Pain. . .


Image flash: boots, impact, falling. The snap-click of systems malfunction in the arm. The telltale lack of a safety line. Wind, rushing. Systems display showing several critical errors and failures. Impact.


Pain. . .


Wavering sounds of reality. Medical terms bandied about like orders from a drill sergeant. Gasps of shock and horror. Long white corridors, never in focus. A sickly sweet stench to the air.


Pain. . .


Hissing gas flowing through tubes and into lungs. Sensors wiring from skin to diagnostic equipment in a macabre web. One lone wire, different somehow, connecting a chromed port beneath the ear and a highly advanced collection of silicon, plastic, and aluminum.

Lenses whirred. Electricity sparked. Virtual reality formed into resolution around his psyche. Screens hung in midair, displaying various charts, diagrams, and numbers. What passed for a frown showed on what passed for a face in an electron landscape. To the layman's eye, most would seem insanely confusing. To the trained eye, it simply did not look good.

Power flowed to small magnets in metal racks, transforming pulsing signals into audible noise. A distorted voice, murmuring in the background. To all present, it sounded harsh, and full of irony.

"Initiate operation Phoenix Reborn."

(tbc)

Sitting in the sauna, Psly reflected on the effectiveness of his training so far. Flexing a little and wincing at the soreness in his arms, he figured at this rate, he might be up to speed sometime around Doomsday.

He was needing help, and in a big way. Thinking for a moment, then cursing as he once again fell into old habits. He didn't have his implants anymore. No more mental lists. No more perusing memories on a picture-in-picture in his field of vision. No more lifting engine blocks for fun.

No more built in protection.

'Great,' he thought as he toweled himself dry, 'on top'a all tha rest'a this crap, Ah've gotta learn all tha rest all tha frag over again. Jus' whaht Ah need. . .'

Throwing his sweatsuit back on, he ventured back out into the gym's workout area.

Breaktime was over. Time to go to work.

Sitting once more in the cool, dusty calm of his old garage, he looked down at his hand, flexing it from time to time into a fist. He was older than he looked now. . .much older than anyone realized. Experience and hardship had given his soul years beyond this new shell of a body. Then, the sound of it echoing in the stillness, he laughed.

Because for all the self-righteous prattle he'd droned on about not looking for his past glories, here he was, going after another Opal. But this time, he was searching not for power, nor for glory, as some might think. He knew power was fickle, and glory fleeting. No, this time, it was for something different.

This time, he was searching for something to cool the pain he still felt in his soul. Something to replace the sense of detachment his old implants used to grant him. Especially since besides the data transfer device implanted behind his ear, he could no longer travel the path of the cyber-enhanced.

This time, he was searching for his focus.

Once again, it was time to train. But for this, he needed to train the spirit, not the body. For it would be his spirit in the end that would be his savior.

Quietly, he murmured to himself, "If'n Ah cain't buy mah way faster, Ah'll jus' hafta find some other way, neh?"

Sweat poured off the elf as he continually drilled himself on the new techniques he found in the book Shard had given to him. Tonight was the Talon of Redwin tournament. Honestly speaking, he didn't care whether he won or lost, but simply wanted to see where he ranked in the end.

Shard's confession of feelings for him came as a surprise. Even this long after the accident, he didn't feel "attractive".

Finishing the kata in the same position as he started, the elf closed his eyes and stood there, breathing, opening himself to whatever secrets the universe was willing to grant him.

There were so many it had already taken away, after all.

Psly rolled up to the door of the Garage, keying in his code on his console to open the main door. Hanging up his vest, he looked around at his home. It definitely looked the part of the swinging bachelor?s pad.

Stepping over to the hallway closet door and opening it, he shrugged off the vest, making sure to keep the mace in place, and hung the vest on one of the available hangers before slipping through the hidden door in the back of the closet. All was dark, but not so bad to his special eyes, before stepping into a room filled with soft lighting and computer screens.

Displays of various sectors of the city were arranged around the seat, some moving, others stationary. Scattered amongst these were tactical displays, sensor readings, aerial photography, satellite imagery, and production quotas.

He did have the work of the Starlight Foundation to continue, after all. . .

Few, if any people knew of the Starlight Foundation's surveilance network. Three score Human Emulation Androids almost continuously patrolled the city in various guises. Small aerial drones flitted back and forth across the stratosphere, in the guise of birds, providing vast amounts of topographical, geological, and thermal information. Supplimental camera and microphone transcievers dotted the countryside, along with several carefully cultivated underground contacts in and around the area of Badside provided much needed information on the criminal element of Rhy'Din.

And sitting at the center of all of this was one of the few people in the city interested in processing all of said information.

It was almost a sobering thought to the "elf" as he scanned the various screens, paying attention to one in particular. One where the testing of a new weapon system was taking place. Idly, he twirled one of the shells from said device between nimble fingers. It was a heavy object, nearly the length of a good belt knife, but infinitely more deadly in the right circumstances.

In the morning, he would begin the most intense part of the training of his special task force in the Guard. How to blend in and remain unnoticed while immersed in one of the most paranoid sectors of town. But for now, Pslyder had a much bigger problem.

Thermographic scanning of the city had revealed at least one potential dilemma. One, that the fires striking fear into the denizens of the city appeared to have more than one potential source, but at least one source Psly felt he knew, much to his dismay.

Dragons.

Psly just loathed dragons. . .

"One thang's fer sure," Psly said to himself quietly in the electron-lit darkness, "Ain' nothin' good gon' come from this. . ."

It wasn't until one of the consoles showed a lighter area that he noticed, but he whirled around with nearly inhuman speed, hands darting inside his jacket to whip out a matched pair of very big pistols, which just as quickly aimed for the ceiling once he realized who stood behind him.

"Fraggin' spirits, girl!" The breath whooshed out of him as he reholstered his pistols. "Warn a fella nex' time y'wanna see his Batcave, willya?"

He didn't want her to know how fast his heart was going, and how much he was telling his body that this wasn't an attack, and he didn't need all that adrenaline, thankyouverymuch.

Psly held his breath while watching the two rods and their less than vague imitation of fire, not wanting to become tonight's special of BBQ elf, and smiled wearily when she dismissed her aggressive post.

"Now then. . .should Ah be askin' whaht yer doin' in heah, or we jus' gon' get down t'y'wantin' t'help out?"

He reached for the books when a piercing alarm sounded from the console behind him.

Spinning in his chair, he stabbed the mute button with his finger, his face full of dread and dispair.

"Aw drek. . ."

Quickly scanning over the myriad screens in front of him until he found the one he needed, and a few seconds of looking told him all he needed to know.

"Yeah, m'dear," he said to Shard behind him, "Ah'm real sure them'll help, jus' not right now. Ain' time fer readin' no mo'."

Several swift keystrokes later started up a process deep within the underground complex. Robotic arms moved and grasped, held and welded, while a sleek form grew steadily under their meticulous and precise movements.

Borrowed from an old design for a dear friend, and modified for the larger frames of both Psly and his new weapon, the new motorcycle didn't employ the variable color scheme of the original. That would have taken too much time to implement, and this was an emergency. The new weapon was loaded on board, along with a full storage compartment of ammunition, slightly glowing with its own light before the small door was closed upon it.

Psly turned back around to face Shard. "Ah gotta go. If'n y'wanna stay heah, feel free. Ah know y'c'n handle y'self inna fight, but Ah'm gon' be boltin' outta heah fas'." He seemed to be stumbling over his next words.

Then, as the chair he sat in began to decend with increasing speed into his complex, he finally looked up.

"Love ya, toots."

Rocketing from the emergency launch tube a mile out of town, the black motorcycle's engine shrieked like a bane-sidhe as it arced through the air, landing with a heavy whump and cloud of dust, increasing in speed as Psly gunned the throttle. Airborne telemetry indicated more than one dracoform circling the new construction project.

Now, Psly knew Cory worked there, and while there was no love lost between the two men, Psly couldn't just let innocent townsfolk perish without doing something about it.

So, here he was, going out to do something about it.

He was going out to take on not one dragon, but a whole slew of them.

When all this was over, he was definitely looking in to psychiatric help.

She hit the ground, bouncing twice, than twisted the throttle as far as it would go. The recoil was more than when she shot out of the mass driver, pressing her against the seat...


"Hooooollllyyyy......"

She noticed that the bike was helping to steer itself, and allowed herself a sigh of relief.

Shard looked at the computer touchscreen in front of her. She hit the navigation bar, and noticed an option for "Tracking".

Shard hit it.

On the screen, she saw several lights, but only one of them was blinking...

"That's got to be him......"

