Everlasting

by ThisOne16050

This tale is about a girl named Cassandra Hathaway. She's a young dragon rider in an era where dragon riders are spurred and executed on sight. She meets with a mysterious man who leads her on an epic journey that both opens her eyes and destroys her view of the world... Please review & enjoy :3

1. Just the Beginning

If she had a choice to change her life, she doubts she would've. It had its ups and downs with a few of her own deaths thrown into the mix, but that didn't really matter. It was all about the general story, the people she had managed to meet and the bonds that she forged with them.

There were several puffs of white in the sky, though the sun was still bearing down like a heat wave and yet she managed to stay cool by weaving between the clouds. The area under her was filled with various shades of green, forests dotting the terrain. They were slowly approaching the end of spring, summer rolling in and it was a fantastic day for a bit of dragon riding. Cassandra Hathaway thought so anyways.

She was what you could call just a below average girl, rather oblivious to the world around her. She's a relatively small and skinny eighteen year old girl with ice blue eyes, waist length white hair braided back and out of her eyes save for the few straggling strands of bangs, and cream colored skin marred by all sorts of scars. Currently, Cassandra was on her fire breathing dragon, her cloak billowing slightly behind her and her baggy, plain clothing rustling underneath. Her only possession of value was the ring that belonged to her father which hung around her neck. The blood red creature she rode on was known as Varicion was massive, roughly about the size of a garbage truck with the wing span to match. His eyes seem to hold molten lava and scanned the area below them for anything abnormal or the king's men who happened to be chasing them. What they found instead happened to be a burning town in the distance, red and grey contaminating the serene scene around them.

She would have thought it best to avoid such a place, but it seemed Varicion had other ideas for whatever strange reason compelled him. She supposed that she would find out the reason soon enough, but something was obviously off. As they drew closer, the dragon began to descent while managing to stay out of the danger zone. It wasn't before too long that he landed with a thud in a clearing adjacent to the town. Varicion folded his wings and allowed for Cassandra to slide off.

"What are we doing here," she couldn't help but ask. "I thought we were going to the mountains. You said that we could hide from the king's men there." All she got was a snort in response to which she could only roll her eyes. It didn't look like they would be leaving anytime soon. There was nothing much to do. "If you really aren't going to let us leave, I'm going to shrink you. If you're spotted, we're both done for".

She waved a hand in front of the dragon's face, perpendicular from the ground. She drew from her magic, a white aura casting itself over the dragon. It only took minutes before Varicion began to shrink at a slow, steady pace. His final size happened to be that of a mouse, conveniently sized for travel. Little did she know that there was a man now approaching. He couldn't have been more than thirty, mostly normal looking except for the hazy purple eyes. He had short brown hair and tannish skin that only made her own look paler in comparison. He was wearing a simple white tunic, white pants that were held up by a leather belt, and a brown traveling cloak. Bandages completely covered his left arm and a sword sheath was strapped to his back by a band running across the front of his chest diagonally.

The man cleared his throat with a slight cough, only wanting to get her attention. Provoking her didn't happen to be the goal, though he did a good job of startling her. He spoke tentatively. "That's impressive, though I wouldn't be doing that around here. The cause of this might still be around. I suggest you do the smart thing and high tail out of here."

For a moment, fear ran through her though she quickly calmed at the realization that he wasn't a guard sent to apprehend her kind, the dragon riders. He didn't look like someone who took command from royalty. It was the reason that she didn't run or undo the spell on her small friend who defensively perched himself on her shoulder. "Why do you say that? What happens if I don't care if the cause is still here since I don't actually know what's here?" She wouldn't give herself away, but she was here so she might as well learn a bit more about why the town was on fire.

"The cause of this destruction is no ordinary one".

"I can at least tell that much. It could be someone with magic or a cursed power." She could handle someone like that and anyway, if he was being all apprehensive then maybe she needed to investigate. She began to head towards the town with the man on her heels, a peculiar sort of determination on his face.

He spoke with caution and warning in his voice. "I implore you. Please don't attempt this. What you'll find, if he's still there, is something that I fear you'll forget meeting."

"I'm not sure what makes you think that I'm going to listen to you. You seem like you're hiding something and I'm going to get to the bottom of this. What could possibly be that bad?" She was going to be stubborn as a mule on the subject and she was going to make sure that he knew it.

"I'm the one that's hunting this thing," he told her.

"For all I know, you could be lying to me. You could be the thing that did this and I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I'll get to the bottom of this and get going. I don't want to stay here long anyway. I have plans and it ends with peace and quiet". She doubted it was him. There was something caring in his voice as if he really truly wanted the best for her.

"If he's here, the only peace you'll find is death and I don't fancy the idea of having to remove you from his bath just to get to him myself."

His words were eerie and bothersome, but she had already set a path and she was going to stick to it. "At this rate, you're going to have to kill me. It's about the best thing that I've heard all d-" A quiet growl from her cloak cut off her sentence and it only made her want to roll her eyes. "I'm going. Would you calm yourself?" The dragon honestly wasn't helping the man trying to deter her from going forward. He seemed to be egging her on which could have been considered suspicious itself.

Once they got into the city, Cassandra's attention immediately went to the charing corpses that littered the streets. The odor of burning nails and hair permeated the air and caused her to scrunch her nose in complete disgust. She had seen a good amount of death herself and she found no need to see more. Instead, she looked back at the stranger, only to see his face befalling a certain amount of dread as he takes in the destruction around them. That wasn't much better and things didn't improve either as they got closer to the center. The sheer level destruction became apparent. Whole buildings were gone while others were torn, shards of rock and metal melting and sticking out. Several slashes covered the ground emanating a dark presence that was practically overwhelming.

Cassandra kneeled and looked into one of the slashes with curiosity, studying it. The black seemed to go down for an eternity. As she watched, wisps came up and trailed towards her as if they were trying to reach out. She wanted to touch one, but her hand was quick to slap the back of her neck instead. "Ow! That really hurt I'll have you know. Var, there's no need to bite." She rubbed the spot where she had been bitten before she went back to the wisp.

Before she could shoot her hand away, it wrapped around her wrist and looked a bit more tangible like some form of tendril. Her skin burned upon contact with it, sizzling and filling the air with more of a rancid scent. She screamed as it began to spiral up her arm. It wasn't too long before it was smoldering and she acted rather quickly. She hovered her arm above the tendril and watched as it sparked with flame. It writhed, but it didn't release her. The most it did was anger whatever this thing was and cause it to move much quicker up her arm and tightened its grip. It was already to her elbow.

The man that had been following her took no time in actually reaching her especially after the scream. Upon skidding to a stop next to her, he reaches his left hand out to touch the dark lash, determination and strain immediately appearing on his face. The bandages simply disintegrate ipon contact to reveal that his arm was the same color as whatever was tethered into the crevice. The substance within withered and spiked upward with fury before vanishing outwards like a ring of smoke. The man's arm pulsated for a few minutes before going silent while Cassandra cealed her arm, the excruciating pain resonating within her.

The man grimaced before looking at Cassandra, especially the grayish marks left behind on her arm. "You- you've been stained by darkness," he stuttered out. He took a deep breath and slowly regained his composure. "I have to extract it. If I don't extract it, this could very well turn into something worse. It could consume your arm and then the rest of you. It's never going to be satisfied until it destroys everything that it touched. You've never battled darkness, have you? I'm going to heal it."

The girl shook her head to answer the question and decided to take a leap of faith. Sure the man had saved her, but it could always be a trap. Still, she held out her arm to him. He took it into his black one and she almost immediately felt a sharp pain though it faded away into something of a throbbing before nothing. It all happened to quickly that she didn't even have the time to react, but the marks had evaporated right off of her skin.

She sighed with relief, but had come to a conclusion. "I think it's about time that I left," she said with a bit of a nervous smile.

The man's response was a lighthearted chuckle. "Funny. I distinctly remember telling you not to come here. Now, imagine if you had met the thing that created those gashes in the ground". He picked her off of the ground, though she didn't stay long enough to give some sort of thanks. Instead, she was already hightailing it out of town. He found that to be rather peculiar. "What's the rush now? You were rather leisure earlier. I save your life and you won't even let me offer you dinner. I hope you know that you're being rather rude."

"To answer your question, it's because I don't want to deal with another one of those tentacle things," she said matter-of-factly. "Anyways, I don't like to stay in the same place for very long and I had plans before my dragon stopped her."

"That's pretty vague."

"What's so vague about it? I did answer your question and I'm not going to tell everything to a complete stranger", she pointed out.

"It's the fact that you didn't explain why. If it's for a personal reason, I can understand, but it I can help, I'd like-" A sudden blast blew threw the building next to them, tearing it apart completely. The force of the explosion sent the man through a wall while cassandra went right into a wooden cart.

Cassandra, for a moment, saw nothing but black. When she finally came to, she was disoriented and confused. Her entire body ached and there was a constant ringing in her ear. When she managed to regain her vision, she watched as the stranger climbed out of the rubble untouched. He went off somewhere in a hurry and left her to pick wooden splinters out of her skin, though he returned a short while later. He was yelling at her, the words slowly coming into perspective.

"Get the hell out of here now!" A clear urgency was in his voice though it was cut short by another building exploding, sending more debris everywhere. He didn't have the time to wait for her to stand. He made a shooing gesture and an invisible force shoved her away just in time to avoid the combustion of the ruined cart although it sent her tumbling.

She picked herself up, but not before she caught a glimpse at the one responsible for all this destruction. It was a solid black male figure heading towards them, only a few yards away. "Hello Lee," he said with a maniacal and cold voice that echoed through the air. That was all she saw seeing as she managed to drag herself into an alley. She needed a bit of time to heal herself even if the magic would take a good deal of her energy and then she would be in the proper condition to run off.

Lee, on the other hand, was much more preoccupied and with bigger issues than a bit of healing. For one, he could still sense the girl was nearby and needed to keep her safe. Second, he had to take care of the man causing all of this destruction. Both could be take care of like killing two birds with one stone, but it was complicated nonetheless. The simple knowledge of her presence caused him to hesitate for the simple fact her wellbeing was now coming into play.

As if knowing, the black figure throws two orbs of a sort of dark energy at Lee He then launches himself into the air, landing rather gently on the roof of a building while worked to dodge the projectiles sent at him. Lee retaliated by conjuring an orb of his own, one made of the same material in the gash. He lobbed it his opponent, but all he really managed to do was break apart the top of a building. The black figure had jumped down just in time to avoid the attack. Lee summons two more of the dark spheres, throwing them. After dodging once more, the onyx colored man returns fire by creating a wave of shadowy flames that lay out like a carpet. Lee evades this attack but soon finds the dark figure in front of him, the figure's knee slamming into his sternum. The man grabs him and hurls him to the side, causing him to slam into another wall with such a force that he breaks through and rolls to a stop within a building. In this moment of staggering calm, he uses his magic to sense Cassandra's location. It seems that she's moved, but maybe not for the better.

It seemed the black figure had managed to sense her as well, moving in on her location. She skids to a stop when she catches a glimpse of him, frozen with a bit of fear. Whoever this being was happened to just a tad bit out of her power range. As she stared at the dark entity, he smiled at her with rabid teeth. Varicion, still the size of a mouse, comes to the rescue only to be pinned to the wall by a smokey wave. He suddenly dissipated like black smoke only to appear behind her, grabbing her by her shoulders and then by the wrist. A searing pain shot through her while the humanoid began to pulsate, a dark aura growing around it.

It didn't last very long. Lee came to the rescue by bursting through the umpteenth wall and slamming his hand into the figure who dropped Cassandra out of surprise and allowing Varicion to return into her cloak. The hand sparked with what seemed to be black lightning, electrocuting the figure and causing him to stumble. Lee grabbed Cassandra by the hand and started to run at inhuman speeds, causing her to simply strip on her own feet behind him, unable to keep up with the pace that he was setting. Behind them, a blast rips the ground, leaving a rather large hole. An angry snarl follows the next blast that tears at the ground to the left of the two that are running. Without much forethought, Lee lets out a feral growl and throws the girl that he's dragging along in front of him. He then turns around in time for a burst of what seemed to be dark energy to hit him, kicking up dust and black smoke.

As the dust cleared, Lee seems to still be standing, his left arm in front of him as if that could completely shield him from the dark energy that he seemed to have withstood. A dark aura surrounds him as he lowers his arm. With a slight step forward, he thrusts out his arm, sending a giant, column of darkness in front of him. It was wide enough that as it spiraled, it cut into the earth, creating gashes filled with dark tendrils.

Without much of a second thought, Lee spins around towards Cassandra, grabbing her by the arm. He pulled up, yanking her to her feet before he begins sprinting again, literally dragging her behind him as he went. He hollers back at her through pants, "Do you get motion sickness?"

He grunted silently before he yanked her forward, thrusting her arm upward with such a force that it caused the rest of her body to go with her. Seconds later, she was airborne ahead of him slightly. As she came down, Lee wrapped an arm around her waist. Tucking her closer to himself, he took a deep breath to get his breathing under control since he was winded from running. The world around them suddenly gets blurry before fading completely to black.

