The stranger?s name was given as Xeric Mues. I gave him a regal inclination of my head as she gave him my name, ?Mr. Mues, good evening. You enjoy the challenge of the rings Mr. Mues?? Since no title or office was provided, simply names, I hoped the use of ?Mister? would suffice and not insult him, and his presence here suggested that he enjoyed the contest of arms, be they steel or magical.

He turned his eyes on me and winced slightly, ?Please, call me Xeric, it?s a pleasure.? The grin that replaced his wince did not reach his eyes, ?It is a responsibility and a pleasure m?lady.?

I noted that the facial features were not engaged with the public grin, ?indeed, a pleasure that can be a torment as well. You have recently returned?? Topaz followed the exchange between us, but said nothing more for the moment. I canted my head at him, ?Xeric, means dry.? Xeric environments were deserts in common vernacular, and I wondered if there was a connection to this person with a desert.

At length a smile split his features, ?it?s a little game I play. I show up long enough to gain title then leave for a few months.? He watched me a moment longer, then as chuckled, ?Xeric means dry? I am seasoned m?lady, but I wouldn?t say I?m dry just yet.?

I took a sip of the sparkling water, ?a good way to keep people guessing.? I had to laugh at his double entendre, ?Xeric environments are desert environments. I wondered if perhaps you hail from a desert land.?

His grin reached his eyes, ?my given name is Xavior Eric Mues, Xeric for short, and no, I?m from a very cold place.?

Xeric returned and I peered over the silk at him, ?just how much snow is on the mountain?? The trouble maker in me surfaced with a grin. Unfortunately, his mood had changed and he sighed as he heard me and found an empty table to seat himself at, which was my clue to leave the man be. He settled in to watch the matches, and cold blue eyes swept the beach before settling upon me once more.

I pulled the silk tightly around me before picking up my book once more. But feeling his eyes on me, I lifted my own once more. He had the look of someone caught, and then flashed a grin. I could feel myself color under that grin, and I spoke softly, ?I offended you earlier, my apologies.? Then I too returned my attention to the ring, where Russ had just lost his match, and I spoke to him briefly. ?You will make that rodent fat you know.? It was a standing comment now because Russel insisted on feeding the squirrel walnuts each time he visited the rings.

He smiled, unrepentantly handing the rodent another walnut, ?either that, or he will prosper well and be able to feed his family.?

Xeric frowned slightly at my apology. ?Offended me? How??

I explained his frown to my earlier comment about snow when he had returned and he scratched his head in thought, ?refresh an old man?s memory please??

I shrugged lightly and told him what I had said, he chuckled as he realized what he had said, ?well, if I don?t remember it then I couldn?t have been offended.? So I promised not to make any further snow jokes in his presence. He opened his mouth as though he might say something further, but then closed it without adding further comment.

I decided to stay on neutral ground, ?does business bring you back to Rhydin Xeric?? It felt odd to call the man by his first name. And yet he fidgeted a long moment before flashing his most winning and yet not genuine smile at me, ?Yes, you might call what brings me here ?business?.? But something in that response suggests a man stirring the pot of mischief or trouble and not sincerity. I decided to poke a bit further, ?And RhyDin contains the pot you wish to stir??

He nodded then, ?yes, it does.? But no further elucidation ensued.

Another wave of noxious odors assailed me where I sat, and as I coughed from the vapors I muttered that I was going to have to have a hard discussion with Brig again. Unfortunately, our esteemed Arch Mage overheard my comment. ?Is that what you call it Azjah? A discussion?? I dropped my head with a laugh. It was the better part of valor to simply keep quiet on that comment. ?Believe it or not Will, yes.?

He gave me a faint smile, ?I think they should have named them foul touch and fear fog myself.?

Xeric glanced between Will and myself before shaking his head though he gallantly appeared to pay no attention to the exchange, ?forgive me, I?m boring you with pointless talk of myself. Tell me of you.? Then my mention of Brig brought his brows furrowing together, ?Brig??

In fact, I had not been bored and demurred discussion about me, so I smiled, ?Brigath Cedran has a special affinity for that spell. I?ve been trying for years to get him to change or modify it.? Xavior seemed to remember that name, and I smiled, ?he has been around a very long time.?

He nodded, ?Brigath and I were formerly on a TDL team together.?

I took a sip of the water, ?Brig has been?.? But I stopped that thought quickly.