So, using his own tracking device, she started to follow him.

The sudden roar surprised him. Psly didn't think he'd come anywhere near hitting either dragon, but apparently, luck landed on him like he'd landed on that patch of dry road before. . .

But navigating the twisting turns of the path up the bluffs was no easy task, and he bent all his concentration towards it.

Finally, he'd judged himself high enough and slewed the motorcycle to a halt, engaging the recoil pylons once its motion ceased and extending the weapon from its compartment along the bike.

Like a good deal of his creations, the rifle was sleek, but in its own way, highly threatening. Snaking a cord from the rounded box atop the weapon, he winced as he inserted the plug into the receptacle behind his ear, engaging the sighting program.

Then he braced himself and lined up for the shot, attempting to calm his breathing as he looked through the enhanced optics at the battling dragons.

The only thought he had then was, which one to take down first?

Psly stood a little straighter, watching the scene in the distance unfold with an almost unbelieving stare.

Then, as neurons in his brain fired in sequence to bring the rifle back to firing position for a shot at the other dragon, something quite unexpected happened.

The body of the blue dragon, impacting loudly with the cobblestone street, flared incandescently, converting immediately to what appeared to be lightning. Psly did not have time to ponder this development, however for there was a minor complication. The orichalum present in the bullet that took the creature down and the same metal present in the gun bridged a mystical connection. . .and the gun was connected in a much more physical way with Psly's brain, via the datajack. . .

The bolt slammed into the rifle, bike, and Psly at . . .well. . .lightning speed, catapulting the hapless elf into the distance as it reduced the motorcycle and weapon to so much carbonized slag on the mountainside.

The funniest part he would recollect later was how odd it felt to believe that the bolt was just as surprised of this development as he was.

Psly's more immediate concern?

How does one land safely in Battlefield Park?

When one is unconscious. . .

Psly dreamed. . .

In the dream, he was happy. His eyes were closed, and there was a pleasant sensation of a light wind caressing his skin.

Then he opened his eyes.

And plummeted.

Screaming in terror, limbs wildly gestulating in the air, the scream ended in a grunt of pain as Psly felt a solid weight hit him, talons piercing his flesh to bring him to a halt.

He looked up, surprised to see a big blue dragon holding him aloft, peering down at him with eyes filled with intensity he'd never before seen.

The two creatures remained that way for an indeterminate amount of time before Psly noticed a weeping hole in the dragon's chest.

The horned visage peered closer, tongue snaking out before Psly's amazed face, before the dreadful mouth opened, and a soft voice uttered a single word.

"Bastard."

Talons flexed, then roughly removed themselves from his body, and Psly tumbled towards the nearing ground once more, eyes locked on the hovering dragon growing smaller in his vision.

In his dream, Psly had stopped thrashing on his way to the ground. When the dragon had passed even beyond his sight, he let himself turn around to face the oncoming terrain.

By the spirits, if he was going to make a crater, he'd do it face first. That way, the rest of the world could go suck on his hoop, for all he'd care.

Then the elf found something odd happening.

He was slowing down.

Pain still registered from the talon wounds, but he paid no mind. He'd been through worse. But slowing down? One doesn't slow down in free fall unless one either had a parachute or some other way of slowing his velocity.

Suddenly, another vermillion flash burst in his vision, and Psly found himself back in the City proper, perched like a gargoyle on the rooftop corner of a building. By now, he knew he was dreaming. He knew it. Even down to the disintegraged shirt underneath the ballistic leather jacket. Hopping down, he made his way along the city streets towards the Arena.

It wasn't until a few blocks later, when the chill in the air had permeated his bare skin, that he realized it. That and the odd little whisper he thought he heard in his own voice. . .

"No, chummer. You ain't dreaming. For once in your miserable existence, you're going to have to pay the price for your good intentions."

Funny. . .it was his voice. . .but it didn't quite sound right. For one, it was just a hint higher. . .and for two, it sure as blazes didn't sound like it came from deep in the heart of Dixie. . .

Time to recoup, he thought. And, passing into the doors of the Outback, to figure out what the fraggin' hell was going on. . .

Walking back from the Outback took a small amount of time. Just enough, in fact, to hear Shard calling his name in abject terror.

"Aw drek. . ."

Running quickly, he soon happened upon her.

"It's a'ight, toots. . .Ah'm heah. . .trust me."

Crooning soothingly to her, he guided her back to the garage, where, uncharacteristically, he set about cleaning his residence with a vengance.

Soon, he notices Shard asleep on the couch. Carefully lifting her up, he ascends to his loft and settles her into the bed. Then, a slight grin on his face at the events of late, he returned downstairs to his cleaning.

Time passes.

The morning greets him with a newfound fervor. Life is much too precious to be spent in idle slumber, he thought to himself. At least, he thought he thought it to himself.

Although even Psly wasn't quite sure what made him order new windows for the kitchen. . .in blue. . .

Some few days had passed since Psly?s ?accident?, and further recovery. And so much time had passed since he?d competed in a Diamond Quest, he?d forgotten. So, tonight, he sauntered into the Outback, thinking he?d either take the top spot, or ditch these demons in his life trying for it.

Tareth, someone who?d been rather absent of late, finally looked over and recognized the remade elf. ?Good lord Pslyder, what happened to you??

?Call it a reboot,? chuckled Psly. ?Had ta ditch th' hardware.?

The first round matchups were called, pairing the elf with Cass in the Can.
Stripping down to his normal brawling attire, Psly began stretching out, before slipping a pair of fingerless leather gloves out of his blue jeans pocket and sliding them over his fists, then the barechested elf hopped over the edge of the Can, landing with a booted thump.

?Mars, guide my fists.?, stated the Roman, before giving his usual acknowledgement of ?Skill and Honor, emerald.?

?Fists, guide 'im t'Mars. . .?, the elf whispered before replying in a more normal voice, ?Same to ya, chummer.?

The match was short and brutal, lasting only seven rounds, but eventually netting Psly the win, much to Cass? disappointment. He nodded, then vaulted out of the Can, the twin blue lines on his back having grown just slightly longer, but his eyes back to the normal light green color. He hadn?t noticed them change during the match. Psly then snatched up his water bottle, taking another swig, and snagging a towel to dry the sweat from off of his shirtless self.

At that point, Kaja had to comment. ?'Ey, hot stuff.?

?Hey yerself, toots,? Psly replied as he checked his wardrobe for any possible social faux pas, then finishing off his water and grabbing two more, dropping one off by Rena, who?d taken up her customary spectator?s spot at the end of the bar.

When the next lineup was called, Psly looked over at Tareth, who, in a rather odd display for the man, replied, ?What?? Psly noted that Tareth seemed rather distracted. . .most unusual.

?We're up, chummer. . .? said Psly as he headed for a Rask Brand ring, Tareth slowly following behind. The match itself was short, but enlightening, as Psly tried opening with his typical attempts at wit and repartee, earning a simple ?Just fight? from the man.

The match ended quickly in just six rounds, but that would unfortunately be the high point of Psly?s night. The third round had Psly and Matt falling prey to one of Shard?s more devious plotings, the last being blindfolds for Cass and Jaycy. This time, the combatants were bound at the wrist.

Eleven rounds later, Psly was rubbing his sore wrist where the rope had chafed during the pounding Matt gave him. Rubbing his temples against an oncoming headache, Psly muttered to himself as he searched for an aspirin. ?Fraggin' ow. . .? Not finding any, the elf laid his head down upon the cool wood of the bar and closed his eyes, resting with a sigh.

. . .bastard. . .

Not again, thought the elf. . .

. . .oh yes. . .indeed again. . .you shot me. . .so now. . .you get to live with me. . .forever. . .

Psly shot up off the bar at the calling of the next lineup, wincing slightly as it was just too darn bright in here. Raking his gloved hands through sweat-streaked hair and blinking rapidly, he hopped over the ropes to face off against Jaycy. All he remembered clearly was getting dropped to the floor as agony bloomed in his brain.

A hazy memory of Cass mouthing off about something or other, voices fading in and out, multiple impacts, and finally, blessed blackness. . .

Or so he thought. . .

. . .yessssss. . .now it is time. . .

time fer whaht?

. . .time. . .for my needs. . .i?m hungry. . .

no. . .

Lightning flared in his vision.

A vision from on high, overlooking the city.

Blur. . .

Faces, looking upwards in horror at some unimaginable terror.

Blur. . .

Fields. . .white shapes on dark green. . .

A feeling of elation. . .impact. . .