Lee is the first to come into consciousness, finding Cassandra laying atop him, still in an unconscious state. The ground around them consisted of mostly leave and small twigs and the area was surrounded by trees filled with vibrant shades of green and caramel browns. It was a forest located miles east of the town they had been in and Lee couldn't help but feel relief.

The brunette moves her slightly before sitting up and laying her beside him. He chose not to wake her, but Varicion came from her hood and gently nudged her cheek with concern. Instead, he takes stock of ant and all injuries she possesses. With a press of his hand against her forehead, he could tell she had no concussion. That was as far as he could get however before the dragon began growling at him as a warning. Dragons were notoriously protective of their riders, though the reptile could do no real harm while at this size. Varicion went as far as biting Lee's hand although it didn't feel much more like a puppy's gnawing; he was more of a minor annoyance.

Lee glances at the mouse sized creature, the haze in his eyes dancing and shifting. He speaks to Varicion in an ancient language, hoping to communicate and reassure the dragon that everything was fine. The dragon gives a huff in response, letting go and turning his attention to his rider. He actually goes as fair as hiding in her tinged brown hair. Lee only sighs, removing his cloak and laying it over the unconscious girl. He stays standing next to her, his eyes calculating everything in the distance. He was mostly just waiting for her to come to.

He was waiting for a total of two hours and something odd minutes. Cassandra opened her eyes slowly, blankly staring up at the sky. She was dizzy and disoriented, but recovering slowly as she got into a sitting position. She hadn't a single clue about where she was, however Varicion was there to tell her some vague idea and then a snarky comment.

"I really hate you sometimes," she proceeds to tell him with a joking tone in response. "You should be glad we're bonded or I'm sure that I would kill you".

Lee heard her and got off the rock in which he was perched on, stopping a bit in front of her. "That dragon helped you more than you think".

"I know that. He's always saving me. I was joking." She was rather annoyed. Sure this guy had assisted her… or had really been the one to save her, but she believed he was butting in on a conversation. There were much more pressing matters than that however which got her to her feet in something for a fighting stance. "You're going to take me for the bounty, aren't you?If you are, I hope you know that you're going to have to kill me. I won't go down without a fight.

"Are you in habit of burning down cities," he asked her.

This was a rather confusing question for her. "What?"

He motioned to Varicion who was nestled somewhere within her hood, growling as menacingly as a small dragon could. "Do you and your dragon burn down cities and terrorize people?" Regardless of the serious nature of the question, he crouched and smiled at her with the haze dancing in his violet irises.

"We're the ones that are being terrorized. People keep chasing us and trying to capture or kill us. I blame the king and his ban on dragons", she said rather bitterly.

Lee nods in understanding. "You've got a high bounty on your head, you know? Are what I've seen, I'd hate to think that someone could just haul you in. Personally, I have no intentions of bringing you in unless you are someone with a darker heart. I have no interest in money."

The girl couldn't help but sigh in relief upon hearing that. "You're the first." Most didn't care about a person's morals; all they cared about was lining their pockets with the king's gold and attempting to live through their greed.

"You wouldn't be the first dragon rider that I've hauled in and nor will you be the last, but you're a good person. That's what matters. The ones who abuse their powers and the privilege of riding are the ones that I take in and it definitely isn't for the money. It's to keep people like that locked up for the most part, away from the people their malice filled could harm." He pauses for a moment, changing the subject. "We should really get going before Motsune discovers where we are. Neither of us are in any condition to battle him again."

"Motsune," she asked. She had been traveling for so long after her escape that she didn't know what was happening in the world around her. This was the first city that she had seen in a long time… though it wasn't exactly very much of one. "Is that what that this is called?"

Lee nodded, a distant and somber look in his eyes. "Yes, his name is Motsune. Right now, he is the second most dangerous being walking the planet. His powers alone give him that title setting aside his intent". His eyes focus once more as he starts on his way towards a location he already had in mind which was thankfully in the opposite direction of the city. "Motsune;s got a taste for you now. I hope that you know that once he finds his target, he doesn't stop until he had what he wants from that person. You can journey with me if you would like. He's less likely to pick you off if you're with me and I'm certain the dragon hunters won't bother you either. It's your call, but we both should get moving soon anyway".

Truthfully, she knew that there was no way she could ever consider fending off Motsune especially with the level of destruction she had witnessed. She was only a single fire mage and she hadn't even gotten the practice in, though once she did she would be parting ways with Lee. She had her own plans and that included secluded living in the mountains far off in the north. "I guess I'll be going with you for now".

The man gave a nod of understanding as if reading her mind. He began at a brisk pace, wanting to put space between them and their possibly looming threat. The girl trailed behind at more of a jog in some attempt to catch up, blaming her stature to be the problem. She was a foot shorter than him and her legs just weren't covering as much distance. Thus while she was playing catch up, she was leaving alertness to the man she had just met. It was likely a good thing too. At some point during their walk, he decides to hold out his arm in some attempt to stop her, muscles now tense as he stood like a statue… in the end, she ran right into him, but it managed to halt her movements.

Lee gestures with his head towards the trees ahead of them, whispering a single word: hunters. Just the mention caused her to freeze and silently swear. He, on the other hand, smiled even is his body language could have portrayed a different mood. "Let's go greet them", he says in a hushed whisper.

Despite silent protests of head shakes and Cassandra's arms falling in an x formation at her chest, they pressed forward up until the moment a small encampment came into view. The tents were placed in an unorganized fashion, a small fire haphazardly laying at the center of everything. Wagons for transport lied on the outskirts and horses were tied by the reins to the surrounding trees. The men inhabiting this camp number from roughly eight to at most eleven. They would have seemed harmless enough had it not been for the weapons they carried: crossbows, wicked swords chipped on the blades, and various other sharp implements.

Despite the danger, Lee had other ideas than getting as far away as possible. "Watch this," he whispered to her. He came out from where they had been hidden, casually strolling into camp as if he owned the place. This would likely end badly for the two of them especially when the man decided he would strike up some form of conversation. "Looks good,group," he told those around him.

Of those within the camp, eight turned their heads to look at the stranger that had decided to intrude. One, presumably the leader, approached the brunette. He was a rough looking man with a bulky build masked by various kinds of pelts of various animals from wolves to dragons. His face was marred with sweat and pale scars, black locks of hair shadowing a green and blinded pale eye. "Who are you? Why are you trespassing in our camp? Do you have a death wish," he asked with a gruff voice.

The brunette responded with cheerful, almost childlike abandon, "I'm Lee and I'm a dragon rider. I'm here to turn myself in".

The girl honestly thought he was all sorts of mentally insane, though she supposed that she could have been considered just the same. Not wanting to leave Lee alone in this situation, she decided to come out of hiding regardless of her adamant refusal only minutes prior. She was much more timid than he was, keeping a lower, more crouched profile. She stopped behind him, using him a bit like a human shield as the hunters made a sort of semicircle around them, their backs warmed by the heat coming off of the large fire. She looked up towards her acquaintance for some sort of guidance only to see the gleaming eyes of a madman.

"Is she a rider as well," the leader asked. He sounded to be interested like the two before him would be less than a problem. For this man, Lee and Cassandra was just an easy score.

"Yes, yes she is, but unlike me, she isn't here to turn herself in," Lee responded before her.

The men looked rather puzzled by this statement, not exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer, and they didn't get much of an answer either especially when she gave her explanation. "I'm merely here to say hello" was all they managed to get out of her.

It looked like the hunters had enough of this chitchat for the simple fact it wasn't exactly getting them anywhere. One of the men broke from the semicircle to put a hand on Lee's shoulder as if that would be all it would take to stop the brunette. He was wrong. The man was stopped dead in his tracks, freezing the second that his hand made contact. Soon, two more were advancing on the duo. The girl was taken by her wrists by the leader of the hunters while the other grabbed a hold of Lee's left arm which was more than likely going to be a horrendous idea.

His expression showed worry as he glanced over at Cassandra who bore terror in her icy blue eyes. "That's not a smart move", Lee warned the man holding his acquaintance.

Lee wasn't the reason that the hunter let her go, but she wasn't about to complain. The man was working on trying to swat something away, making it look like he was failing at some sort of martial art. The object of annoyance was much too big to be a fly or simple insect, but that only left one option: Cassandra's reptilian friend.

While the hunters were distracted by the calamity, Lee broke free of the man holding his arm. The brunette thrusted his knee into the man's stomach and caused him to double over from the blow. The next knee landed in his head, causing the hunter to fall into unconsciousness.

In annoyance, the hunter that had been swatting away Varicion had enough. He grabbed the girl once more, but this time he pulled a knife from his belt. He held it at the girls neck with nearly enough pressure to piece the skin. In that time, two more men advanced on Lee, swinging the swords that they had removed from the sheaths. They were fast, but Lee was a lot faster, ducking one and casually moving away from the other. He hits the first with his heel once he brings his foot with a spin to kick the second's knee out from under him. Before the second can fall completely, he's gripping the man by the hair. He yanks the man's head back, his knee slamming into his head with an audible and sickening crack. Letting the hunter fall, Lee looked over to the girl to see that she was in some immediate trouble. His demeanor, which had been positive suddenly changed to one that was much more serious.

He gave another warning this one with a grave tone, "Let her go." It was a clear, concise command and he meant business.

"Now why would I do that," the hunter holding Cassandra asked, tightening his grip on the girl; he was sure to leave some bruises. "The boss here wants her and all of us here are more than happy to follow his orders. She's worth her weight in the king's gold even if she isn't that heavy and actually dead." He pressed the blade of the weapon into her skin with enough force to draw blood.

The haze in Lee's eyes was dancing with anger and calculation as he watched the scene that was before him. There were multiple scenarios where he would be able to save the girl, though a good portion of them had a margin of error that was much too great to risk. "You'll suffer if you don't". His threats weren't empty and they should have been taken into account, but it didn't seem like the hunter particular cared. After all, it seemed like there wasn't much that Lee could do.

On concontrary, the brunette had some sort of plan as did Cassandra. Behind them, the flames of the fire began to flicker irregularly. It made a snaky advance, torching the ground under it and then the hunter when it reached the man. It was slow to engulf his clothing the moment that it caught a lick of fabric coming from his tattered pants. He almost instantly dropped the knife and allowed Cassandra to go free. She quickly moved away, mostly so the flames wouldn't touch her; Despite being a fire mage, she ironically wasn't fireproof. What did hit her was the putrid stench of burning human. It permeated the air and might as well have singed her sense of smell.

Despite the horrors of a man burned alive, the brunette grins. He steps in front of the girl, taking an arrow that was meant for her head in his shoulder. The shooter, perched in the tree, doesn't last much longer after that. He finds himself impaled by a shard of shadow that pierces his heart. Lee takes this time to yank the arrow from his shoulder with a wince, watching as blood seeps from the injury only to drip of his fingertips.

By this point, one of the men knocked unconscious at the very beginning of this mess was getting to his feet, becoming as still as a statue. This man was distressed just about as much as Cassandra at the sight of his burning leader.

Eventually, the screams of the man hushed and filled the air with a somber silence as his body thudded against the ground. It was almost like the world had gone still for the girl who had done this; she hadn't intended to kill a man. One could suspect the question 'What had I done' was reverberating through her mind at such a rate that it made her stomach churn with disgust in herself.

This gave Lee something to create an inference on. "You've never killed anyone before, have you?"

Cassandra didn't feel it right to say anything. She nodded her head in response despite the initial thought. She had killed before, but not in this torturous way.

Varicion, sensing his rider's dismay, returned in this instance. Being so small, there hadn't been much to do, but now he could provide comfort. He gently rubbed his scales against her cheek, the rough texture creating red marks on her skin. Lee attempted to assist in his own way, squeezing her shoulder softly although not meeting her gaze or attempting to remove it from the dead body. Instead he said, "Best that you don't think about it. It's the only way to survive in this world more so for you since you are a dragon rider. C'mon, we should go. Nothing will change from staring at him. After all, you can't reverse time."

The girl gave a small nod, something that was a bit harder to notice. As the brunette started off, she followed with her gaze pinned downward a few steps behind him. He was filled with concern as he glanced back from time to time, but there wasn't much to be done about it until she moved on from such a kill. He could only find ways to provide distractions, one that would hopefully pause her growing dread. One thought was food. After all of this calamity, she must've shown some signs of hunger. From a pouch in his cloak, he pulled out some bread. The loaf was somewhat stale from it's contact from the air, but it was palatable. This was a failure as she shook her head. He feared that would have been the response, but he couldn't force her to eat. He returned it back to his cloak and pressed onwards.

As they continue their journey in silence, Lee finds a point to stumble. He points upwards above the trees that blanketed the land in front of them, gesturing to the thick, black smoke slowly darkening the skies. The girl, vaguely paying attention, stops before running into him. She brings her gaze upwards to him to inquire exactly why he paused only to direct it and the question off towards the smoke.

"From where," she asks in a quiet tone. The only thing that came to mind at the thought of smoke now was the burning town they had met along with the man that she had murdered.