Xeric spoke softly to the goblin before slipping it a velvet purse with coins inside. While he was doing that, Uriko arrived, in her usual bubbly and cheerful mood, and I asked her whether she had come to cheer someone in particular tonight for the mage tournament.

She waved excitedly, ?Not just someone, I hope to make everyone?s night better!? She held out a little orange pumpkin bag, ?I?m willing to share my Halloween candy if it will make people happy.? She bounded in my direction, holding out the little bag, ?go ahead, have your pick!?

I smiled and reached into the bag, ?perhaps a little sugar high will do some people some good.? She grinned and said that such sugar highs always did her some good. I thanked her and she headed for Rissa, but not before tossing a piece of the candy squarely at Lem?s head.

A commotion in the trees drew my attention. It would seem that the small velvet purse with the coins had become the object of a full blown goblin fight. Then I glanced at the Russian, wondering just what he had said to the goblin, and what they would bring out for him. Xeric shrugged, ?I told him to bring me something interesting.?

I lifted both brows at his willingness to experiment, ?Something interesting being told to a goblin could get you something truly vile.?

He leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms and his feet up on the table, and I smiled as the goblin returned bearing a mug. Xeric watched the goblin warily as the mug frothed slightly as it was set down onto the table top. He flashed his teeth at the goblin before saying thankyou.

I chuckled, ?you are an adventurous sort, aren?t you??

Xeric looked slowly to the left, then into the rings, and finally back at me, ?Me??

I gave him a smile, ?Yes, you.?

He grinned, ?I?ve been called worse things.?

Gabriel?s return had brought no further information on where he had gone, nor what had been so very important, and each time I tried to speak with him about it, he simply went silent and I could feel the walls slam between us in the psychic bond as well. What ever had taken him away was not something he wanted to discuss. I am very frustrated with his silence.

The trip to Lacerta was uncomfortable for the three of us residing together shipboard for 5 days. Dominik tried to keep things flowing, but I found myself retreating to the pilot?s chair for hours on end and leaving Gabriel and Dominik to themselves. I was an outsider on my own ship.

Our return to RhyDin was less strained. We had flown through the Cephean war gathering and had better idea of the forces gathering. This gave us plenty to talk about as we planned the communications modifications we wanted to make, as well as modifying the weapons and ammunition deliveries for the next shipment. These things kept us well occupied.

I headed for my chaise on the first night back and sent a goblin for a glass of scotch as Zara Coalwood followed me through the portal. She gave me a nod before taking up a leaning stance against a nearby tree. I have seen the woman several times, but I know next to nothing about her, and so I turned to my lists as I waited for duelers to arrive.

Rena arrived next, and as she came toward the rings, she quirked a brow, ?why the frown??

I had not realized that I was frowning, but at her words, I glanced up, ?numbers don?t add up.? I had spoken briefly with Rena regarding the impending war with Cephea, so I was comfortable in admitting the cause of my consternation to her.

She paused near the chaise, ?what numbers? And did the co-pilot ever show up??

I nodded absently at her question regarding Gabriel. ?He did. We made the flight, delivered the goods, and returned.? I suspect I sounded slightly bitter, but that was not to be helped. Then I lifted my gaze to her, ?the numbers regarding the ships massing around Lacerta and the stated crew numbers. They don?t match.?

Rena digested that a moment, ?good or bad??

?The troop numbers reported are too great for the number of ships massed. Either the troop estimates are way off, or there are ships sitting out there that we haven?t accounted for,? and what I did not say was that if there are unseen ships, we have a bigger problem than just mismatched numbers. She nodded, so I continued, ?if there are more ships out there, where are they? It?s a tough situation, unseen ships, or are the numbers right?? Could the Cephean?s have gained access to our information networks and be manipulating the numbers we are working to?

?Didn?t you say there was an asteroid belt nearby?? Rena and I had spoken somewhat about this situation, and she was digging through her memories of our chats in Teas N Tomes.

?There are 2 moons around Lacerta, but the asteroids are far enough away that we would see them coming if they are hiding there.? No, the asteroid belt would not be close enough for them to launch a meaningful attack on Lacerta. The crux of the problem is which numbers are accurate, and which are faulty? So much depends on which one is the real nemesis.

