Song for this Chapter: Monster ← Med and Dia. Even though the title of the song makes it seem TOO fitting, it actually works very well. :D

Disclaimer: I hate disclaimers, I refuse to write it! (Neal walks up to me and whispers something in ear) (smiles) This fic is completely TP's except for all of the characters and things that I made up, including the plot. (Neal kisses me on cheek and walks away) (faints)

Chapter 25: The Monster is Back

James left just three days after he had arrived from Romeli's rescue mission. He and Alanna were going to Mastiff to fight and, Alanna insisted (demanded forcefully) that she teach him a little more about the healing arts.

Romeli then spent most of the time reading about dragons, feeling that if she could transform into them, she might as well learn about them as well. She even brought up a few conversations with her mother about her journey with the dragons in the Divine Realms.

"The dragons in the Realm of the Gods are actually a little but…well…boring," Daine insisted when Romeli brought up the topic. "They're just a whole bunch of old dragons that nothing but read and argue. I love them all nonetheless, though."

Romeli nodded. "I wish I could see a real dragon. Reading from books is not nearly as satisfying."

"You'll see the day," Daine told her daughter. "I have no doubt."

She laughed in return. "Yeah. Sure."

OOO

You have done well, Romeli, complimented Old White as they lazed in the lush forest where they held their lessons.

Romeli smiled weakly. Thanks.

Now, started Old White with a determination in his deep eyes. You're now going to be going through a test.

Romeli rose her brows in surprise. What kind of test?

Some time during the day, you will be overcome by your inner evil, very much like the last time. You must push the evil out like you learned. If you fail, we will save you, and we will continue with your lessons. If you pass the test, you will have conquered your inner evil and we will discontinue with lessons.

Romeli nodded. I understand.

Good, replied Old White. You have gone far Romeli. May your path of adventure lighten by each step you take. Old White vanished in an explosion of misty smoke.

Romeli stood up, keenly aware of a charred blackness teasing the tips of her vision as she began to drift away from the spotless greenery. Seconds later, her vision began to scatter and blur, like a milky film had covered her sight. Her stomach dropped to her feet as an unknown force carried her gently to her own realm of dreams.

OOO

Romeli opened her bleary, lazy eyes with a tired flutter. It looked to still be dark, like a frosty Sunday morning. She slipped slowly out of bed, her bones creaking and cracking to the adventure of a new day. She walked to the window and pushed back her curtains to the border of the wooden frame. The morning was an almost ghost like one. The air held a mauve haze that was so bold, she couldn't see the lower city at all. The landscape looked soft and blurred, giving the air a muted, tired feeling. It reminded her of a lazy morning, watching a burning fireplace and sipping flavorful hot chocolate with content.

Romeli wiggled her toes on the icy floor as she grabbed black breeches and a soft colored green shirt and slipped them on. She greeted Sharpfang with a brush of her fingertips on his smooth body. He flicked out his tongue in his own cobra greeting and glided effortlessly into his rock cave to continue with his slumber.

Romeli stretched her stiff arms before exiting the suite and heading towards the mess hall.

The mess hall was as always, a mix of rambunctious teen boys and growing men joking along the rows of tables leisurely. Every once in a while, a court girl or some other variety of lady would stop by to munch on the mess halls fine expanse of tempting foods. Other then that, Romeli rarely saw anyone odd enough to draw attention to the various knights in training—except for Romeli of course. Even still, she had become an expected guest, and usually no one would give her a second glance.

Romeli and Ryoku sat at their usual spots, talking about innocent things. Ryoku spoke of her improvement with her fighting skills. She was now one of the best swordsmen in her year. Her strength had also improved a lot over the months that they had been friends. Romeli could tell by the shadows of her light muscles that caressed her features well. And though she may have added muscle to her arms, she still looked as beautiful as ever. If anything, her growth had complimented her Yamani features and curves.

"So, what have you been up to?" asked Ryoku curious. The buzzing of other people talking wove in and out of their ears.

"Just usual things," Romeli replied, bored. "I've been practicing my bladed staff a lot. It's just been so bitter and boring since everyone left."

Ryoku nodded, her eyes slightly saddened at the mention of friends. "I miss Ethan," she confessed as she stirred her fruit spotted porridge absentmindedly. "We only just got together before he left. What if it doesn't last?" she asked worriedly.

Romeli half-smiled at her. "I don't know. I've never been in a relationship like that."

Ryoku looked at her surprised. "What do you mean? Romeli, of all the people…don't you know how many wonderful men here are dying to court you? I should find someone right away!" Many of the knights in hearing distance turned their heads, staring at the two of them. The noise of Ryoku's disbelieving voice made the whole mess hall quiet as they listened tuned in intently.

