Jessi: This chapter would have been up yesterday but that was my birthday :D Looking forward to see how this year turns out (sixteen was a good age).

Chel's face remained passive but, hidden by his volumious sleeves, his claws extended.

"Where did you hear that name?"

The immortal had not gone by that name for four thousand years. Only to a few select beings had he revealed his true name and origins. Of those few (easily counted on one hand) only Vale was still alive.

"I have always known you," the harsh voice paused, "...always."

"And why would you be looking for me?"

The ragged edge of the cloak flapped briefly in the wind. A hand of skeletal thiness with claw-like nails, reached up to steady the cowl and keep it in place,

"I looked but could not enter. Always looking, because of what he said. Then he worked his magic and now I am here. I've reached it! What you thought would be safe for you and your guilty concious!" her voice rose as it said this before trailing off into a thin dry rattle, what Chel presumed to be a growl. The cowl then moved rapidly from side-to-side, as though it was clearing its head, "Regardless, before I can have my reward, I have to... have to..." its claw-like hands clutched at its cowled head, "No... no... My Master... he wants..." more thin growls, "He wants to speak with you. Come."

"What?" Chel's flawless brow furrowed slightly and his head tilted to one side.

"You heard me. Go to... Ah!... No... Help me Master!" the thing shrieked. Abruptly it stopped. Its head fell onto its chest, though the dragon could hear its voice whispering to itself and... His immortal senses were detecting something... another presense but beyond that he couldn't tell anything else.

"You!" the dry voice snapped, its hand jerking upwards, "Will you come willingly or not?"

Chel growled,

"You and your Master have threatened those under my protection," Vale... Vale could have been killed... My Vale-uke... thought Chel. Aloud he spoke, "I will not parley with those of your ilk."

"So be it."

Its next move took Chel by surprise and he was engulfed by a golden beam of light that howled and scorched the earth black.

"Seme!" the high priestess screamed. Her hands scrabbled at the ropes and at the restraining hands of the Armsmen, "No! No, no, no!" had the cowled figure been standing in front of her she wouldn't have been able to recall a single spell. No. She'd kill it with her bare hands!

Tears began to fall from her eyes.

Just across from her, Kerova stared in horror at the burning tract of land where the ashes of his former guardian surely lay.

The cowled figure came closer to the burnt figure. The Master had stated his wishes clearly enough. Chelevva was to be brought back alive. The cowl hood bent closer and its clawed hand rested on Chel's back.

The decoy crumbled away into ash and the immortal's magic tore through its body, flinging it away. Chel followed that up with golden globes of magic that exploded violently. His opponent dodged nimbly, though the edge of the cloak grew steadily more ragged as the globes drew closer and closer.

He watched his servant, and felt the exciment and hatred in its soul. But it was time to end this. Carefully he sent his message.
Use the spells I gave you and he will fall. Then bring him here.

"Understood Master," the skeletal hands moved in arcane patterns, casting the first of two spells.

Chel screamed as pain suddenly flared within every part of his body. The senses he'd inhertited from his mother told him that this was a spell that only worked on elves... and those who were in elven form. A growl worked its way from between his gritted teeth.

His body began to change and expand into a more familar shape.

Fear stabbed briefly through the heart of the cowled figure as the colossal form of Chelevva Pendragon launched into the air, the scales reflecting the sunlight and making him into a figure of blazing light.

Then it felt the presense of its Master and was comforted, remembering the other spell he'd given it, his faithful servant.

Chelevva turned in the air, a graceful manouver that should have been impossible for any creature of that size, and dove towards the cowled figure. He was taking in a deep breath, blue light shining at the back of his throat as he prepared one of his breath weapons, the blue beam of disintegration.

Dark magic built up within the cowled figure and it winced at the pain that the spell caused it. It knew, however, that when the magic did its job, theagony it would cause the godchild would be much, much worse.

Taking careful it sent the magic spirilling out towards him.

Chel screamed and a split-second later Vale let out on of her own. Her delicate hands were clutching her head, blood running from her ears and nose. She could sense Chel's pain through the bond they shared, when they were this close, but it had always been merely knowledge that he'd been hit. Never had she felt his pain, not like this.
The dragon was on the ground, his claws digging up huge chunks of earth and his back arching in pain. Blood came from him too, but unlike Vale it came from everywhere, even coursing down his face like bloody tears seeping from between his eyelids.

The cowled figure watched as the proud godchild bit down on his own tongue in another spasm of pain, adding to the already bloody landscape. His back legs still feebly kicked but soon he was still.

Another spell changed him back in the form of a winged elf and with that the cowled figure left the forest, Chel slung over one boney shoulder.