Wind Child

[Mystic Dragon]

(AGAIN! Naeodin, you wouldn't happen to have the last few posts, would you? I only have what I nabbed off the first board.))

[Naeodin]

(ugh. Nope. I can't get to the url even in offline mode... :p)

[Mystic Dragon]

((>.< Me neither. Oh well, I guess we have to write those over again. Which Shy should enjoy. Means he gets to be kinky with Faust all over again!

Here's the last post I have.))

Faust found himself yanked unceremoniously into the next room without warning. He had been following close behind the other two, but Shy's zeal to get him alone had been an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise. He stumbled into the other man when the momentum stopped and the door swung shut behind them. Whether or not it was on purpose, Faust made sure to linger close to his genetist friend long after he had righted himself. Shy's look had not gone undetected.

However, Faust soon found himself turning his attention on the window into the other room, where stood an awkward looking black smith. He had never seen the woman look so out of place, so unsure about what was happening. Always she carried with her that stern air and forboding mask, but now it was gone. Torn away under a flood of uncertainty and eagerness. For the first time in recorded history, Rugan's true self was bared raw for all to see, and Faust was facinated.

Rugan herself found her senses reeling from the multitude of emotions coursing through her veins. She was appalled by the decorum, but only mildly because she was also staring in wide-eyed terror at the crib in the corner. One wouldn't have thought that a woman of her bearing and personality could be frightened by something so small and fragile as a babe, and yet she'd never felt such trepidation in her life. She could scarcely breath, living in fear that the slightest stirring of the air might break this dream, or make it entirely real. Step by agonizingly slow step, she approached the source of her fright. Quiet burbling noises were coming from within, puncuated occasionally by a newborn's guileless laughter.

When at last the burly woman stood over the crib, her shadow draping down its side like a mountain wall, she dared lean over the edge and peer down at the precious gift it held. Staring back at her were two perfect, hazel-golden eyes as wide as the moon's full disk. Pitch black lashes framed the glassy orbs, matched by wisps of black hair across her mocha-dark scalp. A pale blue blanket folded around the infant's minute body, leaving her arms free to flail around in the air. Tiny, wrinkled fists curled tightly in on themselves and punched in whichever direction took the babe's whim. The sight of another face, so similar to her own, set the little treasure into another fit of joyous giggles. Her mouth spread wide in a grin and she waved her pudgy arms at the stranger.

A strangled mixture between a sob and a laugh broke from Rugan's throat. Her heart swelled with new found love for this gentle creature, and the issue of her origins seemed suddenly irrelevant. She was Roah, her daughter, and she was perfect.

Rugan reached down into the crib and wrapped her arms carefully around the bundled babe. One thick palm supported Roah's head while the other curved under her backside. It seemed as if Rugan's two hands could engulf the child completely, and yet they moved gently enough that a feather's spines would have remained unruffled. Lifting the child out of the crib, Rugan brought her to her brest and cradled her in the crook of one arm. A grin spread across her face from ear to ear, wiped away in an instant when Roah began to cry.

For a split second, Rugan had that look of sheer terror on her face again. She froze completely, like a deer in headlights, and stared at her bawling daughter. Sense began to trickle back into her thoughts after a moment and, desperate to calm her, she began to rock the child.

"Shh..." She murmured as she swayed Roah from side to side and paced over to the rocking chair. "Hush now. That's my girl." Rugan uttered many more placating noises as she walked the perimeter of the room, always maintaining the slow rocking motion. Roah quieted after one full circle, her cries dulling down into irratic whimpers. She stared up at her mother with wondering eyes, a pout extending the lower half of her dark lips. Roah sucked it back, only to stick it out again so that the pinkish flesh beneath glistened wetly with her spit. She hiccoughed and rubbed one of her tiny fists against her face as the towering figure who held her slide into the rocking chair.

Rugan was smiling again, rocking her child from side to side as the chair moved them back and forth. Her long trail of hair dangled over the arm of the rocking chair and pooled on the floor. So often neatly kept out of the way, it was now the farthest thing from Rugan's mind. Tears prickled in the corners of her eyes and, with no one around to see, she let them spill over. The joy in her heart radiated from the smile on her face and the catch in her voice.

"Your da told me ye were coming." She whispered to the blue bundle tucked snugly into her arms. The dark skinned woman bent her head down and brushed a kiss over the infant's fuzzy skull. She sniffled, unintentionally breathing in a waft of Roah's sweet scent. It was just another joy to pile onto the ones already bursting through her heart.

"My little wind child." She murmured again, feeling the hot tears slipping down her face without a care.

[Naeodin]

((lightbulb goes off over Shy's head))

((No Shy, I'm not going to sabotage the board so that you can do kinky stuff with Faust for a third time.

<Shy> butbutbut...

Hey! You should send Faust to the Otherforest! Epicure's there....))

Shy sighed, leaning against Faust as if his mind was too busy to support the phyiscla body. He watched the raw, naked emotions and the sheer... well, brutality of a human being's soul and couldn't help but feel just a little bit moved.

a long time ago, he had been human. Maybe he had once been capable of that fierce joy.

He wondered where it had all gone, why it was that he created sons and daughters for himself as well, and yet was never swept away in the way this woman was. He had created better, more beautiful and more talented creatures then that little girl... but Rugan didn't seem to be aware of that, that the Wind Child was human, and so... perfectly normal.