Pslyder woke, screaming, clawing his way up from the bathroom floor in his loft. A moment?s worth of breathing and looking at his reflection in the mirror was all it took to have him turning and retching so hard into the toilet that his toes curled.

Amber. His eyes. . .were amber.

That, in and of itself, wasn?t the problem.

Slitted too.

Neither was that.

The problem was, his face, from cheekbone to collarbone, was literally coated in drying blood. . .

And the poor elf had no earthly idea how it got there.

Death came with unexpected peace. Jacob had come, and then the blackness cloaked everything. Not so bad, really.

But just as blissful sleep came, lightening arced from the dragon?s body, back along the rockets contrail. Blue-white, it sizzled across the sky, exploding into a strange looking motorcycle, blowing it to smithereens. The ?elf? that had been jacked into the vehicle was thrown high into the air.

Disorientation.

Shock.

ANGER!

All of these things were experienced, and then came the psionic cry of loss and sorrow from Jacob. That scream into the ether brought realization into focus.

This ?elf? was the one who?d shot me!

Anger flared hotly in what remains of me. I could see my old body in a pool of blood with Jacob sitting beside me, holding Sai Jon, his friend, both of them coated in my blood as it pooled beneath my inert corpse, but here I was, locked into a foreign body, hurling through the air.

Realization that I was about to die again if we landed in Battlefield Park woke survival instincts, and in the ?elf?s? mind I raged at him, talons digging into his body.

?BASTARD!?

He was as shocked as I. We are locked here together.

We hit hard around a tree, and I could hear a crowd gathering where Jacob and his friend were sitting. Then a shot gun blast ripped into the night.

Shortely thereafter, the oddest sensation was coupled with a brilliant blue glow where I had fallen. There was no pain, but a feeling of loss, diminishment ? and then soft words carried on a breeze ? ?May the lord have mercy on your soul, friend dragon. May you rest and abide with him until time ends.?

My broken body was gone.

Ashes upon the wind.

I retreated from the elf?s consciousness. Turning inward. What was I to do now?

Psly bolted back to his garage, Opal in hand, slamming the door behind him.

"Fine! Fine! Jus' leave me th' frag alone!"

". . .i. . .want. . .lamb!"

"Ah'll get ya yer fraggin' lamb! Jus'. . .jus' leave me alone. . .jus'. . .leave me alone. . ."

Sagging against the wall, he flung the mirrorshades onto his couch and curled up into a ball, arm over his eyes to hide the tears.

It was simply getting worse. There wasn't any better way to put it. The headaches, the blackouts. . .waking up covered in sticky red wooly fluff. . .feeling queasy all the time. . .and the dreams.

Oh, the dreams. . .

Sobbing silently, the elf racked his brain, wondering who in the entirety of the city could possibly help in this.

For no one but him and Shard knew the twin tiny horns blossoming under the hairline. . .

Soon, far too soon for Psly's liking, the bleating of sheep behind the garage drew on the attention of his unwanted houseguest.

He fought. Really, he did. Fought enough to black out after opening the back door and seeing the small flock he'd bought. . .just before the rush in his mind took over, sending him into his own personal Abyss.

Hours later, the end result was four very scared sheep in the backyard, one yellow Opal sitting on the bed, one load of blue clothing in the wash, and one very sick elf bent over the toilet.

And somehow he knew. . .just knew, that this was only the beginning.

The poor elf cringed at the sound of the dragon's voice in his head. After all, there had been at least five occasions where he had to stop himself from pouncing upon some lizard sunning itself on a rock. This just had to stop.

"Fer th' las' time, y'scaly spellworm. . .Ah don' eat meat raw! Raw meat, 'specially lamb'r pork, is decidedly unhealthy fer us lowly mortals. So, fer pity's sake, would'ja please jus' lemme cook th' damn sheep?"

. . .but. . .cooking. . .ruins. . .the flavor. . .

An especially savage snarl escaped his lips as he picked up the Opal laying on his bed. "Well, at leas' now Ah c'n fly, y'sorry excuse fer walkin' luggage!"

Again, he pondered who he could call on to de-possess the possessed.

Shivering on the tile of his bathroom, Opal in hand, it was all the elf could do to keep up his conversation through clenched teeth. . .

"We. . .ain' geared. . .t'eat raw meat. . .y'fraggin' brainraper. . .b'sides, Ah grew up. . .eatin' veggies. . ."

Shakily getting to his feet to stare into the mirror, he continued.

"An' furthermore, it ain' none'a yer damn business who Ah'm tryin' t' tick off. Yer th' one trespassin' heah, not me! Y'want raw woolbush, get'cher own damn body!"

Picking himself back up from the floor, Psly shook his head again to clear it.

"Shut UP!. . . It ain' mah fraggin' fault th' two'a you flyin' spellwyrms had t'duke it out where ya did, but dammitall, Ah's jus' doin' mah job! All you two was doin' was tearin' up whaht Ah's suppos' t'protect!"

Psly continued to stare himself down in the mirror, slowing his breathing as he tried to calm himself down.

"A'ight. . .this heah's gettin' us fraggin' nowheah slow. See, all yer doin' is killin' me bit by bit wit' alla this. An' guess whaht happens when Ah die?"

A ghost of a smile haunted Psly's lips. . .
"Thaht's right, toots. . .If'n Ah die now, Ah'm takin' you wit' me. So heah's th' deal. Ah'll see whaht Ah c'n do 'bout gettin' you outta mah skull b'fo' you split it wide, an' you shut th' frag up fer a while, an' make do wit' yer cooked lamb. Y'scan me?"

Much later, after repeated showerings and such, Psly stared back into the mirror, wiping steam from the smooth surface.

"Ah'm dyin' 'cause this fragile mortal shell cain' take much more'a yer influence. An' no, mah job ain' killin' dragons. Mah job used ta be protectin' th' city from random death'n destruction."

More bleating outside caused the elf to clench the countertop, gritting his teeth.

"Fraggitall, Ah said no. Ah'll kill th' li'l critters, Ah'll skin' 'em too. But Ah cain' take no mo'a this eatin' 'em while they still cryin'. . .they ain' prey t'me, so back off!"

"Mah. . .mouth. . .ain'. . .big enough fer no. . .fraggin'. . .sheep!"

Psly kept his hold on the countertop, willing the hunger away. . .not so hard, really. . .his stomach was already roiling.

"An' no, Ah din't. But y'know, y'din't 'zactly go 'round advertisin', now did'ja?"

He pushed off from the counter, slapping his bare back against the wall and sliding down to hug his knees while sitting on the floor.

"An' if'n yer gon' gimme thaht 'Let th' affairs'a dragons be dealt wit' by dragons' thang, y'all shoulda kep' yer dragon affairs outta downtown."

By now, all he could do was grumble, having not slept since before the challenge match.

"So fer th' las' time, knock it off. They's roast'a lamb inna oven, an' thaht'll be done by th' time Ah'm ready t'eat again. It's mah body, dammit, so quit tryin' t'remake it in yer image. 'S been done already."

Shard carried the only two boxes of things that she owned. She figured since she was staying there anyway, there was no use paying weekly rent on a place she wasn't staying at.

Psly's behavior had gotten decidedly weirder, but at least she understood why, now. Before heading back to the garage, she stopped at a library, digging through books on possession to see what she could find about the current situation.

None of them had anything she was looking for. Mostly, it was myths, and incantations. Silly things to do to protect from possession. But nothing to rid someone of whatever it was they were possessed with. Or how to, at least, keep the person possessed from totally losing their mind.

Apparently, exorcists didn't like to share there information with anyone.

She had a bad feeling.

Shard grabbed her things, and headed out the library's doors. She started off at a quick trot towards Psly's garage.

The sound of bleating greeted her, but she was starting to get used to it. And the smell of roast lamb... Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten at all today.

Psly was talking to himself again. Or to what was possessing him. She cringed, hearing the tears in his voice, but not going in. He had made it clear that this was his battle... She was just the moral support.

So she waited, with the boxes on her knees, until she heard him sit, and his soft snores. She creeped in, and set her things down on the table. This was not what she expected of love.

Shard shook her head, and walked to where Psly had slumped. She picked him up, easily, and carried him into the bedroom. She covered him up, and pulled up the chair next to him, finding her place in the book she had been reading.

A knock at the door disrupted her reverie in the fantasy world of her book. Shard stood and climbed down the stairs quietly, so as not to wake Psly.

"Can Miss Lady Dragon come out to play?"

Shard stopped a moment, and took a deep breath, trotting towards the door, her features sliding into Morpheus as she went.

She opened the door cautiously, and peeked outside.

"Yes?"

Shard gasped for air a moment, then pushed herself away from the lizard thing that talked faster then she could think.