"There's a town up ahead," he responses. "A small village and I'd be willing to bet there's a bit of trouble there. I suppose it would be best to provide our assistance." With the brunette's executive decision, they closed the distance between them and danger.

The closer they got, the more they were able to see the extensive damage of the town. Stone building lied in various stages of rubble while the ground was littered with charred remains of humans, livestock, and weapons. Two people, slaughtered in what one could assume to be their escape, marked the entrance, a girl sitting on her legs beside them.

Lee approached the girl and exchanged a quick conversation before he returned to his acquaintance. "The kid says that a solid black person came through here for no reason. He just started blasting things. Her dad," he motions to one of the corpses that the girl was sitting by, "was a praetorian. He was one of the elites with magic. She says the person, Motsune as you've likely already guess, held him by the arm and then he was just suddenly powerless."

Cassandra didn't know too much about Motsune. She assumed that his abilities happened to be more of the physically destructive kind. It didn't explain the stranger's story. "How? How could he just be powerless?"

"Motsune has the ability to take powers from others; it was his original. He doesn't steal a copy, but he drains them completely and steals it for himself. By the time that he's done, you're nothing more than a normal human… if you live, that is. And even if you do, there's the definite chance that Motsune will kill you simply for the pleasure of it," Lee explained.

To be honest, the girl was starting to get a distinct idea that Lee knew a little bit too much about the villain that seemed to be revolving around them. Still, she left the thought to herself. So far, Lee had done nothing to harm her, but just the exact opposite. In addition, there were some other things she had a desire to ask. "Why didn't he take mine," she inquires as she recalls Motsune's grip on her previously. "I do have some although I'm not exactly powerful."

"He had to have a grip for long enough. I stopped him before he could actually do much of anything. Power stealing is some serious business. It's a magic that won't happen within a second, thankfully."

"So, I'm getting that the key is to keep him from touching you for an extended amount of time."

"I would think that the better option would be not at all. He has to have you for a time to steal your powers. That doesn't mean that it takes long if he desires to kill you like he does now thanks to your supposed affiliation with me." Upon sight of her grimace, he was quick to add. "It's okay though. As long as you stay with me, he won't be able to get his hands on your for long enough."

"Why is he doing all of this," she managed while also debating on her association with him.

"Well, that's a bit of a tricky question. His old reason was simply power hunter; He wanted all the power he could get his hands on. Plus, he obviously enjoys terrorizing people. That was before I…" His gaze suddenly grows distant although focuses again after a few short moments. "Anyway, now, I don't really know. He seems hellbent on general destruction. I've seen him burn nearly a hundred cities so far and it's not like the knights of the kingdoms can do anything to stop him. Hell, this is only the fourth person's power that he's assimilated as far as I know. They stand no chance."

"Only the fourth? But he's so… so powerful as it is. I don't see how anyone could want that much power only to create so much chaos." She wasn't going to be figuring out Motsune's intention. She could barely understand why Lee was assisting her rather than using her for cannondoffer.

"He's not necessary human, so his lust for it isn't the same magnitude as ours. It seems to be amplified. As far as his current level of power…" Concern seeped into his voice as the thought. "I'm not exactly sure how it is he got so strong. He shouldn't even be alive technically."

Fright creeped its way into her tone as she continued asking questions. She wasn't even sure if she wanted the answer to them."If he's not human, then what exactly is he? He doesn't look like he should be part of the living."

"He's not human, but he's not really anything else. He's just… there, like a shadow that looks a bit more like an actual person, but not a cut out of a person in the sun. Does that make sense? He's a shadow that's gotten more control of himself. He shouldn't be alive because of what he is and the fact that I've already killed him once before."

"You killed him? He can be killed? How? What happened before?" With the way that Motsune destroyed buildings, Cassandra was having a hard time believing that anything could stop whatever Motsune was. She took a moment of pause however as she watched Lee nervously shift about. This was the first time she had seen him act in such a way. "Sorry. You don't have to talk about it. I'm probably overstepping my boundaries."

"No, you're fine. Yes, I killed him. I don't know if I can do it again, but the last time I did it, I sacrificed my arm", he said and gestured to the left. "It sealed him or so I thought it did. He shouldn't be here now, but you've seen the havoc. He's not a figment of imagination. It's the reason that I've been hunting him and you're a target". It looked like she was the bait for some greater purpose and it explained why he was assisting her, though she wasn't about to complain. Unlike her. Lee could hold his own against Motsune. "Besides, you're also fun to travel with.".

The girl raised a brow in confusion. "Honestly, I doubt I'm any real fun. I'm just trouble."

"That's the fun part: the trouble. Dragon riders are amusing and easy in comparison to Motsune." He grins and pulls the bread from his cloak once more, extending it towards her in offering. "C'mon. Let's see if we can get to the next town before he does. I'm still on my hunt, I'll have you know and I think that you could use a bit of practice. You're going to be fine with me, so don't worry much about it."

With a sheepish nod, she took the break. She bite into the tough crust and took her time chewing. It had a bland taste to it, but it was much better than some of the food she had consumed in the past. Nearly absentmindedly as she fed, she followed behind the male as they walked the circumference of the village.

Considering her current mental condition, he keeps a close eye on her. With everything going on, starting a conversation would likely help the mood at least a little, though he was drawing blanks for a few minutes. Eventually, he went for the classic way to get someone talking. "So, tell me about yourself."

She shrugs with a mouth half full. "There's nothing to really tell".

"Sure there is. For starters, your name and where you came from would be nice. Everyone has a story to tell."

"My name? Cassandra Hathaway and I would prefer not to talk about where I came from." Her tone spoke of a distaste, though not about Lee but about their conversation.

"Cassandra? You probably figured from Motsune, if you heard, my name is Lee. I do understand about not wanting to talk about your past. The past isn't the most enjoyable place sometimes."

There was no more time for chitchat. Lee suddenly jerked his head to the left before he froze, his eyes flickering with its usual haze. Considering Cassandra was still walking, the brunette hissed to her to attention. He drops his cloak and rolls his shoulders backwards, gaze cemented on Motsune somewhere in the distance. "Get to cover. I'll find you".

A sudden a gust of wind blew through the land like before every wild west showdown. The only difference was the fact Motsune was already there, throwing a kick towards Lee's head. The brunette barely had time to block and return the attack. Motsune rolled back and to his feet, sending orbs of dark energy at Lee who could only deflect three of them, getting nailed by the last two. With a grunt, he tumbled for a few yards before he regaining his footing, sliding against the ground and sending a plume of dust in his wake. He looked back after recovering from his disorientation, assuming she had run off. He then turned back to his opponent, sending a spiral of darkness towards him. Motsunemale simply blocks the attack, following by sending out a blanket of black flames which scorched the land and permeated it with its evil.

Lee throws up his hand as if that were going to be able to protect him, his arm parallel to the ground. With in the blink of an eye, he disappears and reappears by Motsune, slamming his now lightening covered hand into his back. It crackled upon impact, sparking with a blinding light that could have singed the eyes of normal mortals. It also managed to enhance the new look present on Lee's face. The brunette had some sort of glint of evil in his eyes, a sneer present on his lips.

Motsune launches at Lee with pitch-colored flames in his hand after his stumble and recovery. He slams his hand against the brunette's left arm only to have it cause no significant damage. Lee quickly uppercuts him with his right in the torso and soon, the two are quickly exchanging physical blows that rocked the very ground they stood on. Motsune phases behind Lee, kicking him forward before phasing out again and reappearing in front of him. He halts the momentum that Lee had accumulated with a swift knee, throwing the brunette into the air. Motsune then sends a dark purple beam of magic through him, focusing more so on the hidden girl as Lee hits the ground with a near earth shattering thud. He quickly locates her, focusing on the magical residue left behind from the last time that he touched her.

He disappears, reforming in the area within close proximity to Cassandra. He sends blasts out at the trees, toppling the ones that were farther and causing the closer ones to explode into splinters. Since she was farther from Motsune than the man had thought, the trees around her simply came crashing to the ground. One of the fallen trees loomed over her, but the protection spell she had drawn around herself in the dirt deflected the object, causing it to roll to the side. Motsune noticed the rolling tree walks over to it in a more casual manner, finding her in the process. The circle does nothing to stop him, shattering like glass the moment his hand touches it. He grabs her by the ankle. He was stronger than her physically and magically, so there wasn't much that she could actually do to stop him as he hurls her towards the clearing where the fight had ensured. She shrieked, a noise that cut through the air as if it were butter. He flashed right behind her as she hit the ground with a tumble. He lets her roll to a stop, showing no signs of enjoyment or any emotion for the matter.

Without remorse or hesitation, Motsune grabs her by the throat when she stops and lifts her with a deathly choking grip. A sudden and sharp pain shoots from her neck and to the rest of her body, causing her body to involuntary spasm and freeze. She was suffocating slowly and she started to see black tinging the edges of her vision. Motsune's arm begins to pulsate like a heart. Buh dum. Buh dum. It was a noise that reverberated through her, though she was sure her own was marching to the same sickly twisted man smiles, a grin that exposed his clear white teeth and sent chills down the girl's spine. He knew his prey was weakening with every second. There was a sudden pop that boomed through the air. A violet beam rips through the air along with Motsune's wrist as if it were nothing, causing him to drop Cassandra. She was reduced to a coughing and gasping heap on the ground, desperately trying to catch her breath. Motsune looks over towards where he had left Lee, the new hole in his wrist morphing towards the center until it was closed.

In the distance, a shadowy aura had begun to surround Lee, the wide hole within his chest closing similarly to Motsune's wrist. The whites of his eyes were no longer there, a violet hue the same shade as his irises replacing them, a feral glint to them. The earth around him had begun to thump like a miniature earthquake, darkness seeping outwardly from his bandages on his left arm had torn away and were now missing, showing the unnatural ebony color of the flesh. His tunic had, at some point, fallen away and his pants were tatters.

With a bright flash, Lee was tackling Motsune. Mid-tackle, he twisted around in a jerky sort of motion, grabbing and hurtling Motsune away from Cassandra. He rolls before stopping on his feet and kicking up dust, quickly regaining his balance. He stood in front of the witch, using his body as a shield. Down his back, in perfect position with another, were eight round, bright red scars that formed a sort of rectangle.

Motsune had landed hard a distance away, but was soon up up on his feet once more. Cassandra was just now beginning to regain her composure, standing and hiding behind. Her gaze went from his scars to the person that was trying to kill them both.

"Please forgive me", Lee whispered without looking at her.

"Forgive you for what," she asked with a furrowed brow and a deep frown.

Lee took a step forward and suddenly yelled in pain, his aura moving frantically like wisps of fire. With a loud pop and a gust of wind, his skin seemed to change color, the flesh seeming to be stained with the color of ink similar to Motsune's. Out of his back, where the scars had been, arm-width tentacles took form. They were at least ten feet in length, writhing as if they had minds of their own. Lee's body convulsed with the transformation with such a force that it brought him to his knees, immense amounts of energy and power pouring from him and rippling in a visible wavelength.

All Cassandra could do was watch in horror, mouth gaping and eyes wide with fear. The malice of the energy felt the same as Motsune's. Now, her mind had placed Lee in a section for enemies rather than allies. He may have been kinder to her, but the both of them were the same. Maybe all of this had just been a ploy to gain her trust. Why her of all people?

In an instant, a blast the size of a building was hurled at Motsune, ripping six foot deep gashes in the ground. It connects to the dark male, causing a sort of explosion of energy that sent him back at unimaginable, blurring speeds. Lee appeared behind Motsune, kicking him into the air before flashing above him. He slams his hand into Motsune's stomach, shoving the evil being back towards the earth. The force at which Motsune made contact caused a crater to form and the ground to quake. Lee merely appeared down there only to kick him out of it. The man went tumbling out of the large hole, Lee flashing by him, digging his heel into his stomach to put bring him to a screeching halt.

The fight continued between the two pitch black males as if the girl wasn't even there. Lee's heel was still on Motsune's stomach, his hand and tentacles now aimed towards the man. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light that caused Lee and Cassandra to see spots in their vision. When vision was regained, Lee was standing alone in the hole with only a faint outline of a human form. Seeing that his opponent had ran, Lee sighed and phased out and onto more flat ground. This fight that had been going on for decades wouldn't end today.

Lee walked towards Cassandra, who was creeping backward. As he got closer to her, the black simply drains from his skin, evaporating like water until only his left arm remained that color. The tentacles are the last to go, turning to wisps before being blown apart by a nonexistent breeze. He raised his hands in a gentle manner with a soft upturn of his lips despite the guilt and concern playing in his eyes. "Are you ok," he questioned.

As he got closer, she could hear his labored breathing. It wasn't long after that in which his knees buckled from under him and he collapsed into unconsciousness. The girl pouted with thought at the sight. She feared him, yes, but he had also been the one to save her. She could feel his life force draining from his body and she wasn't about to leave him like that. Thus, with a deep breath, she got to her knees beside him.