He didn't understand any more, the way the human mind worked. Not really.

And it saddenned him.

Abruptly ill at ease to be so serious without something kinky attached to the end of it, he smiled. "I did good, didn't I?" his language was course, clumsy for himself and he didn't like it.

It had only been a few minutes, and he tried to give Rugan a few more but... for a moment he was unsettled and he was feeling selfish. ((Yes. Usually he believes that he's acting selflessly...))

"It's time." he said, noting the vial. Slipping out of the room, one hand curled lightly over Faust's pinky the way you would tug at a lover, or a toy. ((or in shy's case, the same thing)) he smiled. "It is enough time for her. She will have years with this child. Soon it will be our turn to play."

And knocking ont he door three times, he waited for a moment (surely enough time for Rugan to right herself) and entered the room.

"Everything is okay?" he said innocently.

[Mystic Dragon]

((Well I don't k- *Faust appears with his bags packed* Oooookay.))

Faust followed along like a dog on a leash. When he bothered to think about it, he found it surprising how willingly he gave himself over to this man's control. He had only heard of Shy in his first year of living in the Warren, then experiencing a harrowing war. The little man had intrigued him at first, and became an obsession the more he learned. Upon meeting Shy at last, his obsession had only grown. Faust had become his play thing, unsure if it had been voluntary or not.

Was this something Shy did to everyone he met, or was he special? Faust always liked to think that he was the exception to the rule. Being Shy's second shadow didn't bother him with that thought in mind, though he knew the sneaky genecist had always had a soft spot for a certain tall, dark and handsome Sanger man. Yet Kalkin couldn't do for Shy the things Faust could. He was special in that regard.

The door to the room opened on silent hinges, revealing a still tear-streaked Rugan seated in the rocking chair. Faust hovered behind Shy's shoulder as he examined this curious sight. There were so many changes happening in this woman's life, so quickly that she had little time to adjust. Her barriers had crumbled within seconds of entering the room and even now, faced with the two people she despised the most, she could not ressurect them. Rugan, the Forgotten One of the Blackrose Tribe, looked more human in that moment then she ever had in her life.

She stood up and glowered down at the duo, clutching Roah jealously to her brest. The child squirmed and whimpered as her view of the world was suddenly obsured. In a few seconds she would be crying, but Rugan planned to be out of this white-walled hell by then.

Reclaiming her proud bearing, Rugan crossed the room in three long strides and came to a halt before Shy. She could have tossed both of them aside like rag dolls, but leaving in a non-violent manner would do more to sooth Roah's mood.

"I'm leaving now." She said gruffly, her narrow, black eyes searching for any tricks that the little scientists may have planned.

"Not before you give us your end of the bargain." Faust returned in a sultry purr. A smile alit to his pale lips, expressing the mischevious joy contained within his fragile seeming body.

Rugan sneered, a sinking feeling twisting her guts. She could only hope that she'd be long gone before they disected the contents of the vial in her hand. If things went awry, she could only imagine what Shy would do to get retribution. Rugan wasn't about to allow that.

Shifting Roah to one arm, she held out the vial bottom first, as if she offered a weapon instead of a blood sample. Her eyes never once left Shy's face.

[Naeodin]

Yet Kalkin couldn't do for Shy the things Faust could. He was special in that regard.

((<Shy> *purr* *glinty glinty* Just wait til you come to the Otherforest, my preeciouss))

Shy smiled, watching the vial and tilted his head.

What would happen, if she did not hold her end of the deal?

For a moment his smile hardened, and there was something cruel, lifeless in his eyes. What he could make he could break, truly. And while there was no active message passing between the two (Shy liked to think of himself as Roah's surrogate mother! Feear...) there was something slightly dangerous.

And sad as well.

Because Shy recovered himself quickly, and with a slight nod, watching the vial he reached for it.

"Congratulations." he simpered, hoping that the child meant enough to the blacksmith that she didn't try anything tricky.

It would not bother him for too long, if they had to renegotiate... but it could bother him for a while. And he didn't like feeling so soft when it came to almost everything.

He had plans for the vial, things to play with and his eyes fastened on Rugan's, his hand closed over the vial gently.

And he tugged.

[Mystic Dragon]

For a few long-lasting seconds, it seemed Rugan would not release the transparent, glassy cylindar. Her fingers remained tightly clasped around its head. Yet her show of resistance was only a small reminder of her physical prowess, for she released the vial in the next instant. She could see the dangerous light in Shy's eyes and didn't like it one bit. It wouldn't hurt to remind him that she was equally capable of cold-blooded thoughts and actions.

Her arms closed possessively around the little bundle held against her chest once more. She fixed Shy with a steady glare, taking only a moment to let it bore into his soul before she tried stepping around him. Faust moved willingly out of the way, irregardless of what Shy chose to do.

[Naeodin]

Shy stayed there for a moment, slightly bemused. What was it about mothers that made them so damn protective? He wasn't like that...

(forgetting of course, the instances when he wouldn't share Faust with anyone else. That had nothing to do with maternal feelings, after all)

Someone would help show her the way out. Shy knew this, and also knew that someone would be watching her until she left the Vella Crean.

How would Mystic react, when Rugan returned with a child? What excuse would she give? The thought had Shy smiling, and he turned, the vial in one hand.