Romeli put a finger to Ryoku's lips to shush her. Her face had a red tinge to it, aware of everyone looking at them. "I'm fine being single Roku," Romeli whispered using her nickname. "I'm only fourteen." She looked at everyone staring at them and cleared her throat. "Nothing to see here, people!" she said to them loudly. "You can continue with your eating! Growing men have to eat, yes they do!" All of the men shrugged and began to wolf down their food.

Ryoku sighed and shrugged. "You're right. I guess we have plenty of time for that later in life. Right now we should have fun being crazy kick ass teens."

Romeli snorted. For a Yamani, Ryoku sure was unique. She gave her a wicked smile. Kick ass teen. She liked that word. "When do you think we will see them again?" asked Romeli referring to her friends.

Ryoku cupped her chin in her hands. "I would guess around mid-spring," she informed. "Just before the big battle that Maggot is planning. So...a couple of months."

Romeli nodded, slightly devastated. She wouldn't get to see her friends for two whole months. And they would leave again to go out to the big battle of the war. Luckily, she would be going with them. But there was another aspect of the war that stressed her out to a dangerous level. That thing that she was supposed to be looking for to stop the war had yet to show itself. And she had only two months left. Something told her that she wasn't to look for it, but it would find her. But so far no delivery man had knocked on her door with a powerful object in his hands. Romeli was starting to show doubt. She needed answers, she needed hints.

"Romeli, are you okay?" asked Ryoku as she looked at Romeli's pale, frozen face.

Romeli blinked, shaken out of her reverie. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. I—I have to go. Have fun!"

"Um, kay," said Ryoku waving as Romeli put her uneaten food in the trash and walked out of the mess hall.

Romeli fumbled with her hands as she walked towards her room. She had much on her mind. The topic that radiated most was that stupid object that she was fated to find. It didn't make her feel good about herself, that was for sure. They said that finding it was key to the survival Tortall—that without it, the lives of everyone, no matter how invincible they were, would fall. And finding that thing in two months was no easy task.

And then of course there was her little test today. The idea that some time today she was going to be possessed by an evil monster trying to kill her was not easy to cope with. She had a strange sense of watchfulness. Her hackles had been up the whole day. The hair on her neck prickled with apprehension. She felt like there was a big boulder hovering innocently above her head. At any moment it would come crashing down on her before even an instinctive yelp could escape her crimson lips. She didn't like the feeling at all.

She entered her humble room with a sigh. She checked Sharpfang as she padded across the subtle carpet. He was still asleep in his rock. Turning around, she grabbed her bladed staff. The wood was shiny and cold like an untouched piece of furniture. And yet when she rubbed her hands on the wood, it turned soft and used. The wood bent to her hold naturally. The two blades were as sharp as Mithros' spear, and yet it needed to be cleaned from the work it had been put into. She did a couple of turns of the staff before exiting her room and heading towards the stables.

The thick haze that had been there earlier had vanished quickly. Instead, the courtyard possessed an unnatural clarity so that all the colors of the landscape were saturated; making the depths seem hard and unmistakable. And yet, despite its perhaps too cheerful brightness, it still had a biting cold to it. It made her nose feel numb and stuffy. The tips of her fingers were red and had a chill to them. Her breath froze as it pooled out of her mouth, having the affect that she could breathe fire. She walked to the large stable with a fast pace. Her bladed staff was held tightly in one hand.

Hey Shadow! greeted Romeli as she whispered in her horse's ear. She stroked her nose lovingly. Do you want to go riding with me?

Shadowdancer looked at her impatiently. What, did you think I would refuse? Hurry up and get me out of this stall. I want to feel the wind blow my mane.

Romeli laughed, highly amused. She undid the latch of her stall and let Shadow trot out of the stables. She went after her and mounted on her, bare back. The two of them rode off towards their favorite river just inside of the Royal Forest.

Romeli jumped off of Shadow's back swiftly with her bladed staff in her hand. She sighed with content as she looked around. The smooth river was narrow enough that a horse could easily leap over it if they desired. The river was a silver ribbon woven in between the ancient trees of the forest. The grass shimmered in a humid dew that made them stick together, making the ground look like a thick carpet. The wet grass licked her ankles playfully. The feeling was cold yet had the warmth of refreshment in its moisture. A thin layer of fog wreathed around the tips of the trees and large boulders with a stifling presence. The air was thick yet brisk and raw in her lungs and mouth. She felt her lungs clear and expand as if the air was healing her. Just the feeling of her crunched steps on the grass and the air snaking around her body gave her the feeling that she was peeling off all of the troubles and dramatic events from her body, like a mental bath. It was the happiest she had felt in a long time.

Shadowdancer trotted lazily towards the river for a long chug of the ice cold water. When she had taken her fill, she grazed at the lush emerald grass.

