Two months Artemis had lain ill, recovering slowly but recovering none the less. Daminthos learned how to fight better, taught by Blayze, Blayze's father Ximos, Siron and Faznit. Artemis grew stronger, playing with Cylan, Sirus and little Zeph.
One night, Artemis awoke, drenched in cold sweat. Cylan awoke as well, and Artemis confinded in the wyrm of her strange, vivid dreams. The next morning Artemis donned her travel attire; A short skirt and cropped shirt of dark, hard studded leather. Sashed around her slender waist was a loose, ring belt with scabbard.
"Im going with Blayze, that's it." Artemis stated, pulling a balck cloak tighter to thin frame. "No, I'm coming with you." Daminthos replied, in the same firm tone. Blayze shifted uncomfortably beside Cylan, unsure of what to do.
"I'm not going to lay around dormant, while you go off adventuring again." Artemis turned, eyeing the elf carefully. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with me. If I remember correctly, your exact words were 'we don't need your help and we don't want your help.'"
"I..." Daminthos started, yet was cut off by an irrate Artemis. "No! All you've ever done is make me feel worthless, purposeless." Artemis hissed, clear blue eyes flashing dangerously. "You said you never wanted anything to do with me, ever! You acted like I was some sort of pet, slave, not a person! The only reason I didn't throttle you, is because of Hammana. Now she's gone, I have nothing left in Qualinesti."
Daminthos simply stared at her, this normally composed girl. He had never seen her this angry.. he had never seen her show any emotion at all. Regaining control of her fury, Artemis nodded to Cylan.
"Take him back to his people. I don't need some foolish elf boy getting in my way. And I'm sure Ayña and Cyma don't want to babysit the spoiled brat." Cylan nodded, yet saw the expression of hurt and loneliness that had settled across Damien's face. Artemis, oblivious to this show of emotion her words and actions had caused, settled between Blayze's broad shoulders, as the dragon lifted into the air with ease.
~oOo~
"Fine, take me back to my people." Damien said flatly, watching the shimmering form of Blayze disappear. Cylan also looked, forlorn at the diminishing pair. Shaking her noble head, she turned to study Damien. He wore an emotionless mask over his cool face, yet his dark, almond shaped eyes still held that pecular look.
Cylan sighed, curling her sleek body up in the warm sunshine. Daminthos looked over, as if surprised. "Aren't you going to do what she said? Take me back to Qualinesti?"
"No, at least, not until you tell me why you looked so... What's that word... Hurt? When Artemis left." Cylan opened one metal flecked eye lazily, content on waiting. She did, after all, have centuries. "I... I don't know. It was like... I felt empty. Now can I go home?" Damien questioned, staring at his feet. Cylan raised her head, already understanding this elf better.
"Answer me one more thing. Do you really want to go back to the elves?" Cylan asked, studying his expression. After long moments of thoughtful silence, Damien finally shook his head, uttering a soft 'No'.
Looking up at the dragon, he clenched a first in anger. "No, I don't want to be left behind anymore."
"Even if it means death?"
"Even if it means death, my life is the only thing they can take from me, it's the only thing I have left."
~oOo~
Blayze winged rapidly south, following the directions of Artemis. They flew high above the plains, towards the land-locked port city of Tarsis. The sun was sinking to the wyrm's right wing, leaving himself weak to attack upon that flank.
Artemis had been quiet throughout most of the journey. Now a string of curses left the female, carried away by the wind. Glancing over his left wing, the great bronze spied the reason for his companion's sudden caution.
Flying behind them was the blazing image of another dragon. By it's small size, the large male guessed it to be either a blue or white, until the sun caught brilliant metallic scales. Banking sharply, Blayze winged back, expecting one of the young silvers that inhabitted the region, or perhaps an adventourous brass from the north.
Cylan's wings beat the air relentlessly, as she strained to reach Tarsis. Concentration locked upon making her tired wings move, she failed to notice the creature approaching from ahead. Only when she saw it's large shadow cast upon the sands below, did she allow her sleek frame to plummet into a steep, vertical dive.
The male groaned, watching his nestmate fall from the skies. He dove after Cylan, his heavier bulk giving him more speed. Straining forth powerful talons, the male easily grasped the smaller female, his wings straightening to level off the dive.
Cylan felt claws pluck her from the dive, screeching and struggling to free herself, paniced and twisted her wedge-like head around. Blasting the other in the face with her deadly lightning breath, she heard the other howl from the unexpected attack.