"First of all, I'm not a dragon. Alright? Second, you can call me Shard. I know where the blue dragon lady is, and it's not me."

She swallowed.

"Can I ask you, how did you know the blue dragon's essence was here? And why she is possessing Pslyder? And who and what are you?"

She pointed up the stairs. "He's sleeping right now.... But maybe you can sit down and answer my questions. Would you like something to drink or eat?"

Shard hustled the lizard man into the kitchen, and made him sit down. She pulled the roasted lamb from the oven and set it on the stove, then started looking for drinks.

The sheep began to rustle in the background.

Shard took a deep breath, processing the information she was just given.

"The Lady Dragon did die, my friend. But not completely. Her mind is in Pslyder's.... He's my....friend... He is currently asleep at the moment, but I don't know for how long."

Another breath, she eyed h im closely...

"So, you are going to have to wait. Or, you and I could go see about your brother, and I can see what I can do about it."

She started to slice the roast.

His hand gripped the railing so hard, cracking was heard as the knuckles went white.

Easing down the stairs, the elf cautiously made his way towards the kitchen and to the fridge, only to be bearhugged by th. . .by Jacob.

"Th' lady says Ah should tell ya whaht Ah'm figgerin's th' bes' idear t' clear up this heah mess."

Opening the fridge, the elf took a section of raw lamb out, slicing off and preparing it into jerky-sized strips, before snapping his fingers, causing electricity to play along the meat, warming it to blood-heat and killing the germs.

He then, with a slight grimace, proceeded to open his mouth, and slurp down the meat.

Plate consumed, he reached into the icebox for one last thing.

Beer.

By goodness, it was time to get good and plastered. She deserved it.

Psly pulled the tab on the beer, taking a deep swig before speaking.

"Ok, heah's th' sitch. Yer lady dragon type person. . .she's stuck in mah head. Only way Ah know t'get'er out is t'forceclone 'er a new body. Th' fact thaht she's stuck in mine is changin' me somethin' fierce, so th' new body's gotta be able t'change wit' 'er. Ah c'n get this goin', but it'll take 'bout a week b'fo' she c'n inhabit th' protoform, an' 'bout 'nothah three months b'fo' she c'n come out th' tank."

Another swig.

"Beyond thaht, An don' know how long it'll take b'fo' she completes th' change. Could be a month, could be yeahs."

Swig.

"So, whaddya think?"

Shard glanced up from her sketch, and her eyes began to glow faintly. She nearly snapped the pencil in two, gritting her teeth.

Finally, in a low growl, she said, "And what if this doesn't work? Why don't we just hire an exorcist, and send the slitch back to hell?"

She laid her hands on the table, looking at Jacob, and Psly. Sometimes, her temper was more than her curiosity.


After all, this dragon had invaded on what she considered to be her territory. She knew Psly was hiding his true self from her, and with the dragon in the way, she'd never get to know him the way she wanted to.

The elf paused mid-drink, directing his thoughts to the dragon in earnest.

Because that's the one who'd be deciding whether or not you learn about the male perspective in sexual relations first hand. And if you'd care to peruse. . .carefully. . .into some of the more recent memories, you'd see that she holds a very special place in my life. . .

So, in short, zip it, lightning-bolt. I'll deal with her reaction personally. Again, think of the long term picture here.

It's either that or I take a temporary paralysis drug and don't let you go out and play with your food. Scan?

Finishing off the beer and reaching for another, again pausing, but this time to belch softly and speak.

"M'deah, thaht jus'. . .wouldn't be th'right thang t'do. B'sides, Ah ain' so sure exorcism would work anymore. She ain' no demon."

Just thinks like one. . .

Holding up his hands quickly to fend off the onslaught of verbage, Psly decided on a plan of action rather quickly.

"Naw, thaht's fine. . .whaht we's gon' do is this. Ah'll get th' team at th' facility on growin' a new body. Jacob, yer gon' be in charge'a both keepin th' lady safe an' keepin' 'er company. Like Ah said, is should take 'bout three months, but they ain' no way t' be sure. Th' lady does tend t'make changes, whether she's apt t'admit it'r not."

"Suffice t'say, she'll be back in biz in no time flaht. Coo'?"

Shard stretched again, and cut herself another peice of lamb. Her features slowly melded back to normal, the thorns about her head disappearing... the pixie tattoos settling in their normal spot... The articulated spikes disappeared back into her forearms.... And the leather that appeared sewn into the flesh of her neck disappeared.

"Well, if you don't mind.... I'm heading up to bed. I got to get up and do some more research tomorrow. Maybe I'll find something that can keep you and her happy until her body is ready...."

She stood, and leaned over Psly, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, before heading up the stairs, yawning.

The elf continued to down the nasty beer, and my thoughts were getting fuzzy.

I could hear Jacob, who was getting quite hysterical at the thought that I would be a baby dragon that he didn't particularly want to become Mr. Mom for, and somewhere in the background I heard the elf announce that he's not a dragon....

well of course he's not. Not yet.

The fuzziness crept across my consciousness, blurring everything.

*Jacob? I don' wanna die.*

Sleep, the fuzziness covered over me.

Everything is fuzzy! The world is out of focus, and all I?d really like to do is sleep. When I try to focus on anything, the world wants to spin, and so sleep is the safer thing for me to do.

The elf keeps drinking that nasty ale. You?d think it would make him as sick as its making me. I can?t even get enough focus to get him to eat properly!

Last night though, I did awaken briefly while he was fighting and discovered that his is staying poisoned apurpose!

Fine!

I?ll go rummaging through his memories until I find something useful.

He?d laughed, telling me that learning through memory would be better than being cognizant and present.

Harumph! I?ve had a partner, but he didn?t wish to go wandering, and now it?s probably a good thing. He might have wound up here!

I grinned. He could teach this elf a thing or two.

The poison he drank was blurring my perception profoundly, and I slid once more into the abyss of dreams.

Dreams the elf got glimpses of?.

Shard had everything set out for a party. She had even talked some of the goblins from the Twilight Isle to come and help out with her Halloween party.

But she was still at a loss for what to wear. It was kind of ironic that she was trying to find a costume. After all, it seemed like one way or another, she was always wearing a mask.

Finally she just decided to get dressed up. It wasn't something she did often, but for tonight, she figured it would be scary enough.

She gathered up some money, and went to the closest dress shop. It took a couple of hours, but she managed to find the perfect dress. It was cut just off of the shoulders, but the sleeves were long and flowing, and the train of the dress would trail behind her...

In midnight blue...

"Damn that dragon...." she sighed heavily.

It took another hour for her to get her hair the way she wanted it, before she headed off for the event she had set up in the Outback.

The elf woke once more from his disturbing slumber. That was one thing he'd never liked about ale, or beer, or the whole brewed-from-hops family. Nasty taste in the mouth, nasty pain in the forehead.

Then the thoughts of the dragon hit him, and there was much rushing to the toilet. So much for the surfiet of ale to keep the changes down. . .they seemed to come more rapidly when he got angry. . .

But, after a dual treat of old ale and new bile in his mouth, even the thought of semi-raw lamb didn't revulse too badly.

And so, after some thoroughly unskilled butchery and another shower, Psly had a plate of still-warm strips of lamb sitting in front of him, electrical sparks still playing over it like foxfire.

"Time t'hold up mah end'a th' bargain, Ah suppose. . ."

It was time for a little discipline. As much as she dueled in Morpheus, it wasn't doing her any good. She needed to learn to control her strength, and add a little dexterity to it.

After a very successful artifact hunt, Shard came back with a few small items. One of which she identitfied as a ring that slowed enchantments.

She wore it to the Arena.

She fought hard, first with her sword, then twin stilettos that were also a part of her find. She was having fun, though she was losing, a lot.

But every wound she received stayed. And it was getting harder for her to breathe.

After the vampire, Gabriel, stabbed her in the chest, she realised, she was slowing down, bad.

But she still wanted to fight. The stress of dealing with the dragon had finally begun to affect her, and she was trying to sweat it out.

As she stood to face Chase, she glanced across the room at Psly. She loved him, greatly, but nothing she read on dragons was helping her to understand what had happened to him.

It was a long match, and in the end, she lost. Shard felt a little dizzy as she nodded to Chase, then turned to bow to the General, who called the matches for her this evening.

Then everything went dark...

My host was visibly upset as he picked the woman up. He removed a ring from her finger, and was muttering imprecations, "sonovaslitch" as he carried her from the ring and the arena.

Why would the silly creature wear an antimagic ring in a sword fighting venue that has wards to protect against the fatal wounds? Why risk death in the rings?

