Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except some stickers I got from Nintendo Power.


Deathscythe Hell 666: He was a lot younger during the time of this story. Hadn't gotten to his nice guy stage completely. I agree that he's overpowered. However, there are reasons behind this. And there's a writing technique called stream-of-consciousness. That's the technique I butchered with my last chapter.

dude (anonymous): Give me something to go on here! I can't write off of useless reveiws!

Wyrmseeker: ...Okay... I must have done something with these fics for you to have put me on your favorites list...

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE! I've started a C2 community called Sain Friends Inc. If you are interested, e-mail me. My e-mail is on my profile.


Claen'tor: Okay, I got three reveiws. Aiming for four here. Going once, going twice, I got nothing!

Annndd... FIC!


Chapter 2: The Invitation

Aria blinked. "That was some display of power."

Cale winced. "Oops. At least my anger is gone."

Jasith walked over to Cale. "Is there someplace we can stay while we locate where the dragons retreated to?" she asked Aria.

Cale started. "When did this start?"

"That's our next course of action, is it not?"

"Right. You always seem on top of things before my mind can register."

"That's right. That's why I'm married to you. You never were good at making timely decisions on your own," Jasith said, half-seriously. She turned back to Aria. "Should I repeat my question?"

Now it was Aria's turn to be startled. She recovered, then replied, "You can stay at my home. It's not big, but since the man who fathered my daughters died, there's been plenty of room for guests."

Jasith looked Aria up and down. "You don't look much older than I am. How old are you? Twenty-eight? Twenty-nine?"

"I'm forty-five. Do I look that young to you?" Aria said, slightly flattered that a younger woman would think she was nearly twenty years younger.

"Uh... yes. Most human women lose their youthfulness at their late thirties. Or at least the women I've met. You are a very beautiful woman, Aria." Jasith said, somewhat in awe in the endurance of the older woman's beauty.

Aria blushed at the compliment. "Thank you, Jasith. Come, I'll take you to my house. It isn't far."


At Aria's home

"You are most gracious to allow us to stay here," Jasith said.

"Momma? Who did you bring home?" A little orchid-haired girl, who couldn't be more than four, came out of a bedroom on the north side of the house.

"It's just some nice people who need a place to stay for a while. Come here, Florina. I'll introduce you."

The little girl came over and allowed herself to be picked up by her mother. When she saw Cale, she hid her face in Aria's shoulder. "It's okay, honey. Mister Cale won't hurt you or Mommy," Aria said, comforting her, "There's a nice lady here as well. Her name is Jasith. Say hi to Jasith, Florina."

Florina looked slowly up, ascertaining the new lady was nice, and said, "Hi, Miss Jasith. My name's Florina. Have you come to play? My friends are all at their house right now, so I don't have anyone to play with right now."

Jasith cast a meaningful glance at Cale, then replied, "Of course. If it's all okay with your mommy."

The girl turned back to her mommy. "Can we, Mommy? Please?"

Aria sighed. "Okay."

"Yay! Come on Miss Jasith!" Florina got down from her mother's arms and led Jasith to her room.

Cale watched Florina play with his wife. "Why did she shy away when she saw me? I mean, I'm not that imposing of a figure, am I?"

Aria went quiet. "The man who fathered my children, his name was Derik, he was a great warrior. About two years ago, some men came here. They all were very strange. The one who seemed to lead them, he had a turban covering one eye and was darkly garbed. They came for Derik, he fought them, but they managed to disable him. I tried to help, but I was thrown across the room, stunned, and I saw the leader do something. It was horrifying." Aria shuddered at the memory of it. "His shadow seemed to lengthen, then reached out to Derik, latching onto something, and Derik screamed. It woke Florina from her nap, and she walked in and saw Derik, her father, dying because of the shadowy man. The shadow started to withdraw, and as it did, Derik lost something, and became less alive with each passing second. When the shadow finally stopped where it was supposed to be around the man, Derik was motionless. The man then said something that scared Florina, and ghosted out with his men. Florina has avoided all men since. She won't even say hello to her grandfather..."

Cale frowned. "I'm sorry for your loss. There's nothing I could possibly say that could help, so I won't try."

A tear started rolling down Aria's cheek. "It's alright. Allow me to go make dinner. It's almost dark." She walked in the direction of the food storage shack, tears rolling silently down her cheeks.

Jasith looked up from her activities with Florina to see Aria moving toward where she assumed was the food shack. "..."Why is she crying?"..." She turned back to playing with Florina, a little troubled.

"Mommy is crying again, isn't she?" Florina said, "She does that sometimes, but never says why."

Jasith was suprised by how perceptive Florina was. She changed the subject "Your mother said you have sisters, Florina?"

"Oh, yes! My biggest sister, Fiora, is really cool! She is the big person for something called the fifth wing, and she has a pretty pegasus. I want to be just like her when I get big. My other big sister is Farina, and she has a pegasus, too! They are so pretty when they are flying..."

End chapter 2


Claen'tor: Okay! -stretches- Hope you like what I've done! Read and reveiw! And tell me what you think of me bringing out the mother of the Pegasus Sisters! Hah. I'm kind of crappy at writing partial angst aren't I?