Sunday morning... the first day of April. Lyndra had gotten up early and rushed down to get several copies of the Oracle. Breakfast was made and she loaded up the Headmaster's favorite breakfast foods, plus a copy of the oracle, onto a tray and took him his breakfast instead.

She'd gotten used to some of his routines and Sunday mornings she pretty much knew. It was easier to notice his movements and rarely did he ever come from the office on a Sunday morning. He was either still in his private quarters or up working on some project in his lab.

Taking a chance on his private quarters, she came to his door. Listening for a moment revealed that there was movement inside, footsteps moving around across the room.

A moment was spared for the nasty little cut above her right eyebrow, that delicate one that would often lift in such an attractive manner. It was only about a half inch long but the cut was deep. After nearly a day, it had finally stopped bleeding and formed a scab.

She knocked gently on the door.

"Headmaster Briarius? Are ye in there?"

She had parted her hair on the other side, sweeping bangs down to cover that cut. The wound still caused a headache and she really hadn't slept much that night. Still, she was in fairly good spirits considering. The sound of his voice and the door opening brought some relief as the tray was getting quite heavy after carrying it across the way.

"Master Briarius, I brought ye the paper and yer breakfast."

She came in and found a table to set the tray on.

"I also have some questions of a personal nature I wanted to speak with ye about.. a bit more in private from yer office. I hope ye don't mind. If this is a bad time..."

She let the rest trail.

"Well, There are a few things actually ... First... take a peak at the last page on the Oracle for one..."

She smiled a little, a touch of pride in her gaze. Yes, Lyndra was bragging a little there. She was quite pleased about doing it, the thing on the last page. She handed him the paper and gave him time to look at it while she poured them both some apple cinnamon tea. She left a cup in front of him as she sat down in a chair adjacent. Delicate and long fingers caressed the edge of her cup while she kept her gaze on him for a reaction.

The fingers unconsciously lifted, tucking the hair behind her right ear. The wound was clearly visible above her right brow, though that didn't register in her smiling hazel green hues. She'd forgotten about it.

"Nae, sir... no need for that. Really. For ye, I'd work for free. If it weren't for ye, sir, I'd not even be."

A gentle, sincere nod.

"Which brings me to my other reason for being here. I still need a last name. Can ye tell me more of Erique?"

"Ye knew Erique best and what he might do to obtain a vessel designed to .... well, ye knew what he was capable of. Can ye determine if this body.." a vague wave of her hand indicating herself, "...has any physical attributes connected in the bloodline of Sharalis?"

"So he could've gone back and found one of her ancestor's graves and dug up a bone, eh? or a hair sample of Sha'uri... or... Sharalis or..."

Lyndra paused and sighed deeply.

"I really could be related to her. Sha'uri said as much might be possible. She told me she could find out but that ye might have something, some divinative...er.. divination that ye could perform that might point to exactly who and what he'd used to make me, considering ye are more advanced in the necromancy then she is. That's what she told me. Can ye do this?"

She leaned back in her chair with a long slow sigh that was suddenly cut off, exchanged for a gasp. She had ran her long fingers through her hair, inadvertently scraping that scab right off causing it to bleed again.

"Ouch! No... darnit!"

She snatched up a napkin, pressed it to her wound and tried to stop the bleeding.

She had no words, no thoughts, only a bit of shock as she watched the blood droplets float from her head and hang almost motionless in the air... and from the wound as it appeared on Briarius, plus the odd demeaner change in the Headmaster. A moment of thought and she realized it wasn't so odd after all. It must've been something like hell for him in there. She could've kicked herself for brining up this subject just for the sake of picking a meaningful name for herself.

Snatching up another clean napkin, she followed him to the door, knowing full well it was her que to leave. Though, not without pausing one last time.

Lifting the clean napkin to his forehead, she dabbed the blood away, even though as she did, it was obvious to her his wound was already healing ... par for the course of his magic.

"I'm sorry, I know this must be hard for ye, emotionally. And I really appreciate this, but if doing this is going to put ye in any danger...if it hurts too much.."

It was a slight pause, but one filled with meaning.... apparent in her misting hazel green hues.

"Briarius, please don't risk it. It's just a name..."