Momentarily blinded by the lightning, yet not seriously harmed by it, Blayze releashed Cylan. Roaring in fury, he began to roll in flight, then went headlong into yet another dive. The brightness cleared, in time for the male to level off his flight. His body twisted, whirling back and flying just above the scorching sands of the desert.
Straining to pull out of her rapid descent, Cylan shrieked, the familiar voice of Blayze cutting through her panic-hazed mind. "Cylan!" Bronze scales streaked below, then rose straight upwards, whistling past the falling female. Blayze managed another grip on the female, his wings spread wide to slow both their falls.
Cylan reached for the ground, ignoring the seering heat that met her outstretched talons. Serpentine neck snapped back, extended wings folding delicately to shimmering scaled sides. Blayze grunted, landing beside the smaller wyrm.
Artemis sprung from the male's back, clear eyes aflame with anger, the other dragon's a mirror image of the human's. Cylan hung her noble head, awaiting to hear their disappointed lecture.
"Cylan, what are you doing? You're not supposed to leave the valley!" Blayze growled, in their own tongue. The female glanced at Artemis, who was staring at Cylan's back.
"I thought I told you to take him back." She yelled, fists clenching in an attempt to control waves of rage. Daminthos lept from the wyrmling's back, his face also having the rage that shon in Artemis' eyes.
"It is not your place to tell me where I can and cannot go! I have the right to see the world for myself"
"Daminthos, you think the world outside of your own to be much the same as Qualinesti. You think there's romance and honor and heros... There is none, no romance, no honor, no heros.. Only the death and plauges of a thousend wars lingering...And the terror of a thousend more pending..." Artemis' voice trailed off, half choked with unshed tears. Daminthos was about to continue with his haughty tirade, until he saw the human girl's head bow, as the slender frame turned away in an attempt at hiding the emotions.
'She was always so strong... she never showed her emotions, even when she was injured... this cannot be the same person that I used to scare during the night...' Damien thought, watching as Artemis began to walk over the still warm sand, dispite the cool night air. Blayze followed, shifting into his choice form; a human warrior.
Cylan sighed, also taking on elven form. With a glance at Daminthos, she jogged lightly after the others. Damien watched for a moment, standing amid endless drifts of sand. "Have I made the wrong choice?"
One night, Artemis awoke, drenched in cold sweat. Cylan awoke as well, and Artemis confinded in the wyrm of her strange, vivid dreams. The next morning Artemis donned her travel attire; A short skirt and cropped shirt of dark, hard studded leather. Sashed around her slender waist was a loose, ring belt with scabbard.
"Im going with Blayze, that's it." Artemis stated, pulling a balck cloak tighter to thin frame. "No, I'm coming with you." Daminthos replied, in the same firm tone. Blayze shifted uncomfortably beside Cylan, unsure of what to do.
"I'm not going to lay around dormant, while you go off adventuring again." Artemis turned, eyeing the elf carefully. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with me. If I remember correctly, your exact words were 'we don't need your help and we don't want your help.'"
"I..." Daminthos started, yet was cut off by an irrate Artemis. "No! All you've ever done is make me feel worthless, purposeless." Artemis hissed, clear blue eyes flashing dangerously. "You said you never wanted anything to do with me, ever! You acted like I was some sort of pet, slave, not a person! The only reason I didn't throttle you, is because of Hammana. Now she's gone, I have nothing left in Qualinesti."
Daminthos simply stared at her, this normally composed girl. He had never seen her this angry.. he had never seen her show any emotion at all. Regaining control of her fury, Artemis nodded to Cylan.
"Take him back to his people. I don't need some foolish elf boy getting in my way. And I'm sure Ayña and Cyma don't want to babysit the spoiled brat." Cylan nodded, yet saw the expression of hurt and loneliness that had settled across Damien's face. Artemis, oblivious to this show of emotion her words and actions had caused, settled between Blayze's broad shoulders, as the dragon lifted into the air with ease.
~oOo~
"Fine, take me back to my people." Damien said flatly, watching the shimmering form of Blayze disappear. Cylan also looked, forlorn at the diminishing pair. Shaking her noble head, she turned to study Damien. He wore an emotionless mask over his cool face, yet his dark, almond shaped eyes still held that pecular look.
Cylan sighed, curling her sleek body up in the warm sunshine. Daminthos looked over, as if surprised. "Aren't you going to do what she said? Take me back to Qualinesti?"