Rena then wondered aloud if the moons had any craters that were large enough to hide some of these ?missing? ships, ?Yes, but we?ve done a pretty extensive sensor sweep. Nothing has turned up.? That is not to say our sensors are infallible, but we have looked at that possibility, and nothing has been detected. ?But Rena, they could have purchased a technology we don?t know they have.? That concept was terribly unnerving.

A dwarf peered in through the portal, and was not at all a familiar face, but Topaz seemed to know him, and he emerged through the portal and made his way across the sand toward the rings. ?Am I in the right place?? Topaz and I simultaneously told him that if he was seeking magical combat or the home of the duels of magic, that yes, he was in the right place. But he had come to meet with the members of Atrebla for sword dueling.

As I was about to explain to him that sword dueling was held in another location, Brigath stepped onto the sands. I turned my attention to him as he came bearing his mop with its filthy water dripping into the sand. He too had come for Atrebla, and had come to ask if they could use the sands beyond the magic rings for their match ups. ?Azjah darling, do you mind if we usurp one of the rings for a bit?? I motioned toward the furthest ring and told him to be my guest. It would not likely be needed tonight. He blew me a kiss and several people moved off toward the outer ring.

It was at that point that chaos arrived. Harris shimmered through the portal rather than being dumped unceremoniously, and I heard my name called in a sing-song manner.

I blinked at him, ?Harris.?

He grinned, ?Well gee golly Azjah, nice of you to notice I?m here.?

I chuckled, it was nearly impossible to not notice Harris when he arrived. ?When did you sneak through the portal?? I blushed slightly, ?sorry my dear, I was preoccupied, but now that I know you are here?.?

He gave me a tsk tsk, ?I don?t sneak. It?s beneath me.? When I asked him if it truly was, he continued to expand on his thought, ?Sneaking would mean nobody would know I?m here, and then they wouldn?t be able to bask in the glory that is moi.?

I couldn?t help the chuckle that escaped, ?usually that portal deposits you unceremoniously into the sand. Heaven forfend that we could not bask in such illumination and glory.? I tried for contrite, but it wasn?t working.

He grinned, ?it?s a good thing I?m here Azjah.?

I quirked a brow at him; ?What brings you to the beach tonight Harris??

He gave me a wide smile then, as though pleased I had asked, ?without me, you?d be missing out on lesson three.?

I heard Topaz wonder aloud just what lesson three would turn out to be, and I too had to wonder.

Harris was showing all of his teeth now, ?Lesson three, you know, the lesson you promised to give yourself to without any issues??

The new dwarf coughed slightly to gain my attention, ?not to interrupt, but what is this I hear about Arctic Blast freezing lizards?? His eyes slid pointedly toward Bran.

Bran gave him a blink, ?freezing lizardsss??

I picked up the bit that looked like a shrunken bikini top as Harris flopped down onto the chaise and leaned back with a snicker, ?Just pretend you?re a high class runway model Azjah. You?ve got the legs for it.? This was followed by more snickering.

I gave Harris a dark look, ?this won?t cover?? anything.? The scrap of fabric was insufficient for any amount of decency.

He cackled, ?sure it will, just not much of anything.?

I shook my head, at least there are not throngs of people on the Isle tonight, so I can get through this with minimal embarrassment. I coughed discreetly, ?bikini eh??

He grinned widely, ?that?s what they call that piece of fabric, yes.?

I stuck my tongue out at Harris, ?you asked for this.? Then I grabbed both bits of cloth and headed into the changing booth he had so thoughtfully provided. The scraps of cloth covered not enough to even declare that I was wearing a bathing suit bikini and I paused looking in the mirror at the image of the woman looking back at me. I would never recognize her. Never.

Harris? voice drifted into the changing room, ?that?s totally untrue Azjah. I gave you a choice.? He snickered again, ?you chose this.?

I muttered at him from the booth, ?You don?t think I?ll actually wear those other things, do you?? I tied the silk wrap that I always bring with me about my waist and stepped out of the changing booth. That diaphanous wrap gave me at least the illusion of some decency. As I exited the changing booth, he let out a shrill wolf whistle, which caused me to blush crimson.

As I paused before Harris, an imp of trouble lifted its head, and I struck a model?s catwalk pose as I was still wearing the pale blue stiletto heels to make my legs look before Harris as he told me that leather was definitely ?in? this year. Clearly Harris did not haunt the runways of fashion! I paused, tilting my hip out in his direction, giving my waist a longer, leaner line and gave a bit of a shoulder turn the other direction to give him the full model preening look. I smiled, ?but not nearly as much fun,? came my retort regarding leather. Then I chuckled, ?You come to the beach, you need to be appropriately dressed, and speaking of which, where is YOUR thong bikini??