Lee's breathing had gone from labored to shallow and rapid, beads of sweat streaking down his skin. Heat radiated from him almost like he was about to combust. His scars leaked red, a small pool beginning to form around him. Cassandra placed her hands over Lee, her palms parallel to his chest. Her hands gained a green aura and cast a glow against her face. She closed her eyes gritted her teeth as she began her spell, pouring whatever she could muster into it. It was almost like time was being reversed. His blood slipped back into the injuries from which they came before closing up. Sweat covered his body still, but the heat had vanished. The spell cut out, leaving her with a hollow, tired sensation. At the very least, she had managed to save Lee who now looked more like he was sleeping. It was about time for her to take a nap as well. Before she knew it, a lightheaded feeling came over her and her eyes rolled to the back her head. She slumped forward and fell to the ground. Now it seemed that there were two unconscious individuals in the middle of what looked like a battle ground.

Time passed and Lee gained some more consciousness. His entire body ached and when he began moving, his joints creaked. Slowly, his eyes opened to a squint and a groan slipped passed his lips, a hand moving to his face to rub over left over sleep. Rolling from his back onto his stomach, he felt the rocks biting into his hands as he pushed himself up. Looking around as he slowly paces, he takes stock in the surroundings and actually notices the war zone and the girl. Cassandra was still down for the count, but she shifted which revealed a marking on the back of her neck against her spine. It was a deep brand, scared in ways that made it clear it would never heal properly. The mark looked like two connected sevens.

Lee was no stranger to runes and markings. He racked his brain for any recognition coming up with a single connection: a wealthy man who owned a plantation. The man made a living off of enslaving members of different species and their families until they paid of their debts to him which was usually never. It seemed they had more problems than they originally thought, though they couldn't handle anything until Cassandra woke up. For now, he spent his time gathering firewood and sparking it into something that could keep them warm and cook the animals he managed to nab during collection. When she did wake, Lee casually spoke to her. "Food is done. Bread is next to you", he said from right beside her, lazily poking at the flames with one of the many sticks he had managed to collect.

Cassandra raised an eyebrow at the mention of food. Her stomach gave its own sounds of interests, but she was skeptical as if the brunette would go as far as poisoning her. Lee just shrugged, his head hung down whether in thought or disappointment; it was hard to tell. They sat in silence for a while, the girl watching as Lee simply sat there with his arms in his lap almost like some calm, solemn statue soaking in the warmth of the fire.

Minutes passed. Lee was the first to break the air, opening his eyes to look at her. "The brand on your neck," he started and paused as though he were to rephrase the sentence. "You were a slave, weren't you?"

The girl's entire body faltered at the mention, handing moving up to cover the back of her neck. Her eyes were wide and full of remembrance. She was one of those rare runaways from Mr. Martin Virtrus, the man who ran the shit show she was from and Lee had already made that deduction. Still, he had to ask, "Did you run away or were you freed?"

She bit the side of her lip and looked off into the dark distance. "My dragon is the one that helped me escape. He saw everything after we bonded and I guess you could say that he just whisked me away one day".

"I'm guessing that your master wasn't a nice one either." When she didn't respond, his expression softened. "I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. I would have preferred if you didn't see that, but it's my only way of fighting Motsune and having some chance of living. While in my normal form, there is no way that I could even possibly defeat him with everything he's managed to accumulate. It's actually too bad that he lived. Now, finding him will be much more difficult. I've shown myself to him and it's unlikely that he'll want to reveal himself again even if there's a chance for him to kill me. I'm the only one that really stands in his way, though I'm really glad that you're safe. That's the only thing that really matters." He gave her a small, reassuring grin although there was concern and worry in his eyes.

With her reluctance to speak, he came up with an idea that would bring her spirits up. "Do you want to meet a special friend of mine? I bet that you'll love the encounter".

"Who exactly?" Cassandra couldn't even fathom if Lee knew anyone that didn't want him dead. His coy smile was what strengthened the point.

"A dragon and a special one at that. He's not mine, but I do know him personally. It'll be a lot of fun and you need to stop being such a stick in the mud." Lee's grin couldn't help but grow at the way that she was leaning towards him with interest. He stands, grabbing his cloak and throwing it over the bare skin of his shoulders. He glances towards the night sky and then the moon. "Come on. Tonight is the perfect night to meet him".

The girl patted the dust off her pants as she stood and wrapped her cloak around herself. It looked like they were on the move yet again after their battles and little sleep. Their destination happened to be a rather small open field, scars of an old battle marring the land. There were no decaying bodies in sight, but their bones littered the space disintegrating to time. Lee halted at the edge and raised his hand to the full moon that provided them with light as if he could grab it out of the starry sky.

"Should I tell you about this dragon? Possibly how we met?" A small light flashes in his index finger like some sort of signal. "You see, many years ago, a powerful man walked the planet. People knew him as Roan. He was an astounding leader and also an excellent rider. Back then, riders were far more common and were envied for their bond with those that can touch the sky at will. He, among the very few, possessed a bond with two great dragons. You know how the classes go: alpha, omega, great, and common. Time progressed and each generation of his children forged bonds with the flying reptiles, but he was the only one with two."

Cassandra was watching Lee intently as he told her this tale, one that she remembered hearing clips of before. For only a single moment was her attention drawn away and it was by a nudge on her back by a rather familiar tiny reptile. She turned like a swivel on her feet. "Varicion, where have you been," she asked her scaled friend. There was something in his mouth, an object that she quickly pocketed. Deciding it was about time that he got back to normal size. With a quick wave of her hand and a snap, her was right back to normal size. Now, she could get back to things and maybe lean on Varicion at the same time… though he happened to be snoozing a bit later.

Lee continued on like nothing had happened. "You see, these dragons weren't exactly normal. They were special and one of a kind with the things that they could do. They were the conflicting elements and they were enormous in both size and strength. They were the protectors of the world, guarding secrets of life. One day, many years ago, a man inherited the bond of one of the great dragons and loved every single moment of it...but he met his end at the hands of Motsune. Back then, Motsune had grown to be quite powerful and was damn near impossible to stop. Among the powers that he stole from man and others, he somehow took possession of the great dragon whose rider he had murdered. He abused these powers, forcing the dragon to do rather horrendous things. Have you ever heard of the Black War? It more than likely took place a few years before you were born."

She shook her head and he was prompted into an explanation. "The Black War is one of the reasons that everyone fears dragons today. Motsune waged war on several nations, managing to topple three and leave four in ashes all with the help of his captive dragon. He had others at his side, but they weren't as powerful or determined as he was. At the end of every nation, it was him that dealt the final, devastating blow. When I defeated Motsune the first time, I sealed his life in my arm and used much of my own power to keep him there." He held up his left arm, the dark skin glistening in the moonlight. He then continued, "With his defeat, the bond he stole was released. The dragon was now free from his oppressor. Since then, he has befriended me. His name is Lunara, the great dragon of the moon".

Soon, the shape of a dragon becomes visible. Even with a slowed descent, the winged reptile touches the ground with an echoing thud and a force that caused somewhat of a quake. Lunara's body was ten times that of an average sized dragon, his toes every bit as big as a grown man of thirty. The dragon's scales were a glittering grey and his eyes a sparkling silver light the brighter side of the moon. His snout was blunted and spikes ran from the crown of his head all the way down to his about the dragon was magnificent just as the celestial body it was to represent.

"Very few dragons are left in the world and great dragons are even rarer than that. Take pride. You're seeing something no one has seen in over three decades: a great dragon", Lee said while holding out his hands to Lunara like some grand gesture. He walked towards the enormous dragon who bowed his head in respect. In a strange, old tongue that sounded like clicks and growls, Lee speaks to the dragon before turning to the girl. "Say hi".

Cassandra took a step closer, still wide eyed and gawking. Lunara lays down and rests his head on the ground so she could get a better look. She wasn't all that tall and was definitely the shortest out of all of them. Just his head loomed over her. After a minute or two, the dragon looks at Lee, making a beautiful melodic humming noise unlike anything that had been heard before. The brunette burst out laughing, obviously understanding something that she did not. Cassandra was baffled to say the least, taken aback. "What?"

"He says...he says...pfft". He couldn't even complete his sentence without laughing. "He says that you're rather small to be a warrior and wonders why your dragon hasn't eaten you yet." As Lee finishes his sentence, Lunara lets out a series of grumbles that were similar to a chuckle.

"What?", she repeats with a tilt of her head. It was taking her a moment to process, but when she finally managed she put a hand to her chest in offense. Foe the third time, she asks again almost like some broken record, "What?"

"He thinks that you're scrawny and wonders to why Varicion hasn't made a snack of you yet. It's his way of letting you know that he likes you." Lee had this dumb sort of wide grin and Lunara did as well, both showing their teeth.

"I'm not all that tiny", she complains.

Lunara turned his attention to the smaller red dragon who was lying on the ground and taking a nap without a care in the world. The larger dragon gently nudges the smaller with his nose, causing the Varicion to tilt a bit. Varicion rouses and looks around with some puppy-like dumbfounded expression. He didn't seem to have any sort of interest in the great dragon and just went right back to sleep.

"Oh don't get pissy. He's just messing with you. If he really thought you were that scrawny, he would have eaten you by now", Lee tells her as if that would help matters.

Like a child, she stuck out her tongue at him. The brunette chuckled again, finding her reaction to be rather funny. "He's not that mean. He's just a big sheep-eating teddy bear".

"Mhmm". She was a bit skeptical to say the least, only believing Lee partially. She looked over to her own dragon and mumbles something that sounded along the lines of "lazy bum".

"Really though. He's a good dragon. His brother is a completely different story though. Sundesce is one of the more temperamental sort as much as the sun. You could call him hot headed if that's what you wanted to do. His brother hasn't had a good life and his attitude became worse after the Black War", Lee explained to the girl. At the sound of the other dragon's name, Lunara snorts in distaste before standing. "He must go. It's close to daybreak".

"It was a pleasure meeting you", the girl said with a bow before taking steps backward. She would prefer not to be knocked over by the displaced air. It was too bad that she was knocked over before anyway. Lunara nudged her in farwell before spreading his wings. When he gathered air in his wings, she felt its displacement. She watched Lunara take to the sky, banking left sharply to gain momentum and also altitude. The great dragon eventually disappeared into the distance and the girl's attention then went to the only dragon in the immediate vicinity: hers.

"You need to get up, you bum", she tells him with a disappointing look and a hand at her hip.

"Hm. He doesn't seem to be too enthused to have met a great dragon", Lee said with a chuckle.

"He's never really that excited. All he usually does is sleep". Cassandra walked to her dragon and gave a slight shove to his head. He only budged slightly and that wasn't saying much. Her foot slipped and she actually fell forward right on her face. When she found herself on her back, she was groaning and holding her nose. She was prone to injury.

"Seems that he's pretty comfy where he is. So, how did you meet him?" He hooked his hand beneath her arm to help her up.

"He helped me escape the Master". She nodded a thank you after she had regained her balance.

"Well, you said that, but it is unheard of for a dragon to just randomly meet someone and help them escape captivity. It runs much of a risk that dragons can't afford", Lee said.

"When I was small, I ran away for a while with the help of my parents. It was hard and they paid the price. I was scared to be alone. I ended up in a field with tall grass and the plantation was by some mountains, it's not surprising that I found a cave near by. I got closer to the cave and that's the place where I found him. I hid in the grass, but I'm pretty sure that he knew I was there. He was him though, still taking his nap. I heard shouting a bit later and I ran off only to be caught. After that, I kept going, wanting to talk to him. Something about him… I don't know. I knew the risk, but I had nothing left to lose. The first time I talked to him was actually a year later and we became bonded not long after that. He felt I was in trouble one day and got me out." Story time was over though and she wanted to get her dragon up. "Var, get up and do something. You can't sleep all day".

"Is he always this inactive?", Lee asks with a glance towards the dragon.

"Normally he is. You'd think that he'd get tired of sleeping, but nope, he just continues on". At that point, Varicion opened an eye to peek at his rider. He opened the other eye and gave a snort of smoke to her face before laying right back down.

It was back to camp now that they had their little meet and greet, It was awkward however until the moment that Lee spoke up. "You have quite the aptitude for magic. It's not an easy feat. It's an energy that has its own toddler temper tantrums."

"Not really. I can't control all the magic very well and I only have about two of the more powerful spells memorized. They drain me and there's not much that I can actually do. I just feel it in the air and it happens. It does it's own thing."

"How did you learn what you do know? Did you start out with someone showing you or did you actually find a scroll on how to control the magic?"

Cassandra looked to the ground, her hair casting a shadow over her face with the assistance of the rising sun. "There was another witch there. She was really nice and helped me control the magic that I have. She was the one to teach me everything that I know. She died though… killed…"

"So you were shown? I'm not sure that I know any witches, or magic users for the matter, that can possibly teach you more. Many use scrolls to teach them the art of magic. If you can read them, I may be able to teach you myself. I can't read the spell scrolls, but if you can, I'll show you how the spell is done."

"I can't read. No one ever taught me that. All the Master did was teach the slaves grammar while talking. He wanted us to seem smarter than the rest and so speech was the class we took."