I remained quiescent as he tended to her, he held her as special in his life, and my presence right now would not be welcomed, but curiosity eventually got the better of me long after he'd succumbed to sleep.

I woke him some hours later, "Why? Why do you not embrace your differences? Why are you so angry all the time? Why did she risk her own death tonight? Why are humans so illogical?"

Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:53 pm Post subject: Two Ways Lucky

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He woke at my prodding. Silently leaving the woman sleeping and going for the coffee he seemed to like. Nasty stuff, but not as nasty as the ale.

"So why the accent? What does that gain you? Why do people respond to it?"

Giving him a mental shrug, "differences, you were different your whole life, not just the ears, or the eyes. You were persecuted when you were a hatchling...." pauses, no, that wasn't right, what DID they call infant humans? Oh well...

"Humans do not seem to be logical. They go more on emotions and that gets them into trouble. That's why I believe they try to kill dragons whenever they can. You got very lucky with that shot. Lucky in two ways actually."

"Eighteen hours and I will have my own body, that sounds almost too good to be real."

She pondered being free of this elf and the lure of the freedom of the skies. To be able to soar the skies again! Oh what things she would never take for granted again!

"so how do you like your wings?"

The azure had spread down his arms, and the beginning of scale bumps had begun to form down his spine, and twin bumps were just under his hair line. How could he not love this morphysis?

The image of narrowed dragon eyes peering at him within his thoughts.

"What do you mean when you say it won't be 'exactly as easy as all that'? I know I'll be a hatchling for a bit, but let's be more specific, shall we?"

A distinct tail lash rippled through his mind.

His words, both spoken and unspoken had the dragon seeing RED.

Her temper exploded, giving him a hell of a headache.

"If I will not be a hatchlling for a time, just precisely WHAT will I be? And while we're at it, dragons are born knowing how to walk. Just what do you mean "learning how to walk" again? I KNOW you are not telling me that I'll be humanoid when I wake up."

Her temper was growing exponentially at this point.

"No flying? NO FLYING?????? MONTHS???!!

A distinct snarl ripped through his headache.

"I know they can't recreate a dragon, but you said my influence would compensate for that short coming!"

A low growl rumbled at his next words. "besides, what are months to something that lives for centuries..."

"I am NOT a 'something' first of all, and second of all, you're telling me now that I have to wait for an undertermined period of time to be a dragon again? And if I'm not a dragon when this body hatches, just how much of YOU will I retain?"

Anger didn't begin to define what she felt right now.

"Just how well do you understand this whole thing? And what else haven't you told me?"

That was the part that now worried her. Just how much hadn't he said about this process????

"Do you have any idea how many memories you have stored? Do you think I can simply pick and choose all of them that pertain to this procedure?"

Her voice began a crescendo in his mind as she let loose the frustration she was beginning to feel.

"You, you said I would be helpless at first. That there were not available dragon .... ahm... what did you call it.....oh yeah, DNA, so they would use yours, but you never, EVER said I'd be hatched as a HUMAN!"

She fumed a moment before continuing, the thought crossed her mind to bite him soundly in the conscience again, but she refrained.

"So this 'clean slate' means I'll have this humanoid form for an unknown time period, with all the frailties and faults of a humanoid, right?"

The picture of gnashing dagger like teeth formed in his head.

"And I won't be able to eat my favorite meals of lamb for HOW long?"

She harumphed. Misunderstanding? She'd call it a monumental miscommunication!

"It was pertinant, but it would take me some time to go through all of your memories to find out everything. And in case you hadn't noticed, we haven't exactly been symbiotic very long, now have we?"

His next query had her grinning despite herself.

"Actually, I rather thought I'd be hatched as a faerie! You know, twinkle toes and stardust???"

Great. Just great. She was going to hatch as a humanoid, and would no doubt retain some of his traits. A mental sigh hisses between them.

"When I come out of this fluid, will I be able to take care of myself? Or will I need Jacob?"

He worked hard to gain control of his rising temper before telling me some of the things I would face after hatching.

His words sank in with a knell of dire warning.

As I pondered my immediate future, his next words shook me back to the here and now, 'so what exactly have you been perusing in my mind, eh?"

"Do you really want to know?" In fact, I'd perused many things from his memories. Things I'm certain he would not particularly be happy about.

He informed me he did really want to know.

"Well, I've looked at memories from when you were young, the taunting you suffered because you were different. I've seen your memories from the military, your loss of your arms, and the restructuring they did to you. How you felt about that, which by the way I think is part of the reason you're still so angry and unhappy. Then there was Alicia and the very odd way you humans have of mating. Those memories were very interesting. But I have to tell you, I'll be happy to be a dragon again. You don't tell most people your real name, your whole life I've seen in bits and pieces actually. But in that disjointed view of your life, I can't just pick out specific ideas and sort or sift for them, so yes, I missed a great deal about this process apparently."

She paused, letting him digest what she'd seen in his memories.

"And now your memories with this woman you care about, those are different from Alicia."

Time slipped past rapidly. He'd brought out old memories he'd stored outside of his mind where I'd been roaming.

He had nerve, apologizing for not being biologically predisposed to allowing dragons to sort and sift through his memories.

Must later, an incoming call summoned him from the review of his memories. The caller advised him that it was time.

Time.

That word sent mixed emotions through me. Time to move into my own body.... albeit not a dragon's form right now, and uncertainty, what if this didn't work? What if the result was not what I expected?

The uncertainty factor threatened to over rule the expectancy points. This elf was the one who shot me in the first place. And here I was, trusting him to make it right. What if it was all a ploy to get me out of his head and finish the job? I hadn't seen good things about dragons in his past. He'd just as soon kill a dragon as look at it.

He headed for the place where I would be removed from his mind, and put into an egg again.

I withdrew as we travelled.

Shard tossed slightly, throwing her arm over Psly's side of the bed. He wasn't there. She stood, and made her way into the bathroom, hearing a voice below.

After splashing some water on her face, Shard paused at the top of the stairs, debating whether or not to go downstairs. She could smell coffee.

But it was Psly?s voice she heard, though there was something not quite right about it. She crouched at the top of the stairs, listening hard.

?And just what the hell did you think you?d be born as? An ogre??

Shard jumped a little bit. No accent. None. No Good Ole Southern Boy.

Shard?s jaw dropped. She knew Psly was more intelligent then he put out, but this... Just where the hell was he from, anyway? And what was going on?

It took Shard a moment to realize he was speaking to his dragon brain buddy. Shard stood, and stretched. She knew that the time was close for him to transfer the dragon?s essence into another body. When he offered to share most of his memories in ?another media?, Shard walked back to the bed.

The dragon was sharing with Psly something he couldn?t share with her. And it hurt, badly.

Shard lay down on the bed, and closed her eyes. Exhaustion from the previous night?s activities, and the soreness finally overcame her, and she fell back asleep.

*******

Shard awoke again, much later in the day. When she went down into the kitchen, Psly wasn?t there. She looked around the kitchen a moment, and made herself a lamb sandwich. She was starting to get tired of all the meat.

She glanced at the telecom that had been dusted off. And looked away. It wasn?t her place to rummage through his memories.

But she was just so damn curious.

True to his word, the staff was replenished, supplies were delivered, and the tank "hatched" eight hours later.

The new staff rushed her into a more personable room, one with a comfortable bed and warm blankets, and dressed her in a voluminous robe. They laid her down on the bed with exaggerated care, knowing their livelihood depended on her survival, if not her newly formed opinion.

All manner of therapists were brought in. Speech, motor control, reflex, and other specialists all introduced themselves and set about making a schedule which allowed her plenty of rest as well as the most rapid relearning of basic skills necessary for self-sufficience.

Psly also made an appearance, hand delivering a small library and setting it against one of the walls in her room before turning to her.

"Of course."

Psly gestured, and a circular mirror appeared in mid-air. He'd had time to perfect that one.

Her appearance, while still in that "invalid" stage, wasn't unpleasant to the human eye. Delicate chin, slightly pointed ears, bluish-amber eyes. What little hair covered her head was a fuzz of lighter blond than Psly's.

"Soon, little sister. Soon, you'll learn. Soon, you'll rise beyond all this."

Collapsing the mirror, Psly took a seat.

"Now, I suppose you're wondering exactly why I'm being so pleasant? Especially considering you've spent a great deal of time perusing my memories and feelings on dragons in general?"

He waited.

Psly sighed and stood, turning to the books.

"Yes, I brought them. I thought they might provide ample food for thought while you recuperated."

