Yaaaaaay! New chapter! OK so I lied and said the chapters would be up soon. So I made you wait. Sue me. Anyways, ch.4 is up! As I am on Vacation, I find it hard to write for more than the few hours before I fall asleep~ but, if you must know, I find random inspirations at random times and write down the ideas. So, basically, I just started the story but with the random plot pieces I already wrote, I think you'll find I have a good third of the story already finished.

Consider this a Disclaimer.

The trio drank in utter silence. Azaleanne hadn't said a word since they sat down, and though the bards were playing and Halflings were dancing, the atmosphere of the back right table was one of complete misery. The only words shared between them was Phaynus's half hearted attempts to make Joelle feel better, even though he himself was in a state of despair.

"I hope you're satisfied" came a voice from the hooded female.

"Satisfied?" whimpered Joelle. "So after all that's happened, you still think this is some sort of competition for… for satisfaction?"

"Is that you think goes through my mind, that this is just some silly game to me? Do you think you're the only one who lost their family?" Azaleanne said, voice rising.

"The only one who's family actually cared about them!" A hush fell over the tavern; Both Azaleanne and Joelle were standing now, as though they were ready to pound the light out of each other. Joelle suddenly stopped glaring at Azaleanne and looked at the chair next to her; Phaynus was staring at Joelle, looking up at her with hurt in his eyes. "Phaynus wait I didn't mean—"

Phaynus scooted out of his chair and stood up. He muttered a slow "I expected more from you" and stalked out of the Tavern, pushing past those in his way who subsided unquestioningly. (Is that the right use of the word subsided?) Joelle looked back at Azaleanne with wide eyes. Azaleanne just shook her head and went to follow her teammate. Slowly the music and cheering started again, and Joelle was left alone, staring after her long gone companions.

Sun retired, Azaleanne had luckily been able to stay behind him just far enough so that he couldn't notice her but so that he was still in sight. Eventually he found the side of a river and sat down, his face in his crossed arms that he rested on his knees.

"You alright?" Azaleanne asked him, coming out from behind a tree. Phaynus turned his head slightly, so that his left ear was facing her direction.

"Fine." He replied.

Azaleanne took a seat next to him and gazed out at the reflective water. "She's just upset you know. She didn't mean anything by it."

"Be that as it may, she was right." He replied.

She looked at him, concerned. "That's not true, you know well how much your brother idolized you."

He smiled a second before saying "I'm fine though, it's you I'm concerned about. And don't give me that look, you know exactly what I'm talking about."

She sighed and looked out into the water again. "I burned down the shed we used to meditate. I was so happy to finally have something unique about me. Who cares that our shrine was burning to the ground? I shot those flames from my fingertips! Who cares if I couldn't do it again, I caused something big to happen. Everyone in the village thought I was part of a rebellion. Like I was the seven-year-old child of (FILL IN EVIL DND GOD HERE). What did they care that I could understand that they hated me? So long as they knew I was unwanted…

"So I came into the forest. That's where I learned the few spells that I know. I could part bushes and reveal pathways; I could charm animals and heal injured ones. I felt like the little girls in the stories; how they would play with small creatures and explore the meadows. Does that sound like a demon to you?" Phaynus opened his mouth to respond but was cut off. "I didn't think so! Regardless, whenever I was caught helping an injured deer, or summoning a rabbit, I was punished! I was sent into my room until I 'learned to contain myself.' My room was completely empty from any sort of toy in fright that I'd bring it to life or poison it or something! It was just my bed and the hardwood floors! Every time I spent hours weaving little dolls from straw, they immediately assumed I was kindling for a fire! I came home from the forest one night, I hear that my father—the only one who ever defended me—was dying. I came home years after my mom was remarried and I hear her discussing a new child they were planning, as to have a normal life once 'the other one moves out'. And you know what? Now their dead! All of them! Every last one except the only one in my family who hasn't met me yet, the only one in my family who might not have judged me or blamed me or had some sort of burning passion to get rid of me…." Tears started flowing from her eyes as she hugged her knees and began to cry. Phaynus looked at her with concern and put his arm over her shoulders.

"You know, I've never seen you cry this way since you were all alone in that forest, so many years ago. When I would get lost after playing warrior with my little brother, I would come across you in the clearing, all alone. I would see you cry when you saw an injured animal, and I would see you come there after someone was mean to you. You would only allow yourself to have emotions when you were by yourself, and never in front of people. When you were with others, you tried to be strong. They would get mad at you for stupid reasons and blame you for their own mistakes but you would just stand there and let them punish you for nothing. When you were insulted you would make a smart comeback and when you were accused of hurting the other girls in the village you would state the truth and walk away. And that meadow is where you would go. I wanted nothing else but to run to you and tell you everything was ok but I knew that I was just another citizen to you. After everything that you went through, I knew nothing I could say would tell you that I was any different from the others. So I waited. And you don't know how happy it makes me to be here with you, even if you were the only Sorceress in our clan. So long as I can see you smile I know that even if we are unsuccessful, at least we'll be here for each other." He turned her way and smiled with closed eyes. She stopped crying for a minute, though tears continued to spill from her eyes. Unexpectedly, she pulled him into a hug and started to cry silently into his shoulder. After the initial shock, he began to hug her back. After she calmed down a bit, she looked up at him and he smiled back. He found himself staring at her for a long, long time. Catching up with reality, his eyes widened and Azaleanne smirked. She moved to give him a kiss on the cheek and they drifted into a calm slumber.

Bam. Corny scene one is over! I hate writing corny scenes. The question is how do you write corny scenes without making them corny? To be corny, or not to be corny, that 'tis the question! So I realize that it's late and I should probably check over my work, but I'm just tired to I'm going to go ahead and post it. I would go over the old documents and fix those….but…. ehhhhh, not in the mood. Maybe I'll fix it up a bit and write more chapters if I GOT A FEW MORE REVIEWS! *cough* Well, till next time! -DMBJ