The duo reached the encampment, the fire gone but the embers still sending sparks into the air. It only took Lee placing a few more twigs on the coals and a flick of his finger. There was another light of flame and they were brushed over by warmth once more. Both sat. Varicion had followed them there though out of reluctance. He had decided to become a lap dog of sorts, placing his head on her legs. It caused a series of pins and needles to spike through her, but her dragon might as well have already been down for the count. There wasn't much to do other than relax until the sun was further up in the sky.

Lee took this moment of calm to relax his body and allow a power he was using constantly to expand its range. He was able to see everything that was happening in a few miles. There was no potential danger and he could tell that Cassandra had decided to take a nap. Well, there wasn't any until a few hours later. All of his senses converged on the caravan, taking notice to the amount of carts the hunters. They were likely to need only two and yet they had five, the rumbling a dragon coming from the one in the center. The leader was a rather large man that Lee knew and recognized. He retracted his senses and opened his eyes. He leaps to his feet, his cloak falling right off.

"What's wrong?", she asked. She would have loved to get to her feet quicker, but she first needed to squirm her legs out from under a big, heavy red scaled head.

"Five to seven hunters. Four miles away", he said with teeth nearly gritting together and his index finger pointing right behind them. The whites of his eyes has vanished like before with his fight with Motsune, leaving only that violet haze. "They have a dragon in captivity. She's a small one and I would presume she has a rider as well".

She bawled her hands into fists with determination. "Then we have to save them". Lee was starting to rub off on her already. They had been through so much together already and so far, he hadn't been wrong about protecting her.

"Let's get going. At the rate they're moving, they'll outrun us if we don't hurry".

"Are we running or are we going to be flying?", she asked.

"You fly. Distract the hunters and I'll take out the carts so that they they'll be stuck there".

She whistled, the noise short and sharp enough to cut through the air. In the distance, Varicion opened his eyes and perked up. From where he was, he spread his wings and took to the air, landing by her within a few minutes. With some assistance by using his knee to boost herself up onto his back. Situated between his shoulder blades and wings, she gently gave him a little kick. The dragon spread his wings and with a few mighty beats which stirred the ground under them, they were soaring through the air.

The sky was clear on this morning, leaving them out in the open. Cassandra could have cared less about that however and she gazed upwards at the blue that hovered over them. It was a deep color and absolutely beautiful, but that meant that Varicion was a sort of beacon for questioning. The hunters, when they drew close, noticed her dragon much sooner than she noticed them. Their shouting was what alerted her to their presence. An arrow came at them not long after, a ring of fire dancing on the arrowhead. More followed it from below, but with a wave of her hand, a translucent reddish shield came into existence. A good majority harmlessly bounce off it, but the shield eventually shattered to pieces. To avoid being a pincushion, Varicion twisted his body and folded his wings inwards into a barrel roll. Quickly he opened them when they were out of the immediate line of danger to catch some air in his wings, Cassandra's screams echoing as she attempted to find purchase on his scaly body to make sure she didn't plumet to her death. He evened out. Cassandra worked on getting her hair out of her face, taking deep breaths to calm the erratic beating within her chest. When she finally got somewhat of a handle on things, she stood on Varicion's back to get a better view of the enemy. Within her palm, she summoned an orb of churning yellows, oranges, and reds and lobbed it at the archery mainly working on the attack.

The hunter rolled out of the way to avoid the potential and immediate fire. The orb exploded to the left of him and lit the ground ablaze with a fire hot enough to broil skin within proximity. In response, he shoots four arrows, one after another: Two contained flames while the others were coated in ice. Cassandra managed to deflect all but one, it hitting him in the shoulder.

Before she could cry out in pain, she lost her footing and stumbled backwards. Before she knew it, her foot hit the air and she was free falling. Wind whipped past her ears and it was nearly deafening. She almost didn't hear the roar of her dragon as he gave chase to save her. She was a target in the air and the hunter took his chance.

Three arrows tipped with ice soared through the air. Two were aimed at the dragon who was aerodynamic enough to avoid them, but the last was at Cassandra. She was unable to do anything other than flail as it embedded itself by her heart. She became more like a ragdoll, the area around the wound freezing her and chilling her to her very core. She was moments from hitting the ground in this moment, but Varicion just barely grabbed her by the hood of her cloak. He landed only a short distance away from the tattered cart, careful when setting his rider on the ground. Varicion could have cared less about everything that was happening around him. His eyes were trained on his rider who's now frosty skin was beginning to pale. He curled himself around her, his scales taking on a reddish glow and expelling heat.

Just as the archer finished with that, a black, horizontally spiralling column rips through the front half of the hit lead cart, turning much of it to splinters. It sends two captives ,a thirteen year old boy and eight year old girl, and a hunter who were racing away next to it flying. A second later, Lee appeared under the captives catching them by the collars of their shirt. He turns to the staggering hunter who no doubt either broke or sprained his leg and sending a orb of cracking lighting at him. It electrocuted him, giving him the last of his days.

Lee looks up just as Varicion was landed, taking that Cassandra was dangling from his mouth like a corpse. He lets out a sort of feral growl, looking towards the shooter. He sets the captives down as carefully as he could before he used his ability of teleportation and materialized right alongside the archer. He showed no mercy when he rips his hand right into the archer's side, the sound of his flesh squelching. When he removes his now bloody hand, a gaping hole is left behind, leaving the hunter to endure a slow and painful death. The hunters still alive were scampering away, easy pickings for spikes which protruded from their shadows.

Between all of this chaos, the hunter with the largest wooden cart had whipped his horse, the cart's wheels rattling and threatening to pull loose. Suddenly, a giant ebony spike protrudes out of his shadow, spearing him from behind. He releases the reins as the spike dissipates into the air like smoke, leaving a gaping hole The cart tumbled sideways, throwing the tarp off to reveal a light green, petite dragon tied down securely with no change of movement.

Lee turned to where Varicion was laying, materializing only three feet away which only caused a low growl to escape the dragon's throat. The brunette approached the red dragon carefully, hands low as if to tell the reptile to calm. "I'm only here to help. I want to heal her, but you're going to have to trust me".

Reluctantly, Varicion gives a snort and uncurls himself slowly and with caution. She was the color of powdered milk, her eyes and lips a shade of cobalt. The arrows in her shoulder and chest were iced over, misting in the warm air. Lee crouched by her, taking stalk of her injuries by passing a hand over them. As far as he could tell, no major arteries had been severed. The problem was the fact these magically enhanced arrows were freezing her from the inside out despite her scaled heater. He reached for one of the arrows and wrapped his hand around the shape. Despite the situation, he was the one to wince as he yanked them out one at a time. One at a time, he cups his hands around the injuries and pours his own energy into them, healing the external injuries instantaneously while throwing her internally. "She's going to need food and plenty of rest," he informed before hobbling over to the captives he had managed to free from the clutches of hunters.

Meanwhile, Lee's shadow deals with the bound boy and girl. It rises out of the ground, taking a three dimensional and slightly transparent form. Its hand forms of a blade,cutting the two free before melting into a puddle and returning to its owner. They were already approaching their dragon who was straining against the chains that held her down. The boy actually managed to pick the lock with a snap, a upcoming mage most likely. The girl then whispered to her, most likely the rider.

"Are all of you alright?"

"We've been under ropes for two weeks now or so I think we're fine considering. They've neglected her the whole time she needs is rest", the boy said. With a bit of spite in his voice, he continued. "We are completely fine without your help, so do you mind just leaving us alone. That would definitely be better. I think the three of us have had enough with outside help."

The tone of the child's voice sent Lee reeling back. He pursed his lips in a bit of disappointment, but there was nothing he could do to convince them. You couldn't help those that didn't want it.

Varicion had collected Cassandra onto his back and strolled himself over. Even for his size, he was a rather silent one. The only reason that any of them noticed was because the red reptile had gently nudged the spitfire boy with his tail. The rider, unknowing to what had touched him, turns to see fiery red eyes gazing into his own. They were soft in nature, but they could burn into the soul of anyone.

"Wh...What does he want," the boy managed to stutter out after taking a few steps backwards. The fear was only replaced with confusion at the sight of the unconscious girl. "I thought that you were his rider".

"No. Miss Coma over there is," he said and gestured to her. "I'm just a man... Well, sort of. Really, is there any way that I can help?"

"Like I said like a minute ago, we really don't need any of you help".

"Then take some advice at the very least. Get her some rest. There's a creek about a half mile south when she is able to move. You should be quick to find it. With your dragon in this state, it wouldn't be hard for someone to capture you again."

Varicion had moved quietly in some random direction, his feet padding against the ground as if his steps could wake Cassandra in her healing state. Lee had to move quickly to keep up with the dragon, leaving the three they had just met alone. The brunette was observant of the way he carried his rider, admiring the admirably strong bond between the two of them. He knew there weren't many like the pair around, but he was relieved to see two that were left in existence. He allowed his senses to expand like a guard for them though what he found was less than ideal. Panic slipped into his voice as he commanded, "Get her as far away from here as possible. Move!"

The fire dragon obeyed the command, but only because no more harm needed to come to his rider. His nose had already picked up the stench of another reptile, one of which smelled suspiciously like a desert in the blistering heat. He spread his wings and used them to push up vertically into the air against the force of gravity. He was very careful in doing, not wanting to drop his rider.

Lee was left to deal with the force that had shot him with a dart of fear. A loud crash resonated through the area, a magnificent scaled creature a bit larger size to Lunara lands on the earth seemingly coming from the sun. The great dragon had scales like lava, the light reflecting off them to create a sort of movement like effect when the creature shifted even slightly. His scales made Varicion's bright crimson scales look dull in comparison. The dragon's wings were tipped with white flame and his tail was heavily spiked. His eyes were like constantly flickering flames with hints of burning blue. Those orbs pierced Lee with their gaze and he let out a bone rattling roar that could deafen the unprepared. The great beast showed no sign of attack, but rumbled something in gruff melody, snorting afterwards. Lee was just about to speak when the stamping of a rather large foot close to him halted it. Sundesce would be doing all the talking.

It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows however. Lee felt something twitch in his senses, turning towards the direction of the disturbance. He focused on it, an image of the situation coming to mind. Varicion was falling from the sky, dive bombing straight towards a body that could only be Cassandra's. They were too close to the ground to pull up. The dragon wrapped himself around the girl before he made impact. A crater formed and no one came out of it. In this moment, his shadow detached itself and raced its way across the terrain.

Sundesce could already tell the brunette was no longer paying attention to him although he droned for a few minutes. This was the end of their conversation. With a mighty flap of his wings, he caught air and flew low against the trees despite he could be seen by the mortals he found so insignificant. Lee stood there and watched the sight of the sun dragon growing more distant by the passing second. He only moved when he felt the chill of his shadow summoning him to report its discovery: a crater and no life. He appeared beside them to get a better look for himself. He had no concern for the dragon considering that the creature's hide was tough. Outside injury would not have been something to worry about. Cassandra on the other hand was quite susceptible to injury.

He studied the area for any clue to where could have been dragged only to sections of upturned dirt. "Dragged," he said to himself before following it onwards until he say two sets of parallel treds, determining that it had been wagons. The hunters from earlier were still around and had regrouped for a new prize, it seemed. With a disgust for those that had done this, he set out his senses in an attempt to find his acquaintance and her companion.

The brunette quickly discovered they were not even a mile away although their pace suggested they were moving with as much speed as they could. The wagon they were using was much smaller than what was needed to carry Varicion, although one could assume they had used a size altering spell as Cassandra had in the past. He disappeared and came to be in the shadows of the trees nearby. With a closer proximity, he could discern smaller details such as which horse she was on and how she was sitting in front of the grisly male holding the reins. She showed no sign of struggling, her eyes blank as if she had been sedated. He could make out the coarse rope used to bind her hands, the material digging into her skin and the blood causing streaks down her arms from smaller cuts, the pain used to rouse her from her previous state.

He jumped right out of hiding and appeared in front of the remaining caravan, the whites of his eyes replaced by a purple haze, a dark aura forming. His shadow, still detached, made its way to dispatch any hunters it could as the horses careened to a stop. "Release her and the dragon", he demanded. "Unless you do, I swear that I will make you suffer in the worst ways possible… now".

Fear struck the new leader of the hunters considering the devastation he had seen before, but he, for whatever reason, held his ground as if some other force imbued more fear into him. "You expect to kill me? Go ahead. There are worse fates than death," the hunter said with a growl.

Lee was unfazed by the other male's tone of voice and reached his hand up. It was almost like he was to snap the ma's neck with a flick of his wrist, but that happened to be his shadow's doing. The shade grabbed the hunter by the head and grave a violent twist. With a sickening crack, the man was dead and the shadow slinked off. Lee was able to help Cassandra off the horse and free of her binds.

The only problem was the fact that Cassandra was impassive, standing where she had been put down without any regard to the purple-blue bruises etched into her skin. He waved a hand in front of her face with a frown. It was like she was in a trance, her eyes glazed over and waiting for a command. With a sigh, he tended to the still bound dragon. He healed any internal injuries Varicion could have sustained in the fall before speaking with him. "Do you know what they did to her? Did you overhear a spell?"