"She's lucky." he said quietly, not knowing if he was talking about the girl or the mother.

It was silly, petty thoughts.

"It's our turn to play now." he said, and lifting the vial to the light, smiled.

(( what happens?

<Shy> *arches a brow*

>_<;; Other then that))

[Mystic Dragon]

((Well now I do a reeeeeally long post in which Rugan goes back and somehow we have to get the blood sample under a microscope. Faust needs to get a closer looksee. >.> Give me a while to write it.))

[Mystic Dragon]

((I hope you don't mind but I got a little creative in making the lab room. If you want to change it then go ahead. I can edit my part of the story later.

Also, Shy has to find some way to take Roah back now. >.> We're getting into the action bit of it.))

Rugan made haste through the halls of Shy's lab after the little man had let her pass. Roah burped and whimpered along the way, disrupted by the quick-paced movement, but Rugan scarcely paused to acknowledge her child's discomfort. Her mind was consumed with one thought and, like a panicked animal, she followed it until its termination. In this instance, it was escape from the prestine confines of Shy's abode. The pale moonlight washing over the exterior of the Vella Crean couldn't come soon enough.

When at last Rugan burst through the doors leading to the flight field, she let out a gasp of relief. Cool night air brushed tender fingers across her cheek and tangled in her long, black hair. A sighing song whispered past the tall arches and elegant spirals of the Crean's architecture, whistling sharply here and there when it caught on a narrow pass. A full moon filled the sky overhead like a limpid pool of spun silver. Stars dotted the velvety expanse surrounding it. Their own light was sometimes obsured by the pass of a black, blotty cloud, only made visible by the violet tint cast by the moon.

Roah whimpered again, tossing a tiny fist against her mother's arm. Rugan tore her gaze away from the welcoming open air and looked down to her precious burden. Shadows played across the child's face and darkened the hue of her downy blanket. Meeting those hazel-gold eyes again, Rugan was flooded with memories of happier times. She knew that Cree would be smiling down on her when she returned. She'd brought his dream to life.

A black shadow shifted to Rugan's right. Sharp points and translucent membranes picked at the night sky, blotting out a star here or piercing a cloud there. Two points of molten red bobbed in the void of colour and glided down to meet the burly woman.

~This is it?~ Porth growled in his bass mindvoice. A rustle of grasses and the thud of large feet heralded his approach. He settled to the ground a few feet away from Rugan and dropped his sharp muzzle down to the child's face. Hot, steamy breath rushed out of his nostrils, tickling her exposed cheeks.

Roah gurgled a laugh, the warm breeze causing her to turn her head away and close her eyes. This strange, new beast smelled like meat and oil, with just a hint of a warm, baking sun when he got close enough. The edge of a beak-like lip passed inches away from her nose. Acting quickly, Roah stretched out her stubby hands and grasped ahold of the moving object. Eagerly she began to explore it with her hands while another laugh bubbled up in her throat.

Porth froze instantly, not daring to breath lest he injure the daring girl in some way. He stared down in wonder, bright red eyes widened as far as they could go. The child's touch felt like no more then a feather's caress. A tougher, calloused hand lay flat against his forehead and rubbed the thick hide over his muzzle. This feeling was familiar. From the day he had hatched, this presence had been there to care for him, looming over him and providing a fire to match his own. He didn't always get along with his rider, but he loved her. Despite her cold exterior and muscle-bound looks, he knew that she cared deeply for those close to her heart. A loss such as the one she had suffered with Cree left scars only he and his bond siblings could see. Perhaps now, with this child in her life, those scars could heal over.

The bulky brown tentatively slid his nose out of Roah's grasp and snorted one last hot breath over her tiny figure. She squealed in delight, waving her wrinkled fingers at his face. Turning to the side, Porth dropped his shoulder to the ground and spread out one wing across the cool grass.

~You'd better wrap her up.~ He offered in a grudgingly tender tone. ~There's plenty of blankets in the saddle bags.~

* * *

Meanwhile, Faust eagerly followed Shy into yet another section of his expansive laboratory. His eyes never once left the vial the little man kept possessively clasped in his fist. Like an over eager puppy, Faust hovered by Shy's elbow, waiting for his treat to be handed over.

The room they entered was just as white and obsessively clean as all others, though its decorations were different. It lacked the futuristic technology, such as the banana spider that dangled in an adjacent room or the tubes of sleeping embryos that were up for display to the public. This one held an assortment of panels and tables, beakers and test tubes. Were it not for the flashing machines and somewhat expensive computer consoles, the small, square room would have almost resembled a high school science lab.

Off to one side sat the tool Faust was most eager to use. Some things changed hundreds of times as new improvements were found and added. Microscopes, except for minor power changes and lighting fixtures, had kept their ancestral appearance. They were also still the best thing to use when looking for small, insignficant differences in the composition of a blood sample.

A slide was prepared with one drop of the glittering blood and handed over to the eager Barokian. By the time he had set it up under the scope and adjusted the view, he was nearly jumping with excitment. This was it; finally. This was his moment of truth; his dream come true; his...

Faust frowned, readjusting the lens, wiping it clean, and taking a second look.

This wasn't right.

Slowly, carefully, he drew himself back up to his full height and afixed a fake smile onto his face. It took every nerve in his body to keep that smile in place, for what he really wanted to do was scream and tear apart the world with non-existant powers.