I heard Topaz comment that the bikini was a nice outfit for the isle as she cast her next spell in the ring.

Harris canted his head to the side and stared at me, ?Yeah, I don?t do thongs.?

Wincing slightly as I heard Topaz, I glanced in her direction, ?Hope you don?t mind that I?m out of uniform tonight?? Then I did a quick pirouette before Harris and headed back to my chaise.

Topaz gave me a wicked smile, ?we could make that your new uniform, if you?d like??

I quirked a brow at her, ?ahh? no.?

Harris however had his head nodding big time, ?I agree with Topaz! Better yet, every Tuesday on the Isle could be swimsuit night!? Topaz nodded agreement, adding that Brigath would like to have things that way, she was certain. But sadly, Brig hasn?t been to the isle in ages and I doubt very much he would care.

He pushed up from his seat and waddled after me, ?Exactly. Which means we can move on to part two!?

Topaz bade us a good evening, and Rissa lifted a brow, ?part two of rule three?? Which succinctly stated my sentiments.

Harris gave us all a look of incredulity, ?Of course! Part two! To the Outback!? Then he dove out of the portal and we arrived at the double doors of the Outback.

I shook my head at him, ?there is no sand here.? A bikini is meant for beaches, and clearly there were no beaches at the Outback.

Corlanthis waved and I greeted him. Thankfully, he wasn?t staring at the bikini bits.

Harris gave me a dangerous grin, ?Nope. You know what there is though, Azjah??

I canted my head at him, half afraid to ask him, ?there are a lot of things here, what precisely did you have in mind?? Images of the mud entered my mind and I cringed inwardly.

Harris shouted at Corlanthis, ?Cor! I need a ring!? In the background I commented that he needed a fern and not a ring.

Corlanthis stared at Harris, ?All by yourself?! Have you just given up on dueling other people entirely??

?Oh, I?ve got someone to fight.? With that, he scooped me up unceremoniously and headed toward one corner of the Outback. ?Don?t worry though, I know which ring I want!? And he paused at the edge of a pool.

I yelped, ?No pits!? Then I spotted the pool and shook my head at Harris, ?these are not meant for actually trying to swim in you know.? I was terrified the darned fool thing would shrink even more.

He snickered, ?but you look so good all wet, Azjah.? Where upon he deposited me into the pool.

Grabbing for his arm, I wasn?t about to go in by myself, and heard a satisfied moment of shock from Harris as both of us went ?sploosh? into the water. Having accomplished that, I proceeded to endeavor to dunk him under and get him as soaked as he?d earlier doused me.

He surfaced sputtering, ?you do know you?re gonna pay for that, right??

I grinned unrepentantly at him, ?am I??

He returned my grin with a sickly sweet smile, ?In the worst way,?

A stranger arrived at that moment and she paused momentarily to survey the arena and then the pool. Her gaze lingered on the pool as she smoothed her fingers over the sea-foam fabric of her dress.

Arching a brow at Harris, I gave challenge to him, ?give it your best shot.?

The holidays were imminent, and the shops were decorated for Yule or what ever mid winter festival their proprietors celebrated as Azjah moved through RhyDin.

Azjah sat down in a comfortable chair in the balcony of Tea?s N Tomes and had just opened the book when the bell on the door of the shop jangled. She glanced over the railing to see Rena stepping into the shop, and shooting the bell a quick glare before she moved to the counter and spoke to the woman behind it. As she turned around she spotted Azjah and nodded before paying the clerk for her slice of cake and coffee.

Azjah greeted her and she picked up her purchase and headed for the Marchioness?? table.

Rena had been out of the city for some time, and this was the first opportunity the two had had to sit and chat. ?Welcome back,? Azjah told her as she took the seat opposite her.

They exchanged pleasantries where Azjah said she was ?adequate? before Rena said that she thought perhaps she had come back too soon.

Azjah kicked off the stilettos and curled up in the overstuffed chair, ?What makes you think you came back too soon??

She shrugged, ?the holidays are a couple of reasons, that?s all I?m seeing, so I?m feeling out of sorts again.?