The fire dragon gave a small shake of his head in reply as he slowly got his feet, both concerned and uncertain of the predicament that they had found themselves in. At the very least they had narrowed the cause of this to a potion rather than a spell. It seemed that his shadow had some better answers however. As it rose from a puddle on the ground, out came one of the hunters it had managed to capture.

Lee spoke with a threatening growl, "Explain to me what you've done to her or I will have my shadow rip you apart from the inside out." As they spoke, the brunette shadow had slinked into the man's and was actually tearing it half.

This pain resonated through the hunter and he cried out in pain. When the tearing finally stopped, he took a few deep breaths. "A spell… or more a potion of sorts. It won't be easy to fix, especially by conventional means".

Lee, unsatisfied, gave a nod to the shadow who continued it's torture. Despite not sustaining the injury, the head of the hunter's shadow had been split right down the center. A blood curdling scream erupted, before the man stuttered out a further explanation.

"Even I don't know everything about what the Fae did. Your shadow was a fool to kill it. As far as I know, he was the only one that could truly reverse it. He explained it to some extent, but I got nothing other than its a potion. That girl's just some mindless wench for Mr. Virtrus."

"You will be given the death I promised". The shadow proceeded to rip the man's in half. When it was all said and done, he fell dead to the ground with a thud. This left Lee with a chance to report to Varicion who had managed to move his way over to his unresponsive rider. Lee watched as the dragon nudged against the girl with a whimper, worry clouding his own vision. He informs, "I can not glean information from the hunter with my normal methods. There had to be some way that we can try to break this. Have you seen anything like this before?"

Varicion could only shake his head. He had lived a long time and even he had never encountered a potion such as this one. Fae sorcery was always an unknown mystery and they didn't reveal their secrets easily.

Lee tried to take a different approach, turning to the girl. "Can you hear me? Can you talk?", he decided to ask and was rather hopeful when he got a nod out of her. "Do you know of a way to break the magic that's manipulating you? Did you actually see what they did? Do you know who I am?"

"I don't remember anything. I don't remember who you are and I surely don't know what the thing next to me is". Cassandra gestured to her dragon who paused almost in offense.

Unnerving. That was the word to describe the situation that they were in now, though not by the fact that she had no memory in the slightest. It was more worrisome just how calm she was. "You're standing by a dragon whose name is Varicion. You're his rider and he's your dragon. I am Lee and I'm the one that's saved your life a few times since we met only a few days ago. There's really nothing to be worried about in the slightest."

"Really? That thing is mine? Why would I have one when they've been outlawed?"

This was an insult. Varicion had had enough of this preposterous situation and was actually walking away. It was suspicious considering the strong bond between dragon and rider. Lee quirked an eyebrow towards the hot headed dragon before turning his attention back to Cassandra. "He helped you escape a plantation where you were being held captive. They branded you as their property", he said and crouched down, drawing her brand into the ground. He stood again.

"Why would they do that?"

"Because it's a mark of ownership. You were a slave".

With a tilt of her head, the dumb founded girl asked, "Why was I a slave?"

"I haven't the slightest idea. You never told me", the male answered. She hadn't given him much to work with before this and Varicion was already gone.

"Why would I tell someone I don't know something that I don't even know?"

"Because you really did know me and someone made you forget. You wouldn't know anyone that could help you. A clueless person is easier to manipulate".

"Why would they want to capture me in the first place?"

"Best I could figure is because your owner wants you back and he sent people to get you. Your owner is the one that the mark I drew belongs to, Martin Virtrus. He was abusive and so you ran away. You shouldn't be with him. Do you know where you are?"

"No, not really. I should be with my owner though. He'll likely have more answers to who I am and he's the one in charge of me, right?"

Lee grimaced. There was only one way to get this done. "Well, you see, I know exactly where your owner is and I want to help you get back to him. Also, I'm Lee, not a stranger."

"You do?"

He nodded with mock enthusiasm. "The point is that I can get you there without a problem. No sweat". To his disappointment, she gave a nod. It seemed they were on their way to meet a man nearly as horrible as the king. "Well actually, first, we have to find a clear field and actually wait until nightfall. I have a dragon that can help us get there quicker than if we walked or used horses. We really should get going".

With that, Lee began walking. He was rather relieved to hear her footstep behind him, knowing that he had her in tow. The girl was interested in the dragon although the one that seemed to be her own brought her no interest at all. It was something she couldn't explain; a detail that she considered to be insignificant.

It only took a few minutes to arrive at the clearing, the expanse of land a beautiful light green in color. It was simply untouched by trees while the ground was decoratively scattered with white flowers. Cassandra found it to be serene with only the chirping of birds filling the air. Well, it was the only sound until Lee decided to speak. "We'll soon be on our way after sunset".

The girl only gave a nod before she sat in the grass. It was such a nice day and a pleasant little clearing. She could have sat there for hours, but then again, she didn't feel like doing much of anything. She twiddled the blades of grass between her thumb and index fingers, occasionally plucking flowers from their stems to remove the petals. Time sped through for her, the light leaving the land around her. "Why must we wait", she finally asks as the sun begins to dip under the horizon. It was almost as if she had yet to realize the passage of time.

"Because the dragon prefer the night and can't exactly be called until then. He's a night dragon. That's why" The issue was only prompting him to slap his own face with the palm of his hand.

"Is he yours? Why don't you become a rider?"

"The dragon picks the rider unless they're will is forced and they're made to take up the bond. They only do pick the rider when they believe that the time is right. It's as if they are drawn to the person".

"If you and that dragon are such great friends as you seem, why don't you try?"

"The time isn't right".

"When will the time be right? Why do you need him to travel?"

"I'm strong enough to travel on my own. My method of transport will disorient you and it's much harder with more than one person. Remember that I am using my own energy to send the both of us and things could go wrong if I wasn't focused enough".

"Why does-"

He pressed his fingers to his temple. "How about you stop asking questions for a bit? If won't be much longer now. It's rather irritating to constantly have to answer everything. Now, I would rather enjoy a bit of peace while we wait". He paused for a moment, guilt welling somewhere within his chest. "I'm sorry for the way that I reacted, but the questions really need to end for now."

Before Cassandra could respond, it seemed that Lunara's figure was looming in the distance. The dragon was flying as if bringing the stars with him while turning the sky from the color of the sunset to dark navy blue as the sun set. Large gusts of wind blew with such a force that it nearly knocked Cassandra to the ground. Lunara landed not long after and lowered himself to the ground until his bellu grazed the grass, allowing for the humans to climb onto his foot. Lee held out his hand to Cassandra once he was situated and pulled her up alongside him. Lunara raised his foot and gave them easier access to his back. Both hoisted themselves up and sat: Cassandra was cross legged while Lee allowed his legs to lay sprawled out in front of him as he leaned back onto his , after making sure the two were actually settled, took off into the great expanse of night sky with a slight jostle.

Awkward silence filled the air and Lee pursed his lips in thought. "I'm really sorry about earlier. "I seriously didn't mean to actually sound mean. I just… I just had a lot on my mind at that time" You can really speak. Don't you want to ask a dragon of legend, which you're riding on top of? Any sort of question. I'm sure that he would be glad enough to answer them. He really wouldn't mind."

Cassandra found herself lying back a bit later, rather than answering. After all those questions from before and his response, something within the pit of her stomach said it was best that silence envelope them. That in tandem with the dragon's scales cool and comforting silver scales gave her content. She closed her eyes and before Lee could say much more. Defeated, he couldn't help but follow her example.

Their flight was a relatively smooth one with little to no bumps of turbulence. Hours passed. The light of the sun began to wash away the eternity of darkness the night had brought. Lee's senses had picked the transition and as a result, promptly woke himself. He stood and scrambled up the dragon's neck to the stop of his head. The brunette allowed himself to slide right down to the bridge of the reptile's nose. He was burdened with a breathtaking view of the world below, cities and towns that dotted with people smaller than the side of ants. The rolling green hills beyond those civilizations were scattered with toothpick trees and scurrying creatures of various kinds.

Lunara continued on their intended path, keeping disturbances to a minimum up until the moment that it was time to get up. He hummed to the girl who he assumed was still asleep. She woke up with a slow start, groaning and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with the balls of her hand.

Lee translated. "We're landing. We have to travel a bit of a distance on foot. Lunara would prefer not to fly any longer and risk being caught with us on his back. I'm betting that you have some questions about all of this." He frowned and continued when she shook her head. "C'mon, there has to be something that you want to know". He was awarded with another shake of her head.

They soon began their descent, slowly losing altitude. Lunara's muscles had tensed, his wings outstretched. The beast landed with little to no sound and crouched before raising his foot to allow the two on and help them down.

After a bit of a sigh, Lee asks, "Shall we go?" The brunette leapt down first and held out his hand to assist Cassandra who followed in suit with the assistance.

The three had found themselves in a vast area of light green grass that was dotted with flowers of various different colors. It was almost like a rainbow had thrown up on the earthly plane. It was surrounded by a good expanse of green woods that did allow them some protection from sight. There wasn't much distance between them and a well worn path created through the constant treading of merchants over the years. It was barely visible through the treeline As Lunara had noticed before, it lead straight to the city gates which weren't far off in the distance. Lee pat the reptile's cheek and spoke of something quietly with him urging Cassandra to start with a slight press of a hand on her they left, the dragon vanishes before their very eyes. Lunara had shimmered brightly for mere moments before a wave like veil passes over him and he disappears from view.

For a moment, Cassandra was stunned, but she quickly came back to her senses. She had a singular goal in mind. "Lead the way".

Lee nodded and underwent the journey onwards only to pause for a second and look at the state of his attire which only consisted of tattered pants. It wouldn't do. Eventually, they came across a few merchants traveling by themselves and the horse drawn carriages carrying their wares towards the city. He was the casual one when it came to just walking up to one of the merchants and asking to buy some garments. The merchant, seeing that he may have found a customer, stopst. He was more than happy to produce a fine white tunic and brown pants along with a thick green cloak. The seller would have been discussing along price had it not been for Lee's eyes which were cold and sharp. The brunette grabbed the garments before walking off with Cassandra in tow. He stopped at a densely covered area of brush as the side of the beaten path.

"Stay here for a bit", Lee told her before her entered the covered section of the forest. He came out not five minutes later fully clothed. He took the time to look Cassandra over. Her clothes were worn well bt fading color and small holes dotting the fabric. They were covered in dirt, blood, and ash.

"We should probably get you some new clothes too", he admitted. "No arguments? Let's go find someone else."

Lee led her to another merchant, a woman, who had an eye for potential buyers like all the rest. She had already stopped and was waiting for them. "Tell her what you want", he tells Cassandra the moment they walked up. Silence. The brunette noticed her indecisiveness and simply requested basic, but comfortable clothing in her general size that would likely not deter her movement.

The merchant, after deciding Cassandra's size, handed the girl a pair of black pants along with a dark blue shirt that seemed to be the color of the night sky. She threw in a cloak with a similar color scheme to the shirt, covered in flecks of white. Lee gave another glare and the merchant was gone just like that, allowing them to walk off to another covered area of the forest.

She could take a hint to what she was supposed to do and disappeared into that section. She took her time to change and came out fifteen minutes later. The clothes were a bit loose on her although fit more snuggly than her old garments. The cloak on the other hand was brushing against the ground, only situated because of the silver clasp that sat at the base of her throat. She held something within her hand, a lustrous chain hanging out from her gently closed palm. She held it out towards Lee, opening her hand up to show a tarnished, dull silver ring hanging from the chain. The ring size and bulk suggested male. "Is this yours," she asked. "It was around my neck and I don't think it belongs to me".

"I don't think it's mine either," he told her. He's never actually seen it around the neck and it looked like something she had just picked of the ground perhaps. "What do you want to do with it? You can keep it or get rid of it. I could always hold onto it too."

"I don't know. I don't really think that it's all too important. I don't even know what it is anyways. I'll just throw it away… I guess". She sounded uncertain of the choice that she was making, her voice shaking. A scene played within her eyes for just a moment, the blurry scene bright and seemingly joyful regardless of the sorrow that she felt for it. There was the vague outline of a man and a woman who she thought was smiling down at her.

"Hold onto it yourself or give it to me. It could help you later", he decided. He took and pocketed the object before turning his gaze to the city. No need to lollygag much longer. "Well, now you'll blend right in with your new clothes."

It took the two of them a total of two hours to traverse the distance on foot. The two of them walked through a set of huge bronze gated arched idolized with angels at the peaks, words in a foreign language that said of a hope for fortunate events to befall them. The city was a center of trade, bustling with activity and movement. There were people everywhere of different sizes, colors, and races, buildings reaching heights that were rather considerable during this time.

While Cassandra was enticed with everything going off around her, Lee went to asking anyone who would listen about her mark. He kept her within view as not to lose her. Losing her now would have been a simple failure although that was how the questioning was turning out. Lee started through the streets, asking about as he had been. When he had just about given up hope about getting some information, he came across a shop owner who knew of Cassandra's mark. The shopkeeper pointed out the general direction towards the west and stated that there was a mansion out that way. Lee thanked him for his insight with gratitude. He reports to Cassandra the information that he had obtained before the both of them set out.