Romeli hugged her arms; her staff still clutched in her hand. It was quite cold. The frost was pinching her nose and the tips of her fingers, making them turn to a rosy red of a ripening cherry. She could see her breath pour out of her dry lips in elegant spirals.

She switched the weight of her staff to both of her hands deciding it would be relaxing to practice her weapon.

She started off simply, getting the blood flowing through her body from the harsh bite of the cold. Her breath became fast in outbursts of white frost. Her stiff muscles cracked and loosened like clothes covered in sea salt and then broken into. She swished the staff from up and down, front to back, side to side with a rhythmic, swan-like grace. Her eyes were softly glazed over as she forgot the pinching coldness. All she was aware of was the soft wood slipping and turning gracefully along her hands, and herself.

The intensity grew as time passed on. She breathed thickly, a control over the beats of her pattern dances. Sweat formed at her lip and glided down her chin and formed drops at the corner of her mouth. Sweat dripped down her brow and leaked into her eyes, but she didn't notice, engrossed in the blurred staff twirling daringly around her.

Her muscles began to get sore; they slightly trembled as she pushed them further. The feeling rocked her gently back to her bitter yet gorgeous surroundings. That's odd, she thought as she gasped for breath and dropped her staff onto the damp ground. She had only been practicing for a little more then twenty minutes. It would usually be about an hour before she began to feel even close to this weak. What was wrong with her?

She closed her eyes and tried to breathe evenly. Her knees trembling, her face turned pale and clammy. She couldn't hold up her weight, her knees buckled unexpectedly, knocking the wind out of her. She couldn't tell what was the sky and what was the ground. She couldn't hear Shadowdancer's worried whinny as the mare stared at her with pricked forward ears.

She rolled onto her back—or was it her stomach? She couldn't tell.

Hello again, purred the voice of her inner evil. The voice was seductive, tempting to her ears. It almost seemed—dare she think it—trustworthy.

There is no way I'm going to fall for that again, Romeli thought hardly.

Even you can't resist the smell of daring evil my little one, said the voice as if it was kissing her skin. The kissing pained her; tears crept down her cheeks.

No, she said forcefully. I don't need you. Leave me the bloody hell alone!

Look at you, so misunderstood. Don't you want to be my friend? Let's play a game!

Romeli glared in her mind. She tried to push it out and open her eyes, but it hurt, as if the evil was shielding around her. Keeping her from leaving her mind. Just like it did before she got 'stuck'. This had never happened in her lessons.

Let's play a game, Romeli!

The steely voice calling her name made her shiver. There was no way, no way in hell that she was going to loose to the monster again. With as much concentration as she could muster from her infected mind, she started to focus on her Chaos Thoughts.

Bubbling erupted in her mind. Stop it Romeli! STOP! It hurts! You're hurting me, STOP IT! cried the evil voice in a perhaps innocent way.

No, said Romeli strongly as she concentrated harder. Her practice with her Guardians prepared her to resist the evil's temptation well. Burn in hell!

And she opened her eyes. She looked slightly confused as she stared at the dew-covered web of treetops above her. There was the faint chirping of birds in the background. She sat up holding her head. There was thick liquid dripping down her arm. She looked at it to find a horrid gash. She must have gotten it when she fell, her arm scraping against the blade of her staff. It wasn't that severe, she would heal it later when she would get to the palace.

Shadowdancer trotted over to her, her ears relaxed with relief. She searched every inch of her with her nose before being satisfied that she was okay.

What happened to you? asked Shadowdancer concerned as she peered at her.

Romeli stood up with the help of her horse. It was nothing. Just a little inner problem.

Shadowdancer shook her head around happily. Well at least you're okay.

Romeli mounted Shadowdancer weakly. She held her staff in her good arm and motioned Shadowdancer to ride back to the stables.

OOO

Sclythe and Old White looked at her very much amused and pleased as they lazed in the forest of her dreams. Romeli hugged Old White, engulfed in thick white fur, her head barely protruding from the animal God's bulky mass.

We are proud of you, my pup, said Old White as he licked her cheek. You will no longer need to continue with lessons.

Romeli sighed with relief as she let go of Old White and stroked Sclythe. Thank the Gods, she said as she leaned against a trunk, absolutely exhausted.

Replies:

Blue mariposa: lol. Ya that made sense. I'm sorry you didn't get the end, and frankly I don't either. I'm going to delete it when I have the time. Don't even worry about it. Thanks.

Lady. Of. The. Own: lol. heehee. Ya…I didn't like the fire blowing part, I thought it was a little intense for Romeli. Yay…well I'm glad you reviewed. It makes me happy. Just forget about the confusing end part, I'm gonna delete it when I have the time.

Now everyone go push the button and write me something. Lol. Pleez!