"My dear Shy," he drawled sweetly, a strain in his voice, "it appears we have been dupped by a barbarian."

* * *

Back on Tris'Hath, Rugan dismounted from Porth's saddle and let the pointy brown proceed her into their den. They had timed it to make certain that they appeared in the dead of night. Too many people would be asking questions soon enough, so the longer she could forestall their gossip the better. Unfortunately, she hadn't taken into account just how paranoid Mystic could be.

The dark woman was pulled up short in front of her den entrance by a tall, willowy figure wrapped in firey silks. The Red Mage stood exactly in front of the pitch black entrance, her golden staff clutched tightly in one claw-like hand. Suspicion smouldered behind her golden eyes as she caught sight of the sqirming bundle in Rugan's arms. For a moment, the blacksmith was left wondering why her eyes were lit up from within like a dragon's glow. She brushed it off as the cant of the moonlight, knowing that her attention needed to be on getting past Mystic.

"Whose child is that?" The words hissed from between clenched teeth. Mystic's unwavering gaze raked over the child, taking in her odd resemblance to the woman holding her.

"Mine." Rugan answered quickly. "An' Cree's."

"What have you done?" Conviction lay heavily on Mystic's tone of voice. Her eyes snapped up to meet the other woman's, searching deeply beyond for the nature of the deed. She could easily tear apart Rugan's mind, take from it the information she needed, but she wouldn't do that to a friend. Even one who she suspected.

"That's none o'your business." The burly blacksmith retorted. Putting her shoulder to the Red Mage, she strode past her into the dark entrance to the den. A brush of heat on her bare arm told her that Mystic turned to follow.

"Rugan, I can't help you if you don't talk to me." The fire in her voice had sputtered and died, leaving only a heart-felt plea in its wake. For a moment, the raw emotion brought Rugan up short. She knew she hadn't betrayed Mystic, but she couldn't very well admit her crimes either. The guilt welled up in her chest and threatened to choke off her lungs.

"Dun need help." She replied gruffly. "Everything's fine now."

"Is it?"

Rugan kept her mouth clamped shut. She felt the need to reply with an affirmative, perhaps put her friend's fears to rest, but she couldn't. Time would be the only salve to this wound. The longer she went without seeing Shy again, the better. Mystic would regain her trust for her, and while she would never forget this night, she would let it pass.

Mystic sighed softly as she watched the woman's broad back disappear into shadows. Her silence had unnerved her even more so then the ill omen that she had seen weeks ago. Something was going to go terribly, horribly wrong, and Mystic had no idea what it was. The child had to have come from somewhere. Had Rugan really gone back in time to consumate her marriage to Cree? Would it really have worked considering they had made several attempts before his death anyway?

So many puzzle pieces that didn't fit. The feeling of nervosa left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Sparing one last glance for the silent tunnel, Mystic turned and began the long walk back to her own den. She wouldn't sleep tonight, but then again, she rarely did anymore. The war had taken its toll on her mind and, even though her friends had worked to cure her, she would never be fully freed of her mental illness. Memories of those weeks of torment were forever burned into her memory.

Now this. Mystic wondered if her fears really were just unfounded paranoia. She prayed that they were.

[Naeodin]

Shy should have known. When Faust said those words, he stood there, still and then shook his head. He was always going on about how sceptical he was about human life, how he didn't understand the humanity in mortals... and yet he had presumed that even the Blacksmith would keep up her end of the bargain.

Stepping behind Faust and wrapped his arms around him, he whispered into his ear. "I'm sorry." his eyes narrowed, and glinted with something close to amusement. Well, at least...

For a moment, he stood there, rocking Faust in an intimate, but more of those subconcious things close people did, fashion, and nibbled on his earlobe.

"I want you to know." he said suddenly. "If anything, anything happens to your safety and haven at Tris Hath, you can always come live with me."

He was going to prove to Rugan just why he was so hated.

But why no one (except for Baeris, and only when he was humping Vanya in public) did anything about it.

***

"Amnesty?" Naeodin was sceptical. "Shy, what have you done this time?" he stood there, looking completely serene and then smiled.

"I made a contracted verbal agreement, Naeodin." he purred. "And the other person didn't hold their end of the bargain."

Naeodin blinked. She _didn't_ want to know where this ended. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Tris' Hath."

Naeodin stilled at his calm reply. "Shy." she said, and then stopped. "I want you to know..."

For a moment, Shy looked... evil, and then something inside him seemed to control itself. "I know Maramia is going crazy, and she'll die before dealing with hydras. It doesn't involve them. But I don't think we should mention this to her." ESPECIALLY while she was convinced he could resurrect Vaero.

Even he had limits.

"Alright." Naeodin conceded. "If you need my help, I'll help you."

Shy inclined his head. "I hope it doesn't come down to that"

Shy had not stepped into Tris Hath in a very long time. At least, not officially. But this time, riding on the back of one of his own creations (a beautiful one, though. He was vain) he stalked in with the pomp and glamor of a diva.

Which, he was. So maybe that made things usual, rather than unusual.

He wouldn't do absolutely everything.

But he was going to get close to it. With the assurance that he woudln't be kicked out of the Vella Crean for this, he preened for just a moment.

And then primped a bit more.