Stepping away from the bed, Psly "relaxed". Clothing and form shifted to result in his being covered by millions of tiny blue scales, causing a shimmering effect over his body. His wings were kept tightly furled, but still nearly touched the ceiling. His tail barely slapped the carpet before he turned back, claws nearly digging furrows into the material. Amber dragon's eyes looked down at her, the thin swept-back horns almost framing his head like a halo.

In a voice much deeper and harsher, he spoke.

"And I'm nice because we are both now bridges, and it's very hard to hate something you're now a part of. This is something else you'll learn. I haven't been able to find your Lord Momus yet, but to be honest, I haven't been looking. I've heard tales of a situation demanding his attention, and I'm willing to wait until this is concluded. I believe we both have reason to be patient now, as well as the time to do so. Therefore, as I learn of these gifts your presence has bestowed upon me, so shall I be your primary teacher in your newly needed skills."

Psly closed his eyes, and resumed his "normal" form. He rolled his neck, resulting in several quiet pops, and took his seat again, green eyes looking at her.

"And now you realize why I call you 'sister'. As much as it is a small jest, it serves to remind me that I'm now a part of something much larger than myself. It also serves to remind me that, to the best of my knowledge, we are now the only two creatures of our type."

A short pause, punctuated by a bark of laughter, before he continued.

"Fear not, though. Genetically speaking, there's no way we would ever concieve even if the situation presented itself. We're entirely too much alike, you and I.

So, shall we begin?"

Psly laughed, and then spoke again.

"Yes, you will carry some of my DNA with you, but you'll be much more draconic when your evolution runs its course. Don't worry, you won't be a shrunken form of yourself. You might have to work a little harder to attract other dragons, for you will always have a taint of humanity about you."

Again, he took up a seat, pressing the 'call' button, and smiling at the attendant who wheeled a covered cart opened the door, dropping off his cart at the bedside.

Psly adjusted the hospital style cart to position it over her bed, about waist level, and removed the cover. A steaming pile of freshly filleted lamb strips, carefully kept to blood warmth lay upon a plate, glistening in the light.

"Hungry?"

Noticing the look on her face, Psly grinned.

"How about first we discuss how your food is going to come to you for a while. Your body is going to be under a continuous state of change for quite some time as it adapts to your consciousness. Meaning, until you can concentrate enough to adapt yourself, you've got to stick to small bites. At least take heart in the fact that your meal was still munching grass fifteen minutes ago."

Now it was Psly's turn to sigh, and drape a napkin across her chest, then he grabbed up a fork, spearing a slice, and picking up the bite-sized morsel.

"So, would you like my help, or are you ready to try this for yourself?"

Psly simply held the speared piece of meat up in front of her lips.

"I know this isn't the best of situations, but I'm afraid all your meals for some time are going to have to come to you as this was. First, you aren't going to be coordinated enough to make your own kills for a while, and second, you don't have the jaw structure yet. Now, if you'll open your mouth, I'll help you eat. And don't worry, the staff have all been sworn to silence."

He waited for her response.

He chuckled as he speared another piece of the lamb.

"You know my secrets, I know yours. I think that's a pretty fair trade, don't you?"

He continued to feed her the lamb, mentioning something about raptors and feeding their young in the same fashion.

"And as for the magic, well. . .before now, I wasn't that magically inclined. But as for your prognosis, they're still uncertain. As I said, it will all depend upon you and how much you will yourself to prevail. Mind over matter, sister. Your mind, your matter. Neh?"

I nibbled, well, TRIED to nibble the lamb, but real food for the first time in weeks was too hard to resist.


"You do not look bad in bllue. Wwhy do you prefer tthe form you take wwith sso much effort to maintain?"

His reference to raptors feeding their young in the same fashion brought a glower at him. "R-raptorss feed ttheir young tthe w-whole catch."

He kept saying my prognosis, and I think he means my future here, depends on me, 'mind over matter'.

"Sso tthiss dependss on mmy will tto ssucceed?"

All too soon the lamb vanished, and a horrible thought occured to me. "no!"

Posted on behalf of Jacob.....


Kor Jon
Adventurer



Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 128


5844 Silver Nobles


Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 1:37 pm Post subject:

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Jacob slipped past the security post and into the cleaning gear closet, you'd think a high tech place like this would have better security, he thought to himself as he popped off the cover to the air vent and began to crawl along the duct. When he reached the grate he looked down of Byzannce's sleeping form.

Good bye Byzannce. I will come see you when I can. he sent the thought to her softly, hopefully she would remember when she awoke. He hurried back out of the complex taking to the sky. He had very little time until they left for the Emerald Isles.

Why don't I have any friends who are NOT in mortal danger? he wondered.

In one of his rare free moments, Psly cursed under his breath.

Not only had he been completely unable to find Shard for a week ongoing now, his obligation to his new ?little sister? Byzannce took up a great deal of his free time as he coached her through the physical therapy. Her speech was progressing nicely, as was the time she could stay awake. He predicted her being able to walk by the end of the week.

Now this challenge loomed over him. Well, he wouldn?t dwell. Either Psly would defend his title or not. If he failed, she deserved the Opal, and that was the end of it. Until he decided he needed it again.

That wasn?t his concern now. His main concern was to find Shard. He sat down in his chair looking over the console of display screens, before keying in her picture to the system.

Now, it was just a matter of time. Sooner or later, one of his ?agents? would find her, and report in. All he had to do . . .

Was fly around the city, looking on his own.

Besides, how often could one be one?s own hangglider?

Hours, days, weeks. The routine had become blurred into sameness. I could walk, if I thought hard enough about it. I could do the rudimentary things I needed to do for some semblance of autonomy. It was not enough. Not by any stretch of imagination. Frustration had eaten at me all day, and I had been short tempered with the staff at the Center. I needed to get out. I needed to get away.

I?d searched the memories I?d kept from Pslyder. He?d taken even longer to get to where I was today, but that still didn?t help. If he hadn?t shot me in the first place. I sighed. No use in going there. He had shot me.

I made it to the Portal, tired and wondering if I?d done the right thing, but I stepped through in time to hear what sounded like someone blackmailing Psly, "That depends Psly. How much would you like to pay to get out of it??I paused as the speaker continued, ?Besides, I heard about your mess anyways. You?re fine so long as it doesn?t upset Mycroft.?

Pslyder?s surprised voice rose, ?Mah mess??

I moved with focused deliberation, my legs were shaking from going so far for the first time. The speaker continued, ?I know more than I let on. People talk. And you were not too smart for doing it during a match.?

Psly was shaking his head with a sigh when he spotted me, ?Howdy petit, nice t?see ya.? Then he focused again on the man who?d been threatening him. ?Geez chummer, cain?t even relax once inna while??

He was using that awful slang again. I know he says people underestimate him because they think he?s uneducated, but it really is horrible to listen to when he does it.

Pslyder patted his couch, inviting me to come sit beside him, and with great determination, and resolve, I made it to the sofa before collapsing heavily onto the cushion beside him. I do not understand why he fights what he?s become. He?s much better looking in his new form, and yet he insists on maintaining the image of the elf. What I would not do to change! He leaned over and whispered to me, ?That is because they are used to me in this form.?

I lifted a weary brow at him, ?Brother, dearest, you are what you are. What I would kill a whole flock to be again.? He cannot fathom how much I yearn to take to the skies again.

He leaned back into the sofa, ?You?ll learn. B?sides, ?t ain? th? time jus? yet.?

I growled at him as the speaker approached our perch, ?So Psly, going to introduce me to your new chica??

He quirked a brow at the man, ?This heah?s mah sistah, Vince. An? she?ll innerduce ?erself.?

I tried to shove my elbow into Psly?s ribs, but it was a weak and uncoordinated attempt.

At that point, Lord Momus thundered into the Island. It was a shocking sound of reverberating thunder as he appeared in a rift. Rage was simply undeniable as the Dragon Lord moved with predatory grace toward Psly and me. He was tightly leashed, and I struggled to stand once more in the presence of my liege and leader. The staff barely able to keep me upright by now. Psly whispered, ?Carefully petit. Don?t overstress.?

I gave him a grateful nod before putting myself between he and Lord Momus.

The man known as Vincent whispered to Pslyder as I stood between the dragon lord and my ?brother?, ?Speaking of overstress Psly, I may just have a job for you.?

Pslyder rose and stepped around me, ?Ah?ll make mah own stand, thank ya.?

I reached out quickly, trying to snare his wrist. ?Let me talk to him.?

He nodded, ?A?ight.?