"No, at least, not until you tell me why you looked so... What's that word... Hurt? When Artemis left." Cylan opened one metal flecked eye lazily, content on waiting. She did, after all, have centuries. "I... I don't know. It was like... I felt empty. Now can I go home?" Damien questioned, staring at his feet. Cylan raised her head, already understanding this elf better.
"Answer me one more thing. Do you really want to go back to the elves?" Cylan asked, studying his expression. After long moments of thoughtful silence, Damien finally shook his head, uttering a soft 'No'.
Looking up at the dragon, he clenched a first in anger. "No, I don't want to be left behind anymore."
"Even if it means death?"
"Even if it means death, my life is the only thing they can take from me, it's the only thing I have left."
~oOo~
Blayze winged rapidly south, following the directions of Artemis. They flew high above the plains, towards the land-locked port city of Tarsis. The sun was sinking to the wyrm's right wing, leaving himself weak to attack upon that flank.
Artemis had been quiet throughout most of the journey. Now a string of curses left the female, carried away by the wind. Glancing over his left wing, the great bronze spied the reason for his companion's sudden caution.
Flying behind them was the blazing image of another dragon. By it's small size, the large male guessed it to be either a blue or white, until the sun caught brilliant metallic scales. Banking sharply, Blayze winged back, expecting one of the young silvers that inhabitted the region, or perhaps an adventourous brass from the north.
Cylan's wings beat the air relentlessly, as she strained to reach Tarsis. Concentration locked upon making her tired wings move, she failed to notice the creature approaching from ahead. Only when she saw it's large shadow cast upon the sands below, did she allow her sleek frame to plummet into a steep, vertical dive.
The male groaned, watching his nestmate fall from the skies. He dove after Cylan, his heavier bulk giving him more speed. Straining forth powerful talons, the male easily grasped the smaller female, his wings straightening to level off the dive.
Cylan felt claws pluck her from the dive, screeching and struggling to free herself, paniced and twisted her wedge-like head around. Blasting the other in the face with her deadly lightning breath, she heard the other howl from the unexpected attack.
Momentarily blinded by the lightning, yet not seriously harmed by it, Blayze releashed Cylan. Roaring in fury, he began to roll in flight, then went headlong into yet another dive. The brightness cleared, in time for the male to level off his flight. His body twisted, whirling back and flying just above the scorching sands of the desert.
Straining to pull out of her rapid descent, Cylan shrieked, the familiar voice of Blayze cutting through her panic-hazed mind. "Cylan!" Bronze scales streaked below, then rose straight upwards, whistling past the falling female. Blayze managed another grip on the female, his wings spread wide to slow both their falls.
Cylan reached for the ground, ignoring the seering heat that met her outstretched talons. Serpentine neck snapped back, extended wings folding delicately to shimmering scaled sides. Blayze grunted, landing beside the smaller wyrm.
Artemis sprung from the male's back, clear eyes aflame with anger, the other dragon's a mirror image of the human's. Cylan hung her noble head, awaiting to hear their disappointed lecture.
"Cylan, what are you doing? You're not supposed to leave the valley!" Blayze growled, in their own tongue. The female glanced at Artemis, who was staring at Cylan's back.
"I thought I told you to take him back." She yelled, fists clenching in an attempt to control waves of rage. Daminthos lept from the wyrmling's back, his face also having the rage that shon in Artemis' eyes.
"It is not your place to tell me where I can and cannot go! I have the right to see the world for myself"
"Daminthos, you think the world outside of your own to be much the same as Qualinesti. You think there's romance and honor and heros... There is none, no romance, no honor, no heros.. Only the death and plauges of a thousend wars lingering...And the terror of a thousend more pending..." Artemis' voice trailed off, half choked with unshed tears. Daminthos was about to continue with his haughty tirade, until he saw the human girl's head bow, as the slender frame turned away in an attempt at hiding the emotions.
'She was always so strong... she never showed her emotions, even when she was injured... this cannot be the same person that I used to scare during the night...' Damien thought, watching as Artemis began to walk over the still warm sand, dispite the cool night air. Blayze followed, shifting into his choice form; a human warrior.
Cylan sighed, also taking on elven form. With a glance at Daminthos, she jogged lightly after the others. Damien watched for a moment, standing amid endless drifts of sand. "Have I made the wrong choice?"