((How should Shy do this? I can imagine him distracting Rugan long enough for something magical to steal the baby.
Or him contronting Rugan and lying to her, saying that Roah will die, because he fixed a glitch into her knowing that she would do this.
Or threaten her by threatening her loved ones?
Or threaten her by threanening to tell Mystic everything. Well, involing Mystic. Either tell her, or somehow convince Maramia to ask Mystic to ask Rugan. (hmmm... that might give away the fact that he's doing it for blood)
For some reason the second seems to be the most 'evil', but the most... well, reasonable. What do you think?))

[Mystic Dragon]

((I was thinking the first would be best because, while the second is more reasonable, Rugan... isn't. o.O She wouldn't believe him. In fact, she'd probably try to hack him down where he stood.

And if you don't mind, I'm just going to have Faust wait back at the VC. He won't piddle on the carpets. I swear.))

Rugan cooed and murmured to her infant girl. It amazed her how easily this mothering thing came to her, when so long she had been convinced that she would never raise a child. At least not from birth. Tristen had been nearly grown by the time he came to her. Yet, comforting and feeding Roah felt like second nature. Admittedly, the child was being overly accomidating for her new parent. She ate when fed, responded to the sound of her voice, and quickly quieted down to sleep when rocked in her mother's arms.

Rugan lowered the slumbering babe into a wooden crib Tristen had hauled in to her room. Soft, downy blankets and feather-filled pillows decorated the interior, intermingled with a few stuffed animals. As if she had been made for this bed, Roah fit snuggly into place. She sighed once while Rugan tucked the blankets around her, then stirred no more in the gentle embrace of sleep.

Rugan backed off slowly, taking each step with so much care that it took her a full minute to cross the three steps back to her door. She smiled from ear to ear as she looked down on the crib. There lay her future, her own, and a reminder of Cree that would never leave her. Quietly she shut the door to her room.

~This is dangerous, Rugan.~ Ruoal'Shon's liquid steel voice cut through her mind as soon as the latch clicked into place. She hadn't bothered bespeaking her before, when only Rugan would hear, because the dark woman had requested silence. She'd even commanded Gray to wait outside the door until she was finished.

How do ya figure? The burly blacksmith retorted as she strode away from her room. Gray alit instantly to her shoulder with a friendly chirp. I got away with it. Ain't no way Mystic's gonna let him take her back now.

~You play a deadly game of cat and mouse.~ The red dragoness seethed, her claws scraping against the stony floor. ~He'll figure out what you did and come for her anyway. You can't rely on Mystic to protect you.~

Dun have to. I'll kill 'im myself if he tries to come in here. Rugan growled. Her fingers twitched towards the two blades strapped to her back.

~He can't get past all four of us.~ Porth rumbled in agreement. Ever since his first meeting with the wide-eyed child, he had become protective of her. A wash of gratefulness sped through his mind on a tight band from his stoic rider. Behind it lingered an echo of her nervousness. She, like Mystic, wouldn't sleep tonight. Until she had assured herself that Shy would trouble her no more, she would hover over Roah expecting an attack from any direction.

~We will see.~ Ruoal' sighed. She dropped her angular head down to her forepaws and gazed across the room with half-lidded, ember eyes. Beside her, Yarpath shifted his weight and tucked his head against her side. Porth was the only one to keep a vigilant watch with his rider, senses strained to pick up any disturbances in the night. In a few hours, Ruoal' would relieve him of his duty.

[Naeodin]

Dressed in neon colors with pink shades that hid his eyes and yet seemed to only emphasize the moods they beamed to the other person, Shy stood there for a moment and strode straight towards Mystic's 'offic'e.

Well, he'd been kicked out of places enough times that he knew where that place was. Offices were where decent people (unlike Baeris! who kicked him out just like that! It's not like he _did_ anything wrong) kicked him out.

He waited by the door, he followed the lines and in fact, he did everything a man should do in a position like this and followed all the formal etiquette rules until he got to mystic.

To which his first words were.

"Mystic, as a representative of the Vella Crean I would like to speak to Rugan, one of your own involving theft." he smiled ruefully. "I don't think she'll see me otherwise, and unless I follow the rules."

((true. Okay. He's going to be a... baby snatcher!.... talk about falling down from humanity... first lecher, molester now... what, baby snatcher...))

[Mystic Dragon]

Mystic's office, however, was also her den, personal library, and meeting room. There was only one desk that she used, situated smack dab between the farthest shelf of books and the dormant fireplace that could house a small family. It was always cluttered with papers, tomes, and magical devices that would make anyone scratch their head in wonder unless they knew their purpose already. Some of them Mystic didn't even know the answer to, explaining their presence on her desk. Mystic had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. If there was ever anything she didn't know, she devoted herself to finding out so thoroughly that a second cataclsym could come and go without her noticing. Some of the Warren's brats had discovered that her single-mindedness could be quiet entertaining.

As it so happened, Mystic was single-mindedly trying to determine the source of her Lord's warning when Shy strode through the doors, looking like a Barbie doll reject. She knew Aaron, Myrah'Care and Blakoreth had learned to sleep through her late night meetings, so she had no fears of waking them when the man spoke.

His words brought instant wariness shooting to the forefront of her thoughts. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She'd been suspicious of the man from the moment he'd entered her den. Now she was just more so.

"Rugan is many things, but she is not a thief." Her reply came out, cold and calculated as always. She scarcely noticed the tone of her own voice, having grown so accustomed to speaking that way to nobles and councilmen alike. Sitting back in her tall, wooden chair, she folded her hands in her lap and stared at him appraisingly.