Very slowly and deliberately I made my way toward Lord Momus, but he walked around me, his attention riveted on Pslyder, and I struggled to get back to the sofa. Pslyder stood there, removing his mirror shades as Lord Momus failed to recognize me, failed to stop, failed to hear me.

Lord Momus was in a killing rage, and his hand shot out grabbing Pslyder by the throat, lifting him from the ground, his claws curling in an unbreakable grip around his throat.

The foolish man who?d been talking to Pslyder spoke up, ?I suggest you take your hand off my employee.? He was courting death in the blink of an eye if he didn?t back away.

Lord Momus ignored him, and Pslyder grasped Tass?s hand, trying to take some of the pressure off his chin as Lord Momus spoke with deadly soft tones, ?You killed one of my kin.?

Psly?s eyes shifted from elven green to draconic gold, and his voice dropped into a gravelly his, ?Ah am one?a yer kin now, an? she?s still livin?.?

Lord Momus gave him a curl of his lip, ?you are no kin of mine, slayer.?

I reached them at last, ?Please, stop this.? I sank unwillingly onto the sofa once more.

Psly was gasping for air, ?Now, Ah suggest y?use thaht brain fer somethin? besides keepin? yer hair warm, an? look t?th? lady tryin? tae get?cher attention.?Something snapped when Psly said ?her?, and his rage spilled over, lashing out at Vincent violently.

I whispered to Pslyder, ?He?s dangerous right now, rage, black, dark.? I could feel it, sense it without trying, somehow I knew Lord Momus was walking a knife edge of sanity.

Psly?s eyes changed back to green as he pointed at me. I spoke up, ?Lord Momus, with time, I am promised my form will return to me?? The look the dragon lord gave me send a chill down my spine.

Psly chose that moment to shift, into his new form, wings spread out, his tail landed on the sand behind him, beautiful horns sprouted and swept back while azure scales rippled outward from the blue lines in his elven form. ?Now, y?prepared t?listen??

Vincent looked like he was about to say something and then thought better of it.

I pushed back to my feet, grabbing onto Psly?s blue scaled arm for leverage. I clung to him to remain upright just as Shard walked through the portal. Her look spoke volumes. But it could not be helped right now.

Vincent tried to keep Shard back, just as Lord Momus once more curled his lip at Pslyder, ?I am not impressed, slayer.? His hand twisted in the air, crushing the wings hard against Psly?s body.

Psly stood there in pain, the delicate bones in the wings are easily hurt, and Lord Momus was trying to inflict pain. ?You might call me a slayer, but I still have the right to defend myself, and my city.? His words were punctuated with pained gasps for air.

Lord Momus snarled, ?You deliberately shot down my kin. And yet, you stand here and call yourself kin!?

I moved then, still trying to get his attention, ?He is now related Lord Momus. That form he takes is mine.?

He continued to act as though he could not hear me as he continued with Pslyder. ?Your defense was not warranted, and ill advised, slayer.?

Pslyder was gasping for air, ?Tell? that?. to the?. families ?.of the victims? your? ?passenger? ? took.?

Shard approached warily, she looked hard at me, then offering me her arm to lean upon as Lord Momus continued to slowly strangle Pslyder. She clearly wanted to get involved in the fight, but Psly clearly wanted no interference from either of us. She whispered to me, ?Let?s sit. I need to watch this, and you don?t need to be here.? She gave me a tight smile. Clearly she knew who I was, even though she and I had never met other than her knowledge that I had been inside Pslyder for those weeks.

I looked at her, ?I need to get through to Lord Momus, but his rage is something I?ve never seen. He won?t listen.?

Vincent found some dangerous bravado as he spoke up, ?One warning Tass. You start calming down or I?ll calm you down.?

Shard looked between Tass and Pslyder, ?Has anyone bothered to ask what else is on his mind? Dragons die everyday because of people?s misconceptions.?

Psly flashed a glare at Vincent, ?And you, stay back! Please. He is correct. I did act without thinking, and I am paying the price!? He looked once more at Tass, ?This won?t help you.? He?d dropped his uncultured accent now as he gasped for each pained breath.

If only I could change, just partially! Anything to prove to Lord Momus that I am truly still alive, despite this humanoid form!

Lord Momus narrowed his eyes at Pslyder, ?Her essence did not return to the Isles.?

I was too weak to shout, but Shard heard me, ?I cannot return, not yet.?

Pslyder croaked, ?That? is? because ?. She stands?. behind you!?

Lord Momus continued, ?upon death, a dragon has two choices slayer, one is to?? his voice dropped, as though he was reticent to tell Pslyder the options a dragon has at death.

From some deep place, he sent me enough energy that my anger at being so helpless caused a deep bone pain in my shoulders. ?Lord Momus! Look at me, please! My essence followed the trail of the weapon, I resided within him until a solution could be found!? The pain radiated sharply and azure wings slowly unfurled behind me.

Lord Momus finally looked at me. His eyes narrowed as he took in the unfurling wings, and despite my likeness to Pslyder in a feminine form, he slowly registered recognition. Shard had taken a step back as the transformation started, but I could not complete it. She moved back toward me, taking my arm again.

?Please Lord Momus, he did shoot me out of the sky. But, I would be truly dead and gone without his help.?

Pslyder grabbed at the moment of hesitation, forming a protective barrier around himself to allow him to breathe. ?If you would stop being blinded by your own rage, you?d realize I?ve been paying my penance, and have been doing everything within my power to aid in her recovery.?

Lord Momus? eyes snapped back to Pslyder, ?You know nothing of the rage I harbor, slayer, nor of the penance that is truly being paid.?

?How can you call me slayer? Is she dead??

Lord Momus snapped back, ?Is she who she was?? The derision was clear to me.

Pslyder answered him, ?She lives. She breathes. She still enjoys lamb. She still thinks as she did, but with a little more experience, as do I.?

I could no longer hold the wings upright, and they drooped to the ground. ?Someday I will be myself, someday.? The words were nearly whispered.

Shard stood beside me, holding me up or I would have been in a heap on the sand.

Lord Momus pulled Pslyder toward him, snarling, ?she will stay that way, even though you have destroyed her pure essence, and she will stay with you!.?

?NO! Do not deny me milord!? He?d just passed sentence on me, declaring that I was no longer pure, and that I was being required to remain here with the elf, and not being allowed to go home.

They all ignored me, Pslyder continued, ?and there is one less creature willing to kill your kind in the world. Therefore, ask yourself, who was slain??

I was desperate, ?Jacob. Jacob can tell you what?s been done. Jacob knows!? Somehow I had to convince Lord Momus that I was worthy of returning to the land of dragons, and not be left behind, left here and denied as being dragon kind. I grabbed Shard?s arm tightly as Lord Momus shoved Pslyder aside.

?You will stay here.?

I shook my head in denial, ?something terrible is happening. Jacob wouldn?t tell me, but I know it is.?

He shook his head, ?That is why you will be staying.?

?but? my argument was cut off.

?I will have no argument in this? the borders are closed to all, including kin.? He was adamant, and I was utterly crushed. My head dropped as he continued, ?You are not whole, you are not strong, and you are not ready to see what is there. This is for your safety.? He turned toward Pslyder, ?and yours.?

Pslyder reverted to his elven form as a multitude of lightening bolts hit the Isle, crashing down around us, and then he was gone.

I was left there as Nithhoger?s words echoed in my head. ?You are usesless.? I must have whispered them, for Shard hugged me, ?not entirely.?

I sank to the ground, pulling the wings I could not will away, nor finish transforming, around me, covering me in my misery. I was useless. And denied by my liege lord. Misery enveloped me, and all I wanted was to curl up in the sand alone. Without lifting my head, I told Shard to go to Pslyder, she was his woman, and right now, she should be with him.

She gave me an odd answer, ?And who says I?m ready to go to him yet??

I was not prepared for kindness from this woman, especially after all the things she?d said about exorcising me when she knew I resided within her man. Yet here she was, seeking to console me instead of going to Pslyder.

Vincent was talking again, and Pslyder?s voice was clearly angry, but the ominous pronouncement by Lord Momus rang in my ears, ?not whole?, ?not myself?, in essence, he was pronouncing me unfit to be with dragons. Pslyder had told me I would have difficulty attracting a mate because I would have the hint of human about me, and Lord Momus has sensed it and rejected me. Even if I can relearn how to take my old form, I was not accepted.

Pain shot through my soul.

Pslyder?s voice rippled across the isle, as a rock exploded, ?sonuvadrekbleedinslitch!?

?Go to him, you?re his woman.? I needed Shard to go. I needed to be alone.

Vincent continued to harangue them, and I lifted my head and snarled at the man, ?leave them alone.?