?Holidays, they can be really good, and they can cause deep depression. So much depends on where a person is in their life at the time.? Azjah gave a small, dismissive wave of her free hand, ?There is nothing going on to make my life either good nor bad, so adequate seems the appropriate term.?

?I guess I?m in the depression end,? she said rather quietly before she sipped her drink with a nod at Azjah?s explanation, ?I know we weren?t the best of friends, but I always envied you.?

Azjah smiled a bit, ?well, perhaps we can find a way to lift your spirits up some.?

Rena gave a slight chuckle, ?many have tried, and I think I?m going to be okay, but then I go places and see things and I fall right back into the gloom and doom mode. Folks aren?t going to want to hang around me much longer.? She broke off a piece of her cake and silently chewed on the chocolate a moment.

?We all have bad times Rena,? It was something Azjah knew well, and the holidays were indeed no treat with Klinton still missing, and she wondered why on earth Rena would envy anything about her..

The door bell jangled again, and in walked Lord Momus just as Rena added that her malaise had been going on for too long. Tass altered his course to join them in the balcony.

Azjah took a sip of the cranberry tea and regarded Rena, ?You just need something to focus on Rena.? Then as Lord Momus arrived, she smiled up at him, ?It has been a long time Lord Momus, how have you been??

Rena nodded, ?that?s the problem, I can?t seem to stay focused on one thing for any length of time.?

Tass smiled, ?evening, hun, I?ve been, and yourself?? He leaned down and stole a kiss from Rena, then took one from Azjah as well before being seated with them, although he said he only had a few moments to tarry. ?I hope I am not intruding on anything??

Azjah and Rena both shook their heads, ?Not at all Lord Momus, we had just sat down ourselves.? She studied him a moment, remembering having run into Lady Kyndra, who had expressed concern about whether or not his offer to her remained, ?Have you seen Lady Kyndra yet Lord Momus? She was concerned that you may have changed your mind about building a home in your islands.?

He chuckled as he said he?d seen her, and that of course his offer still stood should the Marchioness see her before he did.

The three of them chatted for some time, catching up on mutual acquaintances. Rena touched on the topic of Gabriel?s delay on the flight to Lacerta, and Azjah felt her fury rise instantly, ?He has not yet explained.?

Rena nodded, as Azjah told her that Dominik seemed to be playing referee. ?Trying as in not succeeding, or keeping the two of you from doing bodily harm to each other??

Azjah chuckled at that, ?short of separating his head from his body, I can?t do a lot of damage to him.? She gave her a wry smile, ?And I confess, I?ve contemplated it this week. Whatever he?s up to, he?s being uncharacteristically elusive.?

She gave a short laugh, ?but isn?t Lucien the same way? Isn?t that part of who they are??

Azjah chuckled, ?Lucien has his own life now. I do not see much of him.? As Rena sipped her tea, Azjah made a decision that could prove to be deadly. ?What would you think about coming with us to Lacerta??

Rena gave her a surprised glance, ?how long would you be gone??

Azjah shrugged, ?well, it?s difficult to say because we could become cut off by the Cepheans.? And that was truly a risk, but one that Azjah knew would only be a temporary set back, if it happened at all.

They discussed when they would leave, and the job Azjah had in mind for Rena as a means of taking her mind off of the holidays and the setbacks she?d suffered recently. At length, Rena decided that it sounded like fun and agreed to join the next flight, and that meant she would have to spend several days in space with no one but Azjah, Gabriel and Dominik for company.

Azjah told her a little about the station, and where it was located, so sight seeing on Lacerta wasn?t going to be much for fun unless she liked frigid arctic weather.

They came to an agreement on when and where departure was planned, and Azjah was pleased to have company besides the Carpathian and the Dragonseeker.

The next evening Azjah and Gabriel arrived in the Arena. Rena was there and said she was packed and ready for departure the next morning. She was clearly a little nervous, but she had two bags ready to go, and her last minute details put in order.

Gabriel moved silently away from the Marchioness toward Rena, who greeted him. ?Good evening Ms. Cronin. Do you have any preferences in food for the trip??

She winced slightly, ?You mind calling me Rena? And I?m not too fond of sea food.?

He gave her a quick incline of his head, ?No seafood. Do you have a weapons preference??

She quirked a brow, ?weapon? I?ve used a sword and staff, but somehow I don?t think you are referring to those kind, are you??

He spoke in his usual black velvet voice, ?It is rather difficult to fend off a Cephean with either of those.?