The crowds began to thin as they got closer to exiting the city. With the new flux of merchants, most had been brought to the bustling center: the marketplace that they were just at. As they walked by a rundown and crumbling building, someone grabbed Cassandra by the shoulder and pulled her towards them. This random man had put a knife to her neck, digging it in to draw a small line of blood like the hunter from before. The memory sparked in her mind for a mere moment before it vanished into a breeze..

Cassandra didn't struggle in the slightest, feeling the stinging of the blade digging into her neck in the most uncomfortable of fashions. Lee looked around to see the situation that had befallen them once more. He narrowed his eyes in a rather menacing manner, staring daggers right at the male holding the girl. He had locked eyes with the thief and the other man tensed in such a way that it caused him to shake. Cassandra feeling the uneasy blade.

Lee then turned his attention to the girl. "Move his arm. You should be fine".

She hesitantly pushed the thief's arm away from her. She ducked under and quickly hiding behind Lee, grabbing the hem of his shirt with such a force that one could have suspected the fabric tearing. Once she was safe, Lee turned his attention to the thief with a scowl. The thief seemed to be stuck in time for the present time. The brunette was indifferent about the scene. He made his way to the gate with Cassandra still clasped to his shirt.

The west gate was similar in looks to the one they had had entered from, but this one was scribbled with words that wished them a safe farewell. They could see from the bronze arch that there was indeed a building in the distance that simply had to be the one that the shopkeeper had been speaking of.

"Is he over there?", Cassandra said within a squeak of a voice. She was shaken after another near death experience.

Lee nodded softly, the gesture an acknowledgement. He then had them make their way through the pleasant gates. He worried for her as they went on. She was so eager to continue her enslavement even though there had been so much pain in her eyes when she spoke of such a past. She was walking herself into a circumstance that she would surely hate and also regret later.

The building they arrived at was a grand white mansion made of cherry wood and red brick, marble pillars standing tall and proud proud, keeping up the roof of the veranda. Windows lined the walls, gazing over the fields in front of it like senteries. Lee glanced for possible exit routes. With the plan that he had concocted, they would need one, but there was an issue: There were no actual guards in sight. Regardless, he knocked on the door, using enough force that he could hear the echo from the inside.

A short and wrinkly old woman with greying hair answered, her ratty garments visible through the small opening of the door and her forest green eyes widening at the sight of Cassandra. She brushed a strand of fine silvery hair to her pointed ears. "Cassie, you shouldn't be here", she said in a hushed whisper.

Cassandra has a toothy grin on her face, showing no concern in the slightest as if she were possessed. "I just came back to my master. I really should have before… I actually don't know why I was gone in the first place".

The brunette behind Cassandra laughed nervously. "She just wants to see her master… kinda. Would you mind taking up to him?"

"You must be one of the hunters that the master has hired. Please enter". The woman stepped back and opened the door enough for them to walk in.

Lee accepted the assumed title entered. The girl was following behind, glancing at just about everything. The old woman began to lead the guests through the halls and even up a flight of stairs that her sore joints creaked on. They reach and set of large and daunting wooden doors.

"The master is in here", she explained and waited for her dismissal, which Lee thankfully granted. Cassandra was the one to open the door.

The inside of the office was just as elegant as the rest of the home and vast in space. There wasn't much within it other a mahogany desk that sat in front of wide plaited windows and the various shelves with what seemed to be thousands of books. Sitting at said table was the master. He was a dark looking fellow with onyx hair and blood red eyes, his skin porcelain without a single imperfection. This male wore formal clothing consisting of a perfectly matching grey suit and a crimson red tie. The smile he gave them was fanged at the canines and contained a sickly sweetness which were revealed when he spoke. "Hello dear sir, my name is Mr. Virtrus as I'm sure you already know. I see that you have brought back my naughty little servant. She's been missing for a few years and I'm grateful for your returning to her to me. She's grown quite well. Now, might I ask what group you were in. I know there must have been more than just you." Cassandra's curious expression, however, gave all the answers he needed. "Ah. I see. I recall my previous inquiry, You were the one that had the Fae… or was he a warlock?"

A small smile begins to play on Lee's lips. "Well, not exactly. My group came into contact with theirs. They had already been dispatched upon our arrival by a strange and merciless man. We secured the girl who seemed to just be standing there, but the man came back. Apparently, she had been the bait at that time. I managed to escape and take the girl, but the rest of my group was not so fortunate. I'm curious sir… the Fae put a spell on her and while the rest of my group was there, not a single one of us had a clue on how to break it."

"I'll call another magic user shortly to remove the spell from her. Well, that is if she proves to be unamusing while in this state. She looks so helpless right now and toying with her would good deal of fun. Cassandra come here for a moment dear."

She walked towards the master, standing right beside his chair behind the desk. Her eyes were glazed over more so than usual although she kept her gaze downwards. She didn't notice the look of irritation he sported.

He placed his hand under her chin and forced it upwards. "You look me in the eyes when I speak to you. You've gotten yourself into a lot of trouble. You should have just stayed here if you didn't want to face the consequences of being caught". His tone was menacing, eyes sparking to a ruby color before returning to normal. He let go of her face, grabbing a napkin from the desk to wipe off his hands Once he was sure that his hands were clean, he clapped them. In came a boy that was slightly taller than Cassandra and looked to be a similar age. He wore patched clothing and had long caramel hair that partially covered a pair of fearful ocean blue eyes. His face was gnaut and covered in dirt.

"Take her to my special room", the master instructed. The frightened boy quickly grabbed onto Cassandra's arm and lead her right out of the room with a scurry of feet.

"Now about your payment. What is it that you and your group wished for?"

Lee had an idea with that wish. "That's changed a tad bit since I'm the last. They had their wishes, but mine are more of a… physical nature".

"And what is it that your require for your physical desires". With a quirk of his eyebrow, the master looked intrigued.

"Simple. I want her."

"And why is that? We do have much better servants and I did just get her back to her rightful place. Why don't you stay for a little and make sure it really is her that you want?"

After some pondersation, the brunette spoke. "Sure. That sounds like a wonderful idea. For all I know, you could be correct; perhaps I would like another one".

"Fantastic". He grinned brightly towards Lee even though his eyes told a story of murder. "Elyse, be a dear and show this man to one of the guest rooms."

Just at the sound of her name, a small girl maybe at age seven walked in. Her amber eyes were dull and her blond hair was nearing the appearance of straw. She wore a brownish dress that had been fraying at the edges unable to cover the bluish spots and scabs that came from torture.

"Please follow me", she asked in a squeak of a voice and she went out into the hall. Her bare feet didn't even make the faintest of noises as they gently hit the tiled floors.

Lee followed her right out, surveying her injuries. Suddenly, she stopped in front of a door a little ways down the hall. She gestured to it, but didn't risk walking in. The room was ornately decorated with sapphire and white satin, every bit of furniture perfect to match the design from the cloth draped over the bed to the desk and wardrobe. He motioned for her to follow as he entered. Lee had a sort of solemn and serious expression. When she neared, he did the only thing that he could. He grabbed her wrist softly, a pang of fear shown on her face. That expression transitioned to something more of surprise the moment that she found herself healed.

"No need for fear little one", he said. "I won't hurt you. I did just heal you after all".

"Thank you sir. I must be going. Please call if there is anything that you need so". She made her escape out of the room, scurrying as she did.

With a sigh, Lee finds himself on the bed. Closing his eyes, he lets his senses drift outward. They were surveying the area, attempting to find Cassandra. In the distance, there were fields covered in various kinds of vegetation and within those expanses of land were thousands of hands working away. Even there, the feeling of being watched was prominent. Under the establishment was an assortment of rooms that varied when it came to their contents. These were the rooms where those who disobeyed ended up, beaten until they submitted. If they died, they were hung by the quarters of the workers as example.

As night begins to fall and the light of day washes away, there's a knock at the door of Lee's temporary room. By this hour, the man's eyes had returned to their normal state, his own rage had died to irritation. He got to his feet and focused his senses on the one disturbing him at this hour. It was the boy from earlier that had taken Cassandra away. He reluctantly opened the door and glancing downward towards the boy with a lifted brow. The haze in his eyes was dancing softly. "Can I help you?"

"The master has told me to get you for dinner", the boy said rather blatantly. "He's waiting for you in the dining room".

Lee followed behind the boy with a nod, taking a faltering step the second his foot crossed into the room where they would be eating dinner. The room was as elegant as the rest of the house between the glass table decorated with a black and red embroidered satin tablecloth and a vase of lillies at the center, dark rosary blinds which covered the windows, and crystal chandelier providing light. At the end of said table was the master of the house.

As Lee sat, an assortment of female servants replaced the boy that had led him and brought a buffet of food. These ladies were by far the in the best condition than anyone that he had seen within the house other than the master himself, nearly unmarked skin with actual color to it. They were dressed in the finest garments, their hair worn short to reveal the puncture wounds at their necks. Lee pretended to admire these women as to keep up with his charade.

"Quite a bunch of lovely servants you've got here", Lee commented even though he has no actual interest in them.

"There are a few more like these. The ones you see here are what I find to be complete perfection. You can see the rest of them as they work within the house. Then again, you could have other interests and those are toiling in the fields", said Mr. Virtrus. In this moment, he pulled one of the gils onto his lap. "I'm sorry if this is going to bother you, but even vampires must eat at some point or the other. We can not survive forever without food".

"By all means ,drink your fill. This isn't the first time that I have met one of your kind and it is of no surprise to me. As for the topic of the servants, I'm pretty certain of the one that I would like and I believe that you know who I am speaking of".

"We will wait until the end of the day tomorrow for your final decision. Much can change within the span of a day, especially after actually watching all of them doing their jobs". With that, he dug his fangs into the girl's tender neck. Not a single drop of blood was spilled onto his clothes. She only made a slight gasp at the feeling, though she didn't fight it.

Lee winced at the sight, but quickly hid it by looking down towards the blade of food that he had been giving. He picked at the food before him out of politeness, but the feast spread out before him was far too much as it could have fed all those that worked in the house. "If you insist on such a thing, but I assure you that my decision will remain the same. None of these other stick out so prominently as that other girl. If you would allow me, might I ask why you would have me wait?"

The master takes his time and when he does let go, he quickly gets the girl out of his lap. One of the other females was the one to help the drained girl stand.

He was feeding off of the girl, eventually allowing her to fall right off his lap. She was dragged off by the other servants of the household and he was more than happy to watch before he responded. "Thoughts are always ever changing. I'm simply allowing you the time to think everything through." He he gently dabbed away any stray blood from his mouth.

"Now that, sir, I am well aware of", he said with a smirk.

The vampire stood in this moment, straightening his suit. "I'm sorry to say that I must take my leave. I have a… matter to attend to with the one you managed to apprehend. You may stay as long as you wish and enjoy the food. Please call one of my servants if there is anything that you possibly need. They should be more than willing to comply." With that, the man walked out from a different door than he entered.

Lee stood and left his food for the most part untouched. Such a waste. He walked from the dining hall, using his active memory to bring him to the room that he was occupying. As he walks in and shuts the door, his shadow bared it as to allow him privacy. He fell over onto the bed before allowing his sense to spend out. His worrying had gotten the better of him, looking for both the master of the house and also Cassandra.

He eventually found both of them as well as an unknown third party in one of the rooms under the mansion. He didn't want to look much further into the torment that she was suffering as rage was already soaking into his very core. He knew that if he acted rashly now, it could very well cost the girl her life, something he was not willing to risk. There was one definite fact however: things would end tomorrow.

Before his rage could engulf him, he worked on attempting to go to sleep. He needed to calm a bit and wake in the morning when he could rationalize things. Hisas best as it could. Both the master and other had left by this point, leaving Cassandra alone. It rose from the ground behind her, taking a three dimensional shape. It checked the disarray for her clothing, which was torn to pieces from the repetitive motion of a whip and heavy with blood. It moved in front of her and gave feeble attempts to get her attention. Nothing seemed to , it retracted back to the ground and made its way back to its owner. It reattached itself and showed Lee Cassandra's condition via dreams.

The following morning was a peaceful one, the birds chirping blissfully outside while inside all that could be heard was the near silent treading of slaves doing chores. The only light within the guest room was what seeped through a crack in the curtains, shining brightly onto Lee's face. He was roused and sat himself up, turning to his legs dangled off the side of the bed. He casually walked to the door, opening it and peeking into the hall. Those unfit for food or outside labor. He wandered his way out and through the halls, curiously looking at the various servants. He assumed that these people were those taken off the streets and beaten into submission if they hadn't accepted their fate already. No one would miss a few within the states of poverty.

He pulled on of the girls to the side although he let go the moment she flinched. "Where can I find the working fields?", he asked the girl that he had grabbed. She looked in fine condition, golden hair braided behind her, eyes the color of a sunrise. It brought him curiosity to why she was cleaning rather than a toy for that monstrosity of a master. He supposed that she had managed to get lucky by not being chow.

"Would you like me to show you, sir?", she asked him. Her voice was soothing and soft, nearly melodic regardless of the slight tremor hidden within it.

