When last we left Aaliyah, and Gorpi, they had been attacked by a group of Grime Fairies and their Mistress. Separated in the battle, Aaliyah was surrounded by the group of fairies, and Gorpi faced the Mistress. The Mistress shattered the roof of the cave with her electric blasts, burying Gorpi. Aaliyah had killed four of the Grime Fairies in self defense, and had just shown mercy to the fifth. Yet as Aaliyah left to aid Gorpi, that fairy had grabbed a rock from the rubble and was charging at Aaliyah...

"Aaliyah, behind you!" Shard screamed.
Aaliyah turned just in time to dodge the fairies attack. She quickly shot a fire barb at the Grime Fairy, ending her life.
"Shard, I..."Aaliyah said sadly
"Aaliyah, you did what you had to do!"Shard interrupted.

And on the other side of the battlefield, the Grime Fairies' Mistress had begun digging furiously through the rubble. She finally found Gorpi and lifted her up out of the pile of rocks by her throat. She raised her other hand above her head in a clenched fist. Electrical energy began swirling about her fist.
"Time to die, dirty, little tamer." She said with a disgusting smirk on her face.
"I don't think so!" Aaliyah screamed in anger as she launched a fire barb attack at the Mistress. It hit the Mistress square in the back, but the Mistress's defenses were high, and she easily recovered from the attack. She began firing electrical blasts wildly at Aaliyah, but Aaliyah easily dodged the sloppy assault. She ran directly at the Mistress, impaling her with Shard. This time the Mistress fell, and she did not get back up. Aaliyah also fell, still battered from the brutal assault to her face and head she received from the Mistress's servants. The Mistress turned over to face Aaliyah, and began talking, while staring directly into Aaliyah's eyes.
"This won't be the last time you will kill, many will fall to your murderous hands." She said
"Shut up, you know nothing!" Aaliyah shot back hardly in the mood to listen to rants.
"I know more, and everything about you Aaliyah of Laurel Mountain. I know you will kill many, or is that the other you? Either way, many will die because of you. You will know nothing but betrayal... and when you die, you will be alone, your true love having already died because of you. And when you face yourself, that final time, you will be alone , and you will die..." she said as she closed her eyes, never to open them again.
"What happened?" Gorpi said as she rolled over in the rubble.
"Nothing, we're getting out of here."Aaliyah said as she walked over to Gorpi.
"She grabbed her telestone as well as Gorpi's, tapped it twice, and the duo faded from sight. Back at Ullara, they re-appear.
"Now see, thats the way it should be. No fuss no muss, just once second your there the next your gone...", Gorpi said as she passed out.
"Ullara, please we need healing...",Aaliyah said as she too passed out.

The next thing Aaliyah knew was all black. Quiet, nothing, not even Shards voice. Soon she could hear faint whispers. Whispers she felt she knew where they were coming from. The whispers got louder.
"I hope shes okay, I saw her take a few to the head."It was Gorpi's voice.
Aaliyah opened her eyes. She was back in her quarters in Green Scarp. Novice Shan was there, and so was Gorpi, and Cartaelian.
"Look, she's okay!" Cartaelian said loudly.
"Quiet! Now let her get some rest."Shan said in a scolding tone.
" It's okay Novice Shan, I'm just happy to be out of there."Aaliyah responded
"It's a good thing you woke up I was just getting ready to report in to Novice Shan what happened at the cave."Gorpi said
As Gorpi started talking, all Aaliyah could think of was the brutal attack the Grime Fairies dished out. The claws and fists ripping and smashing. She knows if it weren't for Ullara, she could be dead or worse. She only starts paying attention again after Gorpi stops talking.
"This is very disturbing news!"Novice Shan said almost in dis-belief. "I need to report this into my superiors, I advise you two get some rest. I want to begin training you two for the trials to come at soon as possible."

And so the weeks went by. Novice Shan had done just as he said he would, he began training both Gorpi, and Aaliyah fully in the use of their talisman. Aaliyah even learned two new skills, the fire dragon attack and the fire spiral attack. Yet Novice Shan did not report his findings to Aaliyah and Gorpi. He just insisted they follow a very strict training regime. And one one such training session...
"Aaliyah, you've been awfully quiet lately. I hope you aren't making to big a deal of what happened at the cave. They we're going to kill us, you know?"Gorpi said
"No, its not that, I know I did what I had to. I just cant get over how brutal those fairies were. They enjoyed hurting me. I'm actually glad things ended the way the did."Aaliyah said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Well, I just wanted to thank you Aaliyah, I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you."Gorpi replied.
"Gorpi, I've been meaning to ask you something. Why don't you have a pet?"Aaliyah asked innocently.
Gorpi turned her head away from Aaliyah's view.
"I'm sorry, its to personal, you don't have to tell me."She said
"No... its okay."Gorpi replied hesitantly"It's just that I never really told anyone, but I trust you."She said with a smile.
"It all happened a year ago. I was in love with an assassin who had a gift for getting us into trouble. One day we wandered upon a group of Bobtail Monkeys. I saw one that was so cute compared to the others, he was very feisty and playful, and I just HAD to have him. I began my taming spell, but the monkey didn't fight me he came right to me. The three of us went on many adventures together, but one day my sin insisted on going hunting in the desert near Sand Village. As we left Flowers Mountain we were surrounded by a group of bandits. They had grabbed unto me and started feeling my clothes for money I hoped. My monkey lunged at two of them which gave my sin just enough time to grab me, and use his hasty shoes to escape. The last I saw of my monkey he was thrown on the ground. It was at that moment Onjo was born."Gorpi said sadly.
"Thats another thing I don't fully understand. If Onjos a part of you, how can he be a man."Aaliyah asked.
"I'm a manifestation of what Gorpi wanted to be at the moment of infusion. I'm, for all intents and purposes, the warrior she wanted to become, in order to save her pet."Onjo chimed in.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."Aaliyah replied.
"It's no problem. As a matter of fact, I have a few questions to ask you. Just what exactly happened at Laurel?"Gorpi asked.
"You don't have to tell her..."Shard began to say
"No, I think its time I told someone. Its not right to keep it bottled inside."Aaliyah thought.
"It was a bright and sunny day at Laurel. My father had just asked me to collect some tiger pellets..."

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What happened at Laurel Mountain? Find out in Part 1 of Reunions, but first check out Prelude 1 of the Tales of Talisman entitled "Gorpi, and the Hidden Cave", an important tale that introduces Fudjya, and Assassin that will play a large roll in the lives of both Gorpi, and Aaliyah!