He was up to something. That much a deaf, dumb and blind person would know. What it was... Her thoughts turned to the child Rugan had brought home and her heart leapt up into her throat. She wouldn't have asked him, would she?! No, that was impossible. And yet, what other explanation could there be? Rugan was barren; more so then Mystic. She would never be able to conceive a child in her own womb, so the Mage's hope that she had timed it suddenly smashed before her eyes. This was so much worse.

"However, I have some questions for her of my own, so I will accompany you down to her den." Mystic spoke slowly and carefully, measuring out each word to insure that there was nothing present Shy could twist to his own benefit. She put her hands to the arms of her chair and pushed herself up with fluid grace, not once taking her eyes off the little man. With her staff in hand, she edged around the side of her desk and struck a path for the Warren's hallways. Shy would, no doubt, follow.

[Naeodin]

((A barbie doll reject! *Shy looks at Mystic with shining eyes* Your belief of me has improved, then?))

Shy, serene as ever followed, that smile never disappearing from his face. Still, he wished he could have stayed around a little bit more. It would have been more... interesting, if he had been able to see what Mystic's den really looked like.

Oh well.

He watched her, only a couple of steps behind but there was nothing completely perverted about his expression. At least, not in the sexual manner. He watched her from behind the shades like a man studying am experiment. Why was she so special? Outwardly, she didn't appear to be so gifted... or at least, appeared so gifted it was ordinery.

He had been planning to do so much...

"She took something without true permission." he said quietly. "Ask her what ever questions you need to. But I think you've figured it out already." his voice was dispassionate.

He wondered if Rugan would rub it in and bring Roah into the room.

((Mystic, I was planning on having Roah left in another room and 'invisible' creatures sneak in and take her away, leaving a very life like doll behind? Not enough to fool, but enough that he has a few seconds, and the crib/what ever doesn't look empty? Is that okay))

[Mystic Dragon]

((<Mystic> No.

I hope you don't mind that Porth's now blocking the door. I went with the assumption that Shy would have something capable of teleportation in his menagerie.))

Mystic found it distinctly unnerving how Shy already knew the questions she had in mind. And the answers. Was she really that transparent? No... but the situation was. Rugan had gone to Shy to create that child of hers, only she had failed to uphold her end of the bargain.

A chill ran through Mystic's veins at the thought of what that 'bargain' could be. Over the past few weeks, Rugan had seemed oddly silent and withdrawn. More so then she usually was. She hung around the infirmary, often found sneaking out of it with a muttered explanation late at night. What Rugan could have been after in there, the Red Mage didn't want to know. Unfortunately, she already had an idea. She hastened her steps to reach the lower-level smithy.

The lighting in those lower tunnels was half that of the passages above. Sconces with sluggishly flickering flames sat at staggered intervals, few and far inbetween. Those who dwelled down here had little need for excessive light. Dungar and Terra were both adept at night vision, and Rugan had some hold overs of her own from her Liron ancestry. Tristen was the only true human who worked the smithy. He had lived down here long enough that he had adjusted to the pale light. It was only a quick walk up to the main level anyway, where an abundance of light could be found. Perhaps in a few years, when he lost that one eye to blindness, he would need assistance. Until then, Tristen fit in just find with his adoptive mother and her friends.

The door to the smithy, or rather Rugan's den that doubled as the smithy, was shut tight when the duo arrived. Without preamble, Mystic opened the door and ushered Shy in behind her. It took a moment for the Red Mage's eyes to adjust to the redish glow within the gigantic, dome-shaped room. Thankfully she was eyeing the far wall, else Shy would have picked out the faint glow of her golden orbs.

The heat within the cavernous, sparsely furnished room was nearly double that of the humid tropical air outside. A gigantic furnace sat against the far wall, it's gaping maw left open to reveal a throat of glowing embers. Vertical bars, like the slashes of skin between multiple eyes, cast long shadows across the barren room. The red glow that peeked out inbetween stretched across the floor and up the far wall. Most of the smithy's decorations clustered around the stationary, iron giant. A smelting pot hung from one end; a flat-headed anvil stood in front. A little ways off, shrouded in the shadows of the room, nestled a long water trough and its tools. These were kept fatherest away from the forge, though the heat in the air was enough to warm the water anyway. Several nearly finished products ranged across a tabletop just beyond that, their dull, metal luster winking in the forge light. A single set of glowing red eyes hovered in the air to the right of the furnace. The body they were attached to was just barely outlined, turned terracotta by the dull, ember illumination.

A scraping of claws and shuffling of bedding preceeded Porth's slow, calculated movements. He detached himself from the two sleeping bulks on the overside dragonbed and lumbered across the room to Rugan's door. Not once did he take his eyes off the two intruders, nor open his mind to speak to them. His long, knife-like claws scratched up the stony ground once again as he lay down in front of the small, wooden structure. One side pressed over the opening and along the wall while his head snaked down to rest in front of his curled foreclaws. Then, by the shadow of his long tail, Rugan moved.

It took a matter of moments for the burly woman to cross the vast expanse until she stood face to face with her superior. One hand was firmly clasped around the wooden staff that joined her two blades. It stood passively at her side, no hint of action, but the threat was still there. When she turned her smouldering black gaze on Shy, that threat was made all too clear.

