They were from very different worlds, he and she. He could remember nothing of the life he felt he must have had before his demonic existence, while she often spoke of her own previous life. At first he had despised her, hated her even; now he waited eagerly, for the times when she would call on him to battle, and perhaps the more so for the nights when there was nothing but the campfire and she would call him for company. She had been young, a mere child in his eyes really when they first met, and his hatred of this utterly weak defenseless creature who possessed such power to destroy his corporeal form yet bind his spirit to her will had then been so complete that she had called on him only rarely. He had rested inside the amulet she'd bound him to and plotted his revenge, only to find how futile was the effort when he could do nothing more than wait at her side, or charge into battle against her foes. On those occasions when he fought for her he was sometimes so overcome with wrath at his situation that the opponent would be a shredded mess and she would have to choose a new target to direct his ire toward before he'd ever finished to his own satisfaction with the first. She never faulted him for it however, and more often than not she would simply choose a new target for him and calmly order him toward it. She was never harsh with him. He had seen it as weakness then, but he now knew that for her it was enough simply to have bound him and she felt no need or desire to remind him of his position. As he lay in his crystal around her neck thinking about all this he heard her call to him. It was not, however, her usual soft call, rather this was a cry of desperation. He gained form and sight just in time to see her fall, still fighting but only weakly, and he realized that her supply of mana was dangerously low. If she didn't die from it, falling unconscious would produce the same results, as she would be mauled by the monsters. "No one harms my Master!" he snarled, and tore into the werewolves. They weren't particularly strong creatures in and of themselves, but in packs they were deadly. They were also not easily convinced of their errors and he was himself bloody and wounded by the time he finished them. "Master..?" he asked tentatively, kneeling at her side and bowing over her still form.

"Chi..?" she gasped in a soft whisper as he rolled her over.

"Master you're safe now," he responded softly, gently lifting and cradling her, "I must get you to a healer…"

"Wellspring Village," she managed, "If… if you can get me there, I should be alright, the… Apothecary Master will know what to do…"

"I'll get you there master," he said softly, picking her up and beginning to walk, "I'll get you there or die trying…" He held her as firmly as he dared, running the last mile to the village. He knocked on the man's door then gently laid his mystic on the apothecary's doorstep and disappeared into the amulet to await the man's aid. It was late night and the moon was out when she woke enough to call to him. The call was weakened still, but much stronger than she had been when he'd left her earlier that afternoon, and he materialized to see her lying on a soft bed in a half-sitting position. "Chi," she smiled when she saw him.

"Master," he responded with equal pleasure, "I am glad to see you well."

"Oh Chi," she chuckled softly, "You don't need to call me master."

"It is the proper way to address you, is it not?" he asked.

"In most circles probably," she conceded with an affectionate smile, "But please, you don't have to use titles when we're alone."

"Alright…" he sighed.

"Come on," she smiled, "Let's go find a better place to sleep. The bed is comfortable and all but I feel better outdoors with a campfire." He nodded and followed her, occasionally supporting her if she showed signs of stumbling. She led them down the road from Wellspring Village to the Courage Path, proceeded to climb the mountain above it and set up around one of the continually burning campfires, then she dropped to the sand, exhausted. "Are you alright?" he asked, staring into her face in concern.

"I'm fine," she smiled, "Just tired. Perhaps I shouldn't have moved so soon. But I wanted to be out here, rather than in the town."

"I understand," he said, "I prefer this also… But I am worried for you, you must rest master."

"I know, I won't be doing any more travelling tonight, or for the next day or two," she smiled, "and Chi, call me Pyralis."

"But it would be wrong," he objected, looking searchingly into her eyes.

"No," she said softly, gently caressing his face, "Not to me." It was then, as he looked into her beautiful green eyes with her hand resting on his face that he finally allowed himself to admit what he'd known for some time now. He loved her. "Master…" he started, then at her slightly teasing smile he amended with a slightly nervous smile of his own, "Pyralis. It is difficult to just call you by name, after so long of thinking of you as my master…"

"I know," she said gently, "It's alright, I will help you. You are my friend, not my slave…"

"Then… will you allow me to speak openly..?" he asked nervously.

"Of course," she smiled.

"Then… you will forgive me… for what I'm about to do…" he whispered, and with that he pressed his lips softly to hers. It was the most terrifying thing he'd ever done in his life, and at first he was not convinced it had been the right thing, but then she kissed him back and he knew. "I love you," he said softly.

"I love you too," she answered. He smiled and kissed her again.