"That would be nice. I'd greatly appreciate it". He looked towards her with a soft and kind smile, hoping to wipe away any potential fear she had. As they walked through the halls, Lee couldn't help but ask what made Cassandra so different. Dragons are drawn to their rider for a reason and there was some other agenda with Varicion. The brunette did his best to follow with these thoughts running though his mind. The moment they stepped outside, he would have loved to bask in the light, but the fields were a quarter mile out. The moment they reached them, he couldn't help but gaze at the sunken, skeletal faces of the hundreds.

"Thank you for your assistance. That's all that I needed", Lee said as a dismissal through gritted teeth.

The girl gave a slight bow before speaking. "Of course sir", she told him before the march back from whence they came.

Lee watched the female depart before looking across the field in hopes of finding his friend. She should have been anywhere within the acres and acres of farming land. Unable to physically see her, he sends out his shadow to dart from person to person. The shade only took a second of pause between each individual, the hands barely phased. The girl in question was planting seeds while nymphs behind her were aiding in the growing. She wasn't in the best condition for work with her already infected injuries that were nearly green and her shallow breathing. Upon spotting the the girl, the shadow raced through the growing crops back to Lee and settled itself right back beneath his feet. A silent exchange goes through the two of them and the brunette spots the girl. He treks towards her.

When the girls sees him for the first time, it was like looking through a fog. Her face contorted into confusion as if she was trying to force the memories through. The potion must have been wearing off. She took a step towards him before pausing to glance over to the shifting shadows beneath the crops not far away. She quickly turned her gaze downward and went back to planting seeds in the dirt.

As to keep the charade, he was forced to move and study the others as if they were cattle rather than inquire or really investigate. It wasn't like he truly had to however. All the girl had to do was cough before the shadow moved towards her. It quickly took the shape of a man without a true corporeal form who, like Virtrus, grabbed chin and forced her to look him in his milk white eyes. As his features solidified, one could see he looked to be in his early twenties. His hair was a greyish black and parted to the left side. He wore a robe, one that was the color of pitch and billowed in nonexistent wind. A mask covered his mouth and nose, a light grey "x" printed on the fabric. The strange thing about this man was that he had no shadow.

Lee was seething, but he was relieved when all the thing did was throw her down. He was forced to make a round, eventually ending up back to the girl who had managed to pick herself off the ground. Rage brewing, he marched his way promptly back to the mansion. Elyse was the first person he encountered, the girl holding a bucket of cleaning supplies with both her small hands. He was quick to catch her attention before went past him. "Little one. Where can I find the master of the house. I need to speak with him".

She skittered back at the sight of the expression in his eyes. She stuttered, "The… the master is in his office, sir. W-would you like me to take you to him?"

The brunette shook his head and stormed his way to the office, feet thudding against the ground. He found the master sitting casually at his desk doing paperwork. He barely acknowledged Lee before going back to what he was doing.

"I have made my decision on which one I want", Lee stated with certainty The message needed to get across.

"And which one would that be?"

"Cassandra".

"It's really funny that you think you can just take her, especially since all you're going to do with that pathetic girl is free her. She's worth a lot more than you think and I have a very interested second party that's claimed her much before you. Today, her buyer is showing up".

"Then all the better for me to select her. I have wish for her to be in my employ rather than anyone else's". re.

"Well, I'm giving you no other choice than to pick another girl... or boy if that's what you fancy".

Lee calmly put his hands on the desk with a force that could nearly break it. He narrowed his gaze, the master looking up to meet it with an almost uncaring look.

"I don't think I've made myself clear. I. Want. Her. Not bought or dead if that's what you're thinking about now. I want her alive, well, and free. I'm not interested in any others. She's the one that I want."

"She shall not be your possession for someone else is coming to actually purchase her. Take another girl or leave."

The whites of Lee's eyes fading. "I don't regret to inform you that she's leaving with me and this is the very end of this conversation."

"I wouldn't try if I were you. One of my little shadow demon keepers might just decide to kill her now if you get too close. It would be a shame, but the buyer is strong enough. I'm sure he'd be able to do something about the minor complication. You on the other hand… not so much"

"Demon keeper, you say? It's interesting that you should mention that, child of the night". Lee practically spits the technical term for the master's kind. "I'd be willing to bet that you've never met an actual devil before, have you?"

"On the contrary, I have met a few devils. They aren't actually very good company, breaking things and what not. Downright unruly."

"I agree. We don't tend to be pleasant in any sense. I'm among the worst. You should know demons bow to us regardless of who their employer is even if it goes against the contracts that they have established." Lee leans down, getting right into the vampire's face. "Make no mistake, blood sucker. They fear me more than they do you. Release her or I will burn this place to the ground the same way that I did that group of hunters."

"You amuse me devil, but did you know that once a demon or even devil is trapped in a pentagram, it can't escape?" The man gestured upwards towards the ceiling where a painted symbol happened to be.

"Indeed", Lee says with a bit of a chuckle. "It's a small curse that both demons and devils face alike. It can be rather troublesome in some cases."

"It doesn't matter whether one of you creatures of Hell, the void… whatever you believe in are under or below it. You're always trapped. Every religion's creatures can usually be trapped by one of those."

"Wanna know a secret of a pentagram", he asks in a sort of confident way.

"What exactly would that be? Humor me why don't you".

"It takes much more than a five pointed star drawn on the ceiling to contain an angel. I'm one of a kind vampire and you haven't the slightest clue on how to actually capture me."

He frowned and proceeded to give a sigh. "Is that so? Very intriguing. I shall tell you a secret as well since I don't see a point in keeping up this charade much longer. I'm in actually not the master, thought my master can tell what's going on with this conversation. I am simply following the orders that I've been given." This fake did seem to have a false sense of confidence now.

"Attempting to get the girl is a futile endeavor. The demon will have killed her by the time that you've actually reached her. They enjoy slowly killing through fear, but they can be rather quick when they wish. Her heart could also give out. She does have many more fears than she really cares to show".

"You truly wish for me to kill you, don't you? I'm very content in retrieving the girl and leaving everyone in peace, but this is becoming more difficult than it need be. What do you hope to accomplish with this? You can't contain me, so what's left?"

'What's left is to follow the orders that I was given by my master and that's to stall you. Someone has already claimed her in a sense. She has to stay here until he's arrived to get her. That's just how things work. It's always been that way. You can negotiate with the person that's coming here".

"Then, I'll just speak with your master and convince him to give me her instead of the other person. Otherwise, I can and will burn this plantation to the ground around him, starting with you. I don't intend on making empty threats. I want the girl; that's all. This really doesn't have to end in death, but so help me, I will go that far if that is what it takes".

"My master left this morning and I was who was forced to take his place. After all, I am expendable. What makes you think I want to do this? He wants you to know that the buyer will not be pleased if she's given to you. I think that he already threatened the safety of the plantation and the city that resides close by".

"There's not much of a difference on what happens then. Either way, this place is going to be destroyed as it should be. The only thing that's different is that I'm here right now and I will burn this place this instance. As for your owner being away, that isn't exactly my issue, is it? Now, do you mind telling me the name of this buyer?"

"The other never actually have his name; only his threat. I don't want Cassandra to go away. She's my best friend, but I don't have much of a choice." It seemed that the fake was done being out of his own skin. His features began to shift until he looked younger, height obviously shorter. There was a bit of crunching at the sound of shortening bone, but the shifter only gave a wince. Black hair turned to a lighter shade and red eyes became softer. It was the boy that had taken Cassandra away earlier and his expression now showed some sort of worry.

Seeing his actual appearance, Lee scoffed. "You're a mere child. You expected me to be dissuaded by your words or more the words that your master forces you to say?", Lee asked with what seemed like a bit of a snicker. "First, you attempt to contain me and now you're denying me what I want? Tell me child, is this plantation's instantaneous death worth the life of one girl?"

"If I don't do this, the master is going to kill my little sister. I don't want to pawn away my best friend, but my sister is the only family that I have left. I can't let Cassandra leave with you".

"I'm not going to lie right now when I say that it was never my intention to free just her. I intend to free the rest of you as well. The only thing is that it can only happen of Cassandra comes with me. I can help with your sister, but I shall not be in such a giving mood if she dies."

"I just want to warn you that you can't kill the master if that's what you were thinking about doing later. Well, you can kill him, but not without killing the rest of us in the process. Our brands… they're somehow enchanted. I was conscious for that part of the process and I at least guessed some of the words. I think that it ties our life force with his. He dies and those who he owns dies as well."

"I don't actually want to see him dead… well, maybe a bit. That's not the point. Every enchantment can be broken if the counter is done properly. Allow her to go and nothing should stop you from leaving. All of you can go".

The boy frowned. "But... We'll be hunted it we run and if we get caught, we face a punishment worse than death".

"So was she. I eliminated the hunters that were sent out for Cassandra. I may not be able to protect all of you just by myself, but I can take you somewhere safe. It's the place where no army he sends can harm you. It's a place that can break the enchantments," he said with confidence. "They rescued me from captivity and protected me. They'll do the same for you. Come with me and you'll be safe. It's that or you can die with those that just don't make it. The choice is truly yours."

"Then, Cassandra… we have to hurry and save her. The shadow demon is likely going for the slow kill. We need to break the nightmare. By what I've seen, they're broken by experiencing or remembering a happy memory. I've seen in some cases that holding or seeing something connected to a happy memory can break the influence. I think it's just a case by case thing though".

Lee only nodded before he was off, sprinting. He practically burst through the door, nearly tearing it off its hinges. He was going down the halls at a pace that was downright inhuman. The brunette was out the door before the shifter could stand and his shadow was way ahead of him.

Just like before, one of the shadow demons had manifested itself physical form right in front of the girl. Its hands were pressed against her cheeks, forcing her to look him dead in the eyes. Her eyes were a black sclera and she whimpered with tears running down her face. Slowly, she reached her hand to her eyes. She pressed her nails to the skin under her eyes and drew downwards. She continued the motion, wanting to erase what she was seeing.

Lee's shadow came to the rescue and attached itself to Cassandra's. It at first came up from the ground as a spike before growing arm like appendages. Surprised, the demon dropped her in a heap on the ground before being dragged down into the abyss of darkness. After that occurrence, Lee's shadow rose and took a more humanoid form, a straight edge sword in its left hand, a sickly black substance dripped from the blade. Lee appeared beside them, kicking up dust.

The brunette fished the ring from his pocket and dropped to his knees in front of her. He pressed it into her hand, allowing her fingers to run over the familiar metal. The wearer of the ring has always meant something to her and the happy memories that connected with it came flooding back. The black from her eyes drained like water although her vision was impaired ny self inflicted injuries.

The boy had managed to catch up, currently in the shape of a falcon. Before his feet even touched the ground, feathers melded away into skin. With an oof, he landed on his feet. He tilted his head to the side at the sight of the ring. "Her father's ring? How did you get it? She didn't have it before."

"She gave it to me. Didn't know what it was but I thought that it was important. I've just been holding onto it, thinking that it could help".

"Well, I think that both me and her are glad that you did keep it". The boy knelt beside her, checking over her eyes before placing a gentle hand on her arm which was trembling like a quake. "Hey Cassie, can you hear me. It's Joseph. You're going to be okay".

"Joseph?" The voice she was hearing was much deeper than she was used to, but it was vaguely familiar.

Lee had to make sure that he was remembered as well. "Do you know who I am? Let's establish that before I really start to explain everything".

"You're Lee, right?" His voice was still something that she still wasn't accustomed to, but one she could figure out.

Lee was quick to pull her into a suffocating embrace. "As long as you know who I am, that's all that matters".

"You're… you're crushing me".

He grinned and loosened his grip before turning his attention to Joseph. "Gather as many as you can. Tell them to come here as quickly as you can. I'll help Cassandra".

With only a small nod, Joseph was off in the form of a falcon once more. Lee placed his hand gently on her forehead, the scratches around her eyes closing up and her vision coming into clear view. He moved his hand and snapped his fingers in front of her fact to get her focus.

"Can you see me now?", he asked. He watched as she attempted to wipe her eyes with the tattered remains of her clothing although she gave a nod. Afterwards, the chain was returned to her neck where it rightfully hung. "The rest'll have to wait. I do have more healing to do. You have some fractures in your bones. Right now, we should probably leave".

It was only a few minutes before Joseph returned with roughly a hundred individuals behind him. Lee quickly scanned over those present, before turning his attention to the size of the field. "I need you all to stand in two tight rings around me and Cassandra", he instructed. He was obeyed almost instantaneously, acting without haist. Lee nodded before he took a deep breath. A purplish aura was making itself known around the male as he started to focus his energy. He raised both his hands outwards and parallel to the ground, a shadow extending beneath him. It spread thoroughly to a point where it was beneath them all, making the people skittish. At that point, Lee whispered a small phrase to Cassandra. "Take a deep breath".

She was confused, but she gave an inhale and refused to let it out. Lee concentrated and in a flash, the world as they knew it became dark, purple lines weakening pass the bubble that had taken shape around them in an instant.