Disclaimer: I don't own Artix (sighs) or Warlic, Cysero, Dragon Fable, Adventure Quest. However, I do own story idea and my characters: Kiera, Ebony, Gene and Erin. This came to me as I played and I just had to post it as an intro to future stories of Kiera/Artix and Erin/Warlic. Also there are some minor revisions. I am reposting all the stories from this saga in order under one roof! Tired of flipping through to see what I wrote before, LOL. ~k~

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Cysero's Little Problem

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"Ugh there has got to be a better way." The battered rogue groaned as she sat up slowly. "To think I thought Gorillaphants were bad."

With a light growl of agreement, the young dragon nuzzled her cheek. "Ebony, that tickles!"

Satisfied with her friend's light laugh, the light blue dragon shifted her black wings then flew a few feet away before she looked back in expectation. Getting her hint, the rogue sighed then grabbed her pack to follow the dragon. "You're right, Ebony, we do need to visit Warlic. I'm sure that he will have several things to say about going off half-cocked."

Ebony huffed then shoved her friend with her snout once the rouge had caught up. "Okay, okay no need to get rough! I get it, alright!"

Blue eyes darkened as her affectionate grin left her scratched face. Yeah Warlic would definitely have his share of things to say about facing what she wasn't ready to face alone. Dark brows drew together as she reviewed her failed mission. She snorted softly as she muttered, "I'm no hero; least not like my brother."

Gene was older, stronger, and much prettier than her. Of course he would of kicked her ass himself for that last statement since guys were ruggedly handsome...not pretty. Despite herself, she chuckled then sighed at the longing in her heart. She truly did miss him since it had been years since he had left to seek adventure; after all, they are several years apart in age. Or at least, that was his excuse while she knew his true reason was their father. Avery Wright was a sword maker and he had taught all his children to fight. The old man may have never abused her or any of her six siblings, but his 'lessons' had left more than their share of scars.

"Kiera, what are you doing back here so soon?"

The rogue sighed at the scolding she was likely to receive as she limped up to the mage. To think that her friend, Erin, thought that he was cute; must be the mage thing. She shook her head in an effort to clear it, but instead experienced the odd sensation of her vision fading to black. The rogue muttered tiredly, "Not again."

"And furthermore, Kiera, you know better than to overextend your strength."

"I know alright! Geeze, Warlic, how many times do you have to..."

She looked away from the wizard's silent disapproval then stood. "Just never mind. Thanks for the power up and re-supply of my potions, but I really should get going."

Warlic reached out to touch his impetuous friend's arm. "Kiera, it won't bring him back."

Tears shimmered in her eyes for a moment before her gaze hardened once more. "I never expected it to. This is just something I need to do on my own."

"You know that your friends are there for you when you need us."

Kiera swallowed hard as her gaze met his against her will then covered his hand with her own. "I know and I thank you, old friend. I just need to find who I am in my own way."

"I understand, young one, so go in peace."

"Now where did all those damn fairies go?" Kiera growled as she tried to push aside her sudden uneasiness, but it just grew when she heard an ominous growl. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Ebony squeaked in response then jumped when her trainer shrieked. A puff of smoke left her nostrils when she saw Warlic's odd roommate. "Cysero, what the he-!"

He laughed uncertainly (or was it guilt?) as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Say, Kiera, I kinda have this teensy problem and I need..."

"My help. Of course." She sighed heavily then looked the shaggy haired mad whatever. "Cysero, the last time you had a 'teensy' problem, Falconreach as we know it...well I don't really need to go into it again since I saw the future, at least a part of it, and at least Oaklore still has its castle."

Cysero shifted in a stance that had become even more uncomfortable than usual-if that was possible. "Yeah well it wasn't my fault that the sock monkeys decided to take over and... You know, Kiera, you're right; we best not go into all that. Ancient history and all. Anyway this is a totally different teensy tiny problem that does not in any way involve a certain paladin...or would it be former?"

Kiera sighed again as she pinched the bridge of her nose to ward off an oncoming migraine. "Cysero, what did you do? Please tell me that you didn't shrink Artix into something small or weird or..."

"Okay." He replied way too quickly for the rogue's liking. "I assure you that he is in no way tiny or shrunk or..."