She leaned in and lifted her chin, leaving a kiss upon his cheek, then turned, clutching the napkin with his blood, and began to walk away.... She hoped he would come to her one way or another, though was afraid it wouldn't be until the next day. She was learning he was the quiet stubborn type. Lyndra had it well into her mind that she would be sure to tell Sha'uri of this visit just in case something were to happen....

The door opened on its own and her voice was heard from somewhere within.

"Come on in, Lyndra. Door's open. I"m in the closet."

As Lyndra came in, indeed the closet door was open wide, though it was not a normal closet at all. The closet was a walk in closet, with a couple of hanging rows and sets of shoes and whatnot on each side. Directly opposite the door was another door open wide. It was like a whole different room beyond it, and it was another bedroom, which would've extended out over thin air where there wasn't any building. Yet, it looked so much bigger. Looking out of the nearby window would reveal no room extended there at all. It truly was thin air out there. Yet, the room was there when looking through the closet doorway.

Sha'uri was in that other room sitting on a rocking chair and knitting little purple and lavendar baby boots. She waved Lyndra in.

"Here! In here, hun. It's okay, come on in, you won't walk out of existence I promise.... just into the Citadel."

She chuckled and waited for Lyndra, nudging another rocker into view with her foot, indicating a place for the cook to sit.

Sha'uri chuckled.

"You've just stepped from RhyDin into the Citadel of Mysteries on Exodii. Don't worry, you're not trapped. Like my baby booties?"

She was all proud and happy as she held them up for inspection. One had been done and the other half done, neither of the sizes matched and the pattern of purple/silver yarn was hard to make out let alone the fact that they didn't even match content. One looked like bunnies patterned on either side of the boot, and the other more like donkies.

"So, to what do I owe this pleasure, Lyndra? You seem to be... perplexed? Well, by something other then the mismatched work of my efforts here."

She smirked and set the booties back onto her lap, giving Lyndra her full attention.

Sha'uri leaned back in her chair, rocking slowly while thoughtfully listening to Lyndra's recount of her talk with Briari.

"I'm sure Bri is fine. I just saw him last night with Tina in the Inn. He seemed to be well. Perhaps it is a process that takes time, maybe even days or weeks to perform. Maybe it depends on circumstances of your creation. I mean, neither of us really know how Erique created you, and there are several ways it could be done, not to mention ways that are unknown. He might've taken only a small portion of some relative of mine and something of some other not even related and then spliced them. Any number of ways is possible. Magi research and tweak other spells to their own specifications all the time. I know, I do it quite often myself."

She set the knitting project in the basket on the floor beside her. Then reached over to take Lyndra's hands into her own, squeezing gently to reassure.

"I'm sure deep down inside, Bri must be curious about it. If for no other reason, he'd do it just to find out how Erique did it. Therefore, the answers to this question of yours is in his hands. The most I could do is find out just if we were related and maybe how closely... but not really specifically. I know specifically was important to you, and rightfully so. If I were you, I'd want to know what I came from, too. As for why he's not said anything to you, that I don't know. Seems kind of rude, no? Sometimes he just really doesn't think about that, and not that he's trying to be that way. It's just, he has so many things on his mind that he sometimes forgets how he seems to others. That's how he's always been. So, try not assume the worst too quickly with him. Too often, he's really not. Perhaps he's just been distracted from the task, or maybe he's just struggling with it. That whole thing with Erique.. it was emotionally taxing on him. I suppose if I were him, I might want to just put it all behind me. Give him Time, Lyndra. Let him come to you with this. In the mean time, I could run some blood tests, check DNA and see what seems to be similar and related."

"Not at all."

Sha'uri smiled to reassure her as she got up and moved to a desk along the far side of the wall. She opened a drawer and pulled out a small hand held sized black case and retrieved a hypospray and a clean unused sample bottle. Clicking the two together, she reversed the flow direction to take a sample and came back to Lyndra. Then placing it against her skin, she triggered the button and the suction was so swift and brief it merely felt like a brief sticky contact with a slight buzzy feeling, which tingled instead of any pain.

"See, no pain. It always reminds me of brushing your fingers over a sea anemonea. Slight tingly sticky suctiony sensation."

She held the bottle up to show that Lyndra's blood was there inside.

"I'll have the labs analyze it, and track DNA with known relatives, which would consist of me, my mother, Alex and Bryce. Well, as far as what I have linked to my mother.."