He turned on me, ? I suggest you stay out of this.?

Pslyder spoke up then, ?Vince, Ah suggest thaht y?speak a li?l bit nicer t?mah family. Y?scan? Ah?ve been yer friend er quite some time, but yer walkin? a damn thin line.?

Vincent almost said something, but thought better of it. ?You?ve had a rough night, and we?re all a little stressed. Swing by the hotel for breakfast, all of you.?

Pslyder walked toward me, offering a shoulder for me to lean on, but I just looked up at him from the ground, pulling my wings tightly around me. ?Go ahead, I?ll get back to the center.?

?D?ya?, he sighed, and switched, ?Do you really want to go back there?? His expression was one I didn?t want to inspect too closely. Pity would have undone me, and that would be the final humiliation. ?You?re family. Us freaks gotta take care of our own, y?know??

Freaks. Yes, that certainly fit what we are. Part of me wanted to leap at his offer, and yet, three is a crowd, and Shard had hinted that things were not repaired between them yet. Having me there would be a complication that no one needed. But, the thought of going back to the Center send cold shivers down my spine. They were kind, but I was weary of their constant presence.

?No, I want to return where I belong, but that?s been denied to me.? I sighed and pulled at the wings, which remained drooping in the sand.

Psly looked at me, ?fer, for the moment, my home is now your home. I have room. I have sheep.?

I looked up at him, ?I still can?t eat those sheep properly.? The pain of not being able to change was deep, but I knew he?d understand.

Shard looked at me, as though understanding what was going through my mind, ?I may be able to fix that, but this time, you won?t be able to listen in.? She laughed.

I could feel the blush. I?d been privy to things no outsider should be, and here she was making light of it.

Pslyder grinned, ?I?ve a spare room downstairs, and stop dragging your wings. It?s unseemly.?

I was not going to admit that I simply could not lift them. The complete lack of energy had finally taken its toll, and I couldn?t have gotten to my feet if I?d had to save my own life. Pslyder felt it, we?re still connected it seems, his voice inside my thoughts, <draw from me, little one, you can do it.>

We left the Isle with Shard on one side, and Pslyder on my other side. I will avoid being a nuisance for long. But where will I go? Where does a dispossessed dragon live out her life?

Lord Momus? words had hurt, they?d cut down to the bone, and beyond. Pslyder and Shard have invited me to live in their home rather than at the Center, yet I do not fit in there either. Three is a crowd in the best of times, and this certainly is not the best of times.

Progress comes though not fast enough. I am able to go abroad alone, but tire quickly. The wings I?d managed with my ?brother?s? help had taken hours to change back. I hadn?t managed a full shift, only a partial, and was so drained I couldn?t hold them up. It is humiliating. And yet, Pslyder is there for it all, and tolerates my frustration with good graces. Shard tries, though I think she is still uncertain of me and how long I will be in their care.

Their care.

Two words I never thought to associate with myself.

The Annex was not busy, and I slid through the heavy doors as someone else opened them. I was greeted by my erstwhile brother and his woman. Shard invited me to join them in the rafters, and I fleetingly wondered if she was simply taunting me, for there is no way I could have climbed up there on my own yet.

She dropped dark tendrils to me, ?I can lift you up.?

Again the stinging humiliation of not being able to do something so simple as reach the rafters.

Psly lowered the ever present mirror shades, ?who climbed??

I frowned at him, ?you flew, I cannot.? The words were bitter with frustration.

He grinned, and suddenly his thoughts formed in my mind, <you?re trying too hard, you know that.>

I gave him a dark look as I tentatively touched the tendrils Shard had lowered. After settling into the rafters with them, I glowered at him, *I am not trying too hard, I am not trying hard enough brother dearest.*

His good natured smile returned, <you are trying too hard. I made sure to build the body in such a way as to simply assimilate your form. By forcing it, you?re complicating the process. Just relax and let it happen, although, if you?re anything like me, anger will accelerate the process.>

I muttered something about having to be angry for a year at this rate.

We shared thoughts back and forth until Lord Momus appeared. He was dueling right away, but I told my brother I needed to see if I could get him to relent. Let me go home.

Pslyder?s thoughts were depressing, <Don?t. If he didn?t want you going home, I imagine there are more than one good reason. Aside from the fact that you can?t manage the journey right now in your present condition.>

But I have to go home. There is serious trouble, and I am doing no one any good here, and though they won?t say it, I am a burden to Psly and Shard.

He tilted his head, as though he could read even my shielded thoughts, ?And what do you propose to do??

I have no idea really, but I know there is something useful I could do.

Psly continued, <I may be new to this whole scene, but something that would cause a dragon, especially that dragon, distress, is something I?d rather avoid. Even at my best, which, you are not.>

There it was again. That pointed reminder that I am useless at the moment.

After I objected to just sitting out and waiting, Pslyder continued, <again, what do you propose you could do? Besides represent a potential hostage/casualty?>

Now I was truly angered. Even as a human, I could hide, watch vital areas, provide feedback on numbers and movement.

My new brother snorted, <You can barely make it to here under your own power. You can?t shift form. You can?t defend yourself. You would be at best a target. You have my memories, peruse them and find out what happens to non-battlefield casualties. I?ve seen images of you eating that aren?t as disturbing.>

I could feel anger welling up hotly at his thoughts. He believes I would be nothing more than fodder to torture. I muttered, ?Only if I were caught. Who says? I?d be caught??

He reached up and took off the mirror shades and gave me ?THAT? look. <A five year old half orc with a head cold could find you at the moment. Denial won?t do you any good sis. He placed you under my care, and that?s that.>

He?d told me I stank like a human! I swallowed the merlot, I don?t want his sympathy, and kindness. I want to go home! There had to be a way to convince Lord Momus.

He glanced at me, <are you sure you eally want to pursue that line of inquirey?>

I nodded, there was no way I wanted to sit on the sidelines nice and safe.

<Then tell me what you propose you could do that would keep you out of harm?s way>

I sighed inwardly. There was, in truth, little I could do.

<Sister? what you are right now is incredibly fragile according to his standards. He doesn?t deny you out of hate, or spite, but out of worry. Do you really think after his display at thinking you dead, he?d want to intentionally place you in danger? If you truly want to help him, help him by helping yourself.>

Rational arguments, how I hate them right now! Then a thought occurred to me. In my brother?s memories, there were bionic assists. Devices that could compensate for my weakened state. I asked him, but again he shot me down.

<Neither of our bodies will accept them anymore. We?re allergic, our bodies would reject them. Physically and forcibly. Case in point> and he showed me where the data jack had once been. It was gone.

He told me to look again at those memories to see how all that technology had been naught but a crutch. He told me that healing takes time, but I don?t have time.

I thought about asking at the Center. They might have answers that would work, but my brother was listening. <And you can stop that line of thought right there sister. That body has had all the alterations it can stand. The rest is up to you, and how patient you can be.>

*What harm is there in asking??* I was enraged, why NOT ask?

He turned slowly to look at me as Lord Momus walked toward him, <That?s something I hadn?t covered with you. Yes, some biological enhancements exist, but considering the work already done to that body, any more would completely undo it, and you would be dead.>

I frowned at him as Lord Momus spoke to Pslyder. ?Th? lady heah wanted t?talk t?ya Tass.?

Lord Momus looked straight at me, ?about??

I was instantly nervous. It?s not done, questioning one?s master, but I did, ?Lord Momus, your decision, is there any chance I can convince you to change your mind and let me come back? I mean, there has to be something I can do to help.? I was pleading, but it didn?t matter. I couldn?t stay here and be useless.

?No.? was his one, crushing reply. At length, he continued, ?when things settle on the Isles, then you may return.?

I lowered my head as he left.

My brother patted the sofa, <care to sit on the sofa? They made it for prolonged sitting.>

What I wanted was to cry. To go somewhere and sob until there were no more tears to cry, but that wouldn?t help.

Shard came back, seeking a duel. I couldn?t wield a sword, or fight hand to hand, but magic ? I had to try. Shard was reticent, but she got into a ring with me.

After 3 rounds, I sank to my knees as her mage bolt hit. I couldn?t get up. There was nothing left. Pslyder growled, <Alright, just so the both of you know, I can feel that!>

Still panting hard, * I know*

Pslyder and I are connected, what one feels, so does the other. I?d learned that last night. From the distance of the Center to his home, we had enough separation that I?d not noticed, but last night was a different story. And tonight, we learned that he too feels it.

Shard finished me quickly, and I sat in the sand trying to collect enough energy to get up, but it took Shard?s help to regain my feet.

It was going to be a long, painful road back.