It had been quite some time since Rena had used a firearm, and Gabriel informed her that they could remedy that on the ship, which seemed to surprise Rena, so he explained that laser weapons could be fired as long as they were set to stun and used in a specially prepared space onboard. She nodded, saying that she would appreciate it, and that she hoped she would not be a bother on the trip.

Gabriel gave her a slight bow, ?Consider it arranged. You are no bother. If you require anything, please let me know.? With that, he moved silently back to stand near the wall behind the Marchioness.

At the end of the duel that Azjah was engaged in with Rand, the pair said their good nights and disappeared into the night.

The week after they had returned from Lacerta found Azjah pushing open the door to Teas n Tomes. The bell jangled merrily as she headed for the counter, where she obtained her ?clair and a cup of tangerine tea before she climbed the stairs to the balcony, where she settled into a comfortable chair with a view to the open area below.

The bells chimed as a gentleman walked through the doors, pulling off his leather jacket and carrying it over his arm as he made his way to the counter.

The air was cold and Azjah pulled the silk wrap closer around her shoulders before opening the book and taking a sip of the tangerine essence, .before taking a bite of the ?clair.

The man who?d just walked in glanced at one of the patrons with a sigh, ?Please don?t try hook me up with one of your friends. Really.?

Rhyannon smiled, ?Oh, she isn?t my friend yet, and whhhy not? She?s nothing like me. She is sane.?

Azjah looked up from her book in time to see the man?s expression and chuckled softly as he looked between his friends, ?I appreciate it, I do, but I can find a girl on my own. Heck, what makes you think I haven?t already??

One of those in the group gasped and blinked at Tyler in great curiosity, ?who is it??

The victim of their intentions shook his head with a laugh and sipped his coffee, ?I?m fine, really.?

Azjah caught his eye, and saying to him, ?it is a female necessity, setting men up.?

He glanced up at her with a laugh, ?Mom called it the mothering syndrome.?

She chuckled, ?Your mother would be correct.? Then she returned to her book, breaking off another bite of the ?clair before pulling out a small note pad to write the new formula neatly onto the page. Then she frowned at the page and the implications of the formula.

Tyler?s friends continued to nag him about finding him a girl friend, and he simply shook his head and insisted that he was fine in truth. Azjah glanced over the railing again, ?They?re not going to buy your ?I?m ok? routine you know.?

He turned his head toward her again, ?But it?s the truth!?

She laughed, ?It may be, but you?re not selling it convincingly enough.?

He hmm?d a moment, ?see, they?re all in this thing called love, and I?m not. So they think I?m miserable. But I?m not. I?m content to be single.?

Azjah gave him a soft chuckle, ?there is nothing wrong with being single. But, they would like to see you as giddy as they are, it would seem.?

Rena pulled open the door and stepped inside as the bell announced the arrival of another patron. She shot the bell a glare before closing the door and heading for the counter again. She reached into her pocket and laid the money on the counter for her cake and tea before turning around and scanning the room.

Azjah and Tyler were discussing whether or not his words were convincing, and he chuckled softly, ?well, can?t win ?em all.?

She gave him an assessing look, ?Are you trying?? She laid her book down as Rena approached.

Tyler grinned, ?Nah. Too exhausting. Need to pick your battles.?

She laughed softly, ?on occasion though, the battle comes to you.

He nodded, ?true that.? His eyes went to the door and he sighed softly.

Rena took a seat and placed the plate and mug on the table. ?This is interesting,? she commented.

Azjah blinked, ?what is interesting??

She expounded on the RhyDin rumor mill then and Azjah simply listened. She personally had no use for the gossips and rumor mongers in town, but something was eating at her friend.

Azjah nodded in the direction of the friends who continued to harangue him about his single status, ?hold your ground with them.?

He smiled and whispered in her ear, and they both chuckled a this comment. He grinned at her retort, ?And everybody keeps telling me that my eyes are.? Then he winked and thanked her.

Azjah chuckled, ?oh, but they would be in error? she told Tyler, then she picked up the bag containing the ?clair and headed for the door, ?I hear a ring calling me tonight,? she said to Rena, then paused just before opening the door, ?do you duel Tyler??

He spun about, ?duel?? Curiosity written in his features.

Azjah nodded and patted the saber?s hilt where it rested against her left hip. ?Yes, duel? as in cross blades with another in a controlled setting??