Okay she really didn't like the way he had hid his fingers, which were probably crossed, behind his back or the guilty smirk on his face...if it was guilt. However, she was spared further comment when she heard that ominous growl again. "Cysero, please tell me that was your stomach."

"EEP!"

"Of course not." Kiera muttered when black talons suddenly reached down to grab the weird little man and lift him up to meet the hungry maw of a shiny gold/silver armored dragon. "Figures. I can never catch a break. What do they take me for? A hero?"

"Naturally."

Kiera shrieked at the white/blue mage's sudden appearance. "Erin! What have I told you about coming out of nowhere and scaring the living crap outta me?"

Erin waved her wand to deflect the sudden attack of dragon breath. "Later, Kiera, since we have other things to worry about at the moment like your boyfriend-turned-dragon there."

"He's. Not. My. Boyfriend!" The rogue gasped as she dodged each shot. "Damn. And here I always teased him about overkill..."

The dragon roared at her comment, but froze when the dragon amulet suddenly glowed blue. "What the-"

"He-" Erin's words were interrupted by another frustrated roar, but not from the expected source. Before her and the silver/gold dragon stood a dark blue dragon with black wings that definitely was not the grown version of Ebony she had encountered in the future. Blue eyes flashed as the rogue-turned-dragon snapped at the shiny dragon that had ate Cysero.

Dammit. She didn't want to hurt him, but there was no way she was going to let something go like biting at her neck. Well if that's the way he wanted it then...

Erin's eyes grew large as she wordlessly watched the two dragons go at it and only wondered briefly where her friend's young dragon had gone. To see both dragons fight to overpower each other was almost like poetry in motion and caused her inner fan-girl to squeal when the silver dragon finally wrapped himself around his blue mate. The stars in her eyes instantly died when she heard her dragonic friend's distressed moan of pain. 'Ar-tix.'

The defeat that shone in those eyes could have melted the coldest heart, not that his heart had ever been cold, but at the moment it was dragonic... A crystalline tear slid down the scaled cheek as her head dropped wearily to avoid those cold, soulless eyes that was so unlike Artix's usual warm, brown gaze. The rough tongue that brushed away the tear surprised her, but it couldn't be... Against her will, those eyes drew her in and somehow she understood what she read in those depths. Determination relit the fires in her eye as she murmured a deeper, gravelly voice. 'This isn't you.'

A roar of surprise tore through the wind when the dragoness found a new strength to shift her body in a way that imprisoned his wings and tail. Before dragon-Artix's predicament could become more interesting, his attention was caught by the white haired blue mage who had stepped out of the shadows with a hint of sadness in his own dark eyes. "I do believe that you two have had enough fun for one day. Lotundra Nikai Trenees."

Another flash of light surrounded the pair and obscured them from view until the light died. There in the clearing laid the human rogue in the arms of her one true -human- love, asleep in a way she hadn't been for awhile. It made a cute scene of two heroes as they slept together in the glen while the two mages watched over them. For now all was right. That is until a dazed Cysero staggered up to his roommate. "What happened?"

Warlic sighed in annoyance as he waved his hand at the mad hatter...erm...sword maker/inventor. "Silence."

Cysero squeaked silently when he found that his lips had somehow zipped together. He frantically clawed at his lips in an effort to release the spell, which caused Erin to chuckle softly. "What a neat trick, Warlic, you gotta teach me."

He nodded sagely with a knowing light in his eyes. "Should you need a rest from your adventures, young one, visit me and I will teach you many things."

A soft blush stole on the young mage's cheeks as she boldly looked into his eyes for any possible double meaning then nodded when she found what she sought. "Hmm I may be convinced to become your apprentice, Blue Mage."

"This should prove interesting then." He frowned lightly when their friends shifted in their sleep. "Darkness dawns for our friends and I fear that things will worsen between them before destiny fully plays her hand."

Erin sighed as she studied her friend and rubbed the warm scales under her hand. "The winds of fate have not been kind to Kiera, but she is stronger than she believes herself to be."

"Indeed. It is in her bloodlines. A strength as such is rare even in this land."

Brown eyes met silver with knowledge deeper than her years. "You have seen it then."

"I have and she will need her friends more than she is willing to admit."

"There is much she has yet to admit, but I am afraid that she will realize it too late."

"Only time will tell, my young apprentice." Warlic finished sagely. "Time, destiny...and love."

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End