"Shy has informed me that you have stolen goods." Mystic uttered the words into the deadly silent air, her voice holding a chill that dropped the temperature of the room a degree or two. Rugan slowly tore her gaze away from Shy and fixed it on the Mage instead, a stoney mask guarding her face.

"She's mine, and I ain't givin' her back."

[Naeodin]

((<Shy> *holding onto Mystic's leg* come on, come on... admiiiit it *wheedling voice*

moving on, moving on.... ))

Shy with the shades merely watched Rugan for a moment, still.

***

Once the distraction of the flashy Shy was in place, and one there was enough ruckus that no one would notice the slight shadows drifting down towards Rugans den, it was easy enough to figure out which one belonged to hers, and then teleport into the room which held the baby.

It was not, that the two figures knew everything there was about Tris' Hath. Merely that with quick lightening teleportations they managed to single out the room with the Wind Child in it.

Dark, and covered in shadows with enough illusions to hide them from naked sight, the two shadows popped in.

And one, the taller, slimmer one reached out gently, tugged Roah out of her safe place.

A pair of eyes gleamed a pure feline green,

and that was the only other warning before the figures vanished.

***

As if some sign, some message had gone off at that percise instant, Shy tugged off his shades and showed eyes that were not his usual green, but the pure molten gold that belonged in vats and in paintings. He stood there, smiling for a moment with those eerie eyes glowing in place, and shifted.

Shadows, shifted. A shape shifter.

"I believe." the voice purred, and it was all so completely Shy. "That there is no need for _you_ to give her back to us." he turned, smiled at Mystic with the pure cheek of one who believed everyone must love him, and bowed. "Thank you."

And vanished.

See? There was a reason that Shy wasn't dead yet. He still had some tricks up his sleeve.

***

Teleporting was hard buisness to those who were not used to it. However, as he did not have his own dragon Shy was completely used to it, and dressed in figure hugging black outfit that seemed... completely inappropriate considering the fact that he was usually covered in a cheongsam... he arrived in the deep quarters of the Vella Crean with a loud pop.

The baby cradled in his arms gently, for he would not hurt the little creature, he looked around curiously.

"Faust." he called out, cheerful. "I hope your not playing with some of my pets yet."

((Carrying on from the otherforest conversation... Faust gets the hairless once persian creature, and Shy... did you ever watch that cat and dog movie? with the evil talking white persian? >:) ))

[Mystic Dragon]

((*Mystic baps him over the head with her staff*))

For a single moment in time, gold met gold in the pitch darkness of Rugan's den. Something deep within Mystic's soul stirred at that union of powers. A threat, a warning, and a promise, so long forgotten, now bubbling to the surface. Even she could not comprehend the power that dwelled within her, though she had bound it herself.

"MOVE!" Rugan roared seconds after Shy had disappeared. Her face felt stuck somewhere between sheer terror and a terrible rage; her heart lodged in her throat. In one, swift movement, she turned and pelted towards the small, wooden door wedged into the far wall. It was surprising how quickly Porth got himself out of her way.

The door smashed open with a rending of wood and steel. Hinges torn loose from the wall shuddered under the full weight of the broken structure, threatening to give at any second. Rugan had little mind for the destruction of her personal belongings. She scarcely heard the door as it creaked back and forth, held up by one bent pin. She didn't see the wooden splinters lining her floor and dusting her bed, nor feel them crunch underfoot. All she saw, smelt, heard, tasted and felt was the presence of the crib. The empty crib.

The heart-rending roar that broke from Rugan's throat for a second time could scarcely be called human. Anguish and loss battled with fury and a need for revenge, mangling her tone until it resembled the dieing scream of a wild cat. It lasted far longer then breath would allow, and by the time it faded away, her throat felt raw and abused. She stood there, deathly still, poised over the childless crib. Long fingernails dug into the soft, wooden railing and gouged out deep marks. Her breath came in laboured gasps, hissing through gritted teeth.

Slowly she detached herself from the crib. Slowly she turned, stalking back out the gaping hole with its useless door swinging listlessly beside it. She felt a warm liquid seeping over her palm and down her arm, only then realizing that she had been clutching her weapon so tightly that her nails had bit through the flesh of her palm. Blood welled under the wounds and pain burst through her nerves, but she didn't care to notice it.

Outside her door, Mystic waited, her eyes soft lanterns in the all-consuming darkness. She stood at ease, her staff clutched in both hands and standing at a tilt before her. It too radiated a light so faint that it appeared to be a trick of the eye.

"He took her." Rugan rasped. "I'm gonna kill him."

"You are going to tell me what he was after." The Red Mage retorted in the same coldly calm voice.

"FUCK what he was after! He took MY daughter! I'm gonna kill him!" The black woman exploded with such ferocity that spittle flew from her lips. She leaned in towards the smaller, more fragile seeming mage, but Mystic remained undaunted.

"You made a bargain with a man you know is untrustworthy. What did you offer him in return, Rugan?"

Seconds ticked by where the two women faced off, neither giving an inch. Rugan was the first to break. She snorted in Mystic's face and shouldered past her on her way to her bonds. All three were awake by then, each sympathizing with her boiling rage.

"I can't help you unless you tell me." Mystic raised her voice to be heard as she kept her back to the retreating woman. When the booted footsteps stopped, she dared roll her shoulder back and cast about for the tall, bulky shadow of her friend through the corner of her eye. "And you know full well that you need my help. Especially now."