He chuckled softly, ?Oh, no, lover not a fighter. But I have a few bros that have been to the rings. Perhaps I?ll join them someday and see you there??

She smiled, ?Should you decide to come for a look, I would be happy to show you around.? She gave him a quick wink, ?And good fighters make good lovers you know. They?re not mutually exclusive.? She slipped through the door and headed for the Arena.

Later that evening, Azjah left the arena and returned to the small shop, heading once again for the balcony.

Rena followed and took a seat nearby, saying softly, ?she?s just looking for peer wins. She wants Dockside.?

Azjah shrugged, ?it doesn?t matter.? Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She?d been passed over for a duel by a Warlord who only wanted Peer wins, and when Topaz made it known she too would duel, the Warlady had told Azjah that she would prefer to duel Topaz after accepting a duel with her. It stung, but it was all too common in the rings.

Rena grinned a moment, ?Now, what were you and Tyler whispering about??

Azjah opened her eyes a moment, ?he simply said not to worry, that he had his standards. I told him to stick to them, they were his best asset, and he laughed, saying everyone else thought his eyes were his best asset.?

She nodded, ?he would be one of the few.?

Azjah shrugged, ?they?re out there, just few and far between.? Azjah leveled her pale blue gaze on Rena, ?I probably shouldn?t have admitted that I was not a warlord.?

She shrugged, ?You told her what you were.?

?Oh well, so what will you do now that we are back??

Rena stirred the tea absently, ?Probably what I was doing before we left. Find more places to restore? try to live up to my resolution that I made at that party. It was a nice tradition, to write on a piece of paper what you want to get rid of in the New year, then throw it into the fireplace.?

Azjah lifted a brow at her, ?I cannot say I?ve ever heard of that tradition.?

She smiled, ?It?s something called Hogmanay. It?s Scottish in origin.?

Azjah mulled a moment, ?perhaps it?s a tradition I should adopt.? She frowned at the cold tea, ?that?s the bad thing about cold weather, it makes my tea go cold much more quickly.?

She smiled, ?I think I was being greedy, I wrote two.? Then softly adding, ?I really wish I could keep my emotions buried.?

Azjah quirked a brow, ?is there a rule against two?? She then stood and headed downstairs for a refresh of her tea, requesting an insulated pot of tea and balanced them both on a small silver tray and returned to her table, setting it down and refilling her cup, but didn?t look at Rena as she spoke, ?When I was growing up, keeping my feelings hidden was pounded into me every day. I don?t believe I ever saw my mother shed a tear, no matter what was happening. I also don?t believe I ever saw her be extremely happy either.? Then she took a careful sip of the steaming brew.

Rena studied her a moment, ?It?s a good thing to be pounded. It took me three years to tell Val how I felt because he kept coming and going and when I finally do, a few months later he goes back home, probably never to return.? She rapped both hands around her mug.

Tyler planted his feet firmly as Myr sat in the heel position beside him, ?whew,? he breathed and looked at Casidy and Jade. ?Don?t drop cats on my head!? Then he turned and tried to go to his chair, but 120 pounds of dog remained seated and the leash brought Tyler up short.

Azjah chuckled, ?Lead with your near side leg Tyler, he?ll follow.?

He smiled, ?right.? Then he moved the leg closest to Myr and said ?come?, which Myr promptly did, but he grabbed an ?clair off a coffee table and devoured it in one bite as he followed Tyler to his chair. He sat down with a smug grin as Yami?s squealing continued.

?G?g?et that dog out of here!!!!!? She remained glued to the wall, ?I?. hate dogs like that!?

Jade resorted to throwing things at Tyler, ?stop it, yer scarin? Yami!?

Azjah just shook her head. It was all about what that bloody feline wanted, what she didn?t want, what she liked and what she didn?t like. It never occurred to Yami that others may not like her behavior. Azjah then looked at Rena, ?it would seem that a mild mannered canine can cause quite a stir.?

Tyler sipped his coffee as Myr remained seated beside his chair looking around at the patrons. ?You going to stay off of my head?? His blue gaze slid toward Yami as he calmly petted the top of Myr?s head.

Yami shrieked, ?YES, JUST GET THAT DAMN DOG OUT OF HERE!!!!!?

Tyler kept his eyes on Yami, ?ask nicely.?