She literally smacked her forehead.
"Alec and Larissia! My half brother and sister. Briari's children. I wonder...... oh, Erique, you didn't....."

said through clenched teeth followed by a Deep sigh. Disgusted look was cast harshly at the floor.

"Lyndra, I'll get with you as soon as I get results. I promise."

Her gaze shifted to the cook and then the door with a nod, firmly.

As Lyndra left the bedroom in the Citadel, Sha'uri quickly shut the door and initiated the task with speed. She was down to the medlabs in a blink and the results were given in a few hours. Her steps brought her quickly back to the school.

She felt his scream of anger before she even heard it, hastening her steps as she came out of her bedroom swiftly, forgetting to shut her doors. She was in search of not only Lyndra but Briari, too. The moment she caught sight of him passing between buildings, she teleported to him.

"Bri? Are you okay? I felt your anger... What did you find?"

She walked along side him.

She nodded.

"I thought as much. Test results from my end seemed to strongly point that direction though they were not an exact match. I think because the samples we have are from a time after her marriage with my father. You're results fill in the blanks and pinpoint it."

She frowned and gently took hold of his arm, as if to get him to stop walking for a moment.

"Wait.. Bri... wait... she's dragon kind and doesn't know it. Tell me, when you met my mother, had she known of hers then? What was her reaction? I mean, I'm concerned for Lyndra's reaction to it. We should be careful."

She sighed gently.

"I don't remember when she first found out, Bri... but, from what memories she gave me, that I'm able to still hold on to, I do vaguely remember you riding her at some point. I remember one time in particular, mostly the exileration and excitement you both felt then.. as if you were both going into battle, and perhaps you were. Sagasse was strapped to you then because Mother felt it lay against her side. It was after you were married, I believe."

"She didn't often use that form, at least not until after you were gone, and then it became much more often. She always told me to expect it in myself and prepared me for it so that I wouldn't be so surprised by its nature when the time came for me. For some reason, I don't remember hers, as if maybe she purposefully kept that one out... erased it... it's just gone. I was hoping you might remember it. Either way, Now I know to try and prepare Lyndra for it. I just wish I knew what triggered it for my mother."

"Unfortunately, my memories are fractured and disjuncted events. Now...perhaps Erique did think ahead on this and removed the parts that would cause a draconic change."

He looked up at the knocking on glass and saw Lyndra walking out.

"Either way, we have to tell her soon...as in 5 minutes."

It was hard, but she kept herself walking instead of running, or worse.... stumbling. Her legs felt like they'd melt into a puddle of gue, weak with her anxious emotion. It was hard to tell what the two were talking about, but there was something very odd about their expressions. She couldn't help but feel they were talking about her, and it seemed she was right when Sha'uri confirmed it.

"Never worry, never fear, Lyndra my dear. We're starting to put the mystery of you together here. Right Bri?"

"Have ye..."

Her voice cracked. Cold sweat passed over her like a wave blasting over her. For a moment, she thought she was going to pass out and so she reached out with both hands, one to each of them, clasping her long fingers to whatever she could hold on to.

"Tell me, what have ye two found? What am I?"

Why she said What instead of Who was beyond her. It had just slipped out naturally. Hazel green hues shifted from one to the other, searching anxiously for their answer, which was so very important to her.

She held and arm out for Lyndra to grasp hold of, lending the cook the obviously needed support.

"By wisp, he means a strand of hair was used. There were some elements taken out of you, certain genetic make up that would render you slightly different, thus the subtle changes in your features. However, most were left in. Genetically, you would be more like her sister, perhaps, one she never had. Don't worry, I won't call you Aunt Lyndra... Maybe Auntie Linnie.."

She grinned, trying to ease the mood with a soft chuckle as she stepped over closer, shifting Lyndra's hand from one arm to the nex and placed her now free arm round Lyndra's shoulders. A gentle hug was given.

"Welcome to the family. My mother's maiden name was Nightbloom. If she knew you, she would be proud to share it with you. And being of such, you must also understand that through the years a certain lineage has clung to our line. Lyndra you know... right? I mean, you know what I can change to be, you've seen me... And You have my mother's genetic make up in this, far more then me."

Her tones were gentle and she held Lyndra, giving her support so she wouldn't fall... in case the girl fainted.

"Lyndra, you are of dragon kind."