When she agreed to keep off his head, Tyler glanced at Dean, then back to Yami, ?that goes for my bros too.? With that, he rose and took Myr outside

Yami tried to blame the nexus for her landing on their heads and Azjah just shook her head, looking at Rena, ?Now I?ll have to let him run the squirrels tonight, or maybe we can scare up a rabbit in the vineyard.?

She chuckled, ?bet that is fun.?

Azjah nodded, ?they?re wonderful hunters, and I like to allow them to do what they were bred to do. Myr is a great runner too. There isn?t much that can out run him once he kicks into that double suspension gallop.?

She nodded, ?he seems to have a nice form.?

Tyler was gone longer than simply taking Myr back to the car, and Azjah caught sight of him walking the big hound before taking him back to the car and patting his head and he slipped the collar and leash off. He closed the door and locked it before heading into the shop with a whistle.

Azjah sipped the tea, ?He?s the one I take when I go riding. He usually scares up a fox or coyote when we go.?

Tyler returned inside and went to his chair with a grin toward Dean.

Casidy tried to tell him that his actions were hateful, but to my view, Tyler was well within his rights given Yami?s bad behavior, and her threats to claw the crap out of him if he dared remove her from his head, where she had no right to be.

Azjah closed her book and she and Rena prepared to depart. Tyler noticed and said good night, but Azjah paused near his chair holding her hand out, ?Keys??

He fished them from his pockets and placed them in the palm of her hand, ?thank you?

She curled her fingers around the keys, ?any time? and she truly meant it as she headed out the door with a jingle of the bell overhead.

Later that evening, she returned to the Inn, pausing to seek an empty table with one of the over-stuffed chairs she so favored. Basalt was tending the bar and greeted her with a cheery nod. Before Azjah could be seated, Commander Karen Wilder shouldered open the doors to the in. The Marchioness gave her a nod as Karen ordered a scotch, neat, and that brought a smile to Azjah?s lips. ?Was that your Templars out early on Yule Karen??

She downed the scotch in a single shot before nodding assent, ?T?was th? Templars, aye.?

Azjah nodded, ?very kind works,? she said to the Commander. Azjah didn?t know the Templar?s Commander very well, but the fact that these people took the time to see to the poor and otherwise neglected children seemed work that should be praised.

Karen looked her way, ?Thank ye. Took us a long time tae make all them toys, but it were well worth it, seein? th? kids playin? with ?em.?

?Not many took the initiative Karen.? The Marchioness gave a nod of greeting to the Russian as he entered the Inn.

Karen frowned slightly, ?We missed last year ?cause o? some politics, but it?s a tradition we try tae keep up.?

Azjah asked her how Olde Temple District was faring after all of the publicized violence. ?Recoverin? ? slow enough though. Verra few Catholic?re wilin? tae move back in tae th? District, an? th? Temple o? Divine Light?s been makin? big inroads recruitin? people.?

Azjah nodded, ?I had heard that about the Temple. Where have the Catholic?s gone?? That comment surprised her.

Karen shook her head, ?I've th' feelin' thet they had an arrangement wit th' Myr'Kul people... but there's nae enough proof. Most Catholics in th' District died... th' majority stay in Seaside an' Dockside districts now.?

Azjah canted her head slightly, ?Now that I have not heard. I'm afraid I have been out of touch for the city, but I am sorry to hear of the tragedy.?

They spoke about the gubernatorial primaries and where Karen thought she may be in the polls, and Azjah asked her how she was going about getting her message out to the people of RhyDin as she hadn?t seen anything published from the Commander.

Karen chuckled, ?There was th' announcement on th' steps o' th' courthouse... an' th' interview in th' Oracle, though mine got stuck near the back... ?

Azjah canted her head, ?what about taking out a front page ad??

Karen hadn?t thought about that, and the latest issue had just recently been published, so it was late for making that deadline. Azjah smiled, ?You can always hire public relations experts to do a special flier for you.?

Karen?s brow rose, ?Offerin? yer expertise??

Azjah paused in mid sip of her scotch, ?No Commander, I am no expert on that, but I know what I do when I want something put before the public in no uncertain terms. I hire the best and let them work out the details.? As the two women spoke, an inexplicable chill slithered across the room, causing Azjah to pull the silk wrap more closely around herself. The chill was not from an open door or window, and held the taint of something dark. She shivered again as Karen thought about her suggestion, agreeing that it might be a good idea at that.