"Blood." Came the reluctant reply. The fury had washed from her voice, replaced by a moment of shame. "Your blood."

"You would dare gamble with something like that?" The other woman's tone dropped to an awed hush. A rustle of fabric foretold of her approach long before the heat of her eyes burned into the back of Rugan's head.

"I wanted... I needed to have her." Rugan responded in a defeated mutter. Her shoulders sagged and her head bowed. She stared sightlessly at the ground, though a small part of her mind still urged her to find and kill the one who had taken her child. A hand touched Rugan's shoulder and held the steely muscle in a solid grip.

"You cannot hope to win a battle like this." Mystic paused, feeling her friend droop a little more. "But we will try to get her back. Perhaps Naeodin will help us. Come, we must hurry to Vella Crean."

A scant few minutes later, four dragons arched through the night sky and blinked into the void of between.

* * *

Faust had been both entertaining and consoling himself in Shy's absence. It had taken only a few minutes for him to get over the fact that he had been tricked by, what he considered, the most idiotic woman in all of Lanutha. Perhaps even all of Tris'Hath. Determination had helped him along. However, it was Shy's promise of revenge that lifted his spirits most of all.

Like a trusting child, Faust waited for him to return. He would not have left -not for all the world- even though his dream had been shattered in a single instance. There were still so many interesting things to see and do in this place, and he so rarely got a chance to get out.

So while Shy was away, Faust did play. He tinkered with a few of the geneticist's 'toys' and played with his pets. He summoned Wolfgang and Wagner so that he would have a simpering audience while he bemoaned his fate. Once his ego had been satiated, he sent them away again. Such was the way of a man with more changing whims then a flighty green. Unfortunately, it also made for a short attention span. Soon, he'd gotten bored.

Shy arrived just in time to keep the bald man out of too much trouble. He had been about to go exploring the rest of the Vella Crean, but the call of his companion had brought him running back.

Well, not running. That was undignified. Like a snooty cat, he strolled back into the room where his lover had materialized. His usual, devious smirk was in place, but soon disappeared under a torrent of excitment. Though the other man would not be able to tell, Faust's eyes fell immediately to the babe and lit with glee. Ah, how sweet revenge could be! Plus there was the added bonus that Shy's outfit left little to the imagination.

"Only a few." He replied honestly as he sauntered forward to meet the geneticist. "I had to keep myself entertained somehow."

((XDDD I remember that! They can be co-conspirators and plot to take over the world!))

[Naeodin]

((<Shy> *feeling that Mystic doesn't appreciate him enough, sends her a little chibi doll made out of silk and velvet that talks like him, looks like him and, because it IS a ragdoll, can't be broken* It's worse than Chuckie!!))

Shy smiled right back, beaming as he placed the child in someone else's arms. It was not that he didn't like children-- some of his creatures were born naturally. It was just that he felt vaguely unasy when he had to hold onto them for too long. Must be mother nature's way of making sure that he didn't pervertize them from a young age.

Shy smiled, happier now that they had a bargaining chip, forgetting that he had been led along by a woman who didn't really seem to have the capacity to drink him, and instead posed, playing around a little.

"Now we wait." his smile was slightly smug. "She'll come for the wind child." he said confidently, because that was what it was all about.

He just didn't know what to do next.

Oh well.

Instead, reaching for a robe (not that he minded showing off in front of Faust) he tied it around loosely, it's vibrant shades a contrast with pale skin and black spandex, and sat down for a cup of tea.

"Now." he purred. "Why don't we talk of what we're going to do, when we get the sample."

***

Naeodin got out of bed, turning on the light with a quiet command and paced the room. She was too OLD to deal with Shy. Night at fallen at the Vella Crean, an easy, balmy night which made Naeodin grateful for the invention of air con and alone in her quarters, she niggled.

It was something natural that seemed to happen when you were 'in charge' of Shy.

/Don't worry so./ Sasiath called out, exasperated. /You've don't enough of that with your daughter./

Naeodin's frown deepened. She had retired, so happy at the thought of being able to cause her own chaos, but it was not to be... Maramia was not... herself. In fact, she was so far gone that Naeodin didn't have the heart to tell anyone what she feared.

She couldn't admit it to herself, even.

'I know.' she sent back, her tone quietly confessional. 'I just thought I'd given all of it up, by now.'

Moving around the room, restless she changed into something else, deciding it was time she checked on her daughter.

It hurt her heart, of course.

And sometimes she wondered...

((I wonder. Is Maramia preggers now? Hmm... or I can use that for later, after Naeodin realizes that Shy has done for Rugan... o.0 Self plotting. Ignore me! *mwah ha ha*))

/Naeodin./ came the cautious voice of her bonded.

How long had it been, since the first flush of victory and pride when they had impressed each other? Too long.

'What is it?' absentmindedly she looked around for a brooch to hold her scarf together, and paused. 'Sasiath?' she prompted.

/Ah... you won't have to worry about what Shy did. I think we're going to find out soon./

[Mystic Dragon]

((<Mystic> -.- Keep that up and I'll have you believing you're a pink bunny rabbit for the rest of your life.))

(("led along by a woman who didn't really seem to have the capacity to drink him" o.O Huh?!))

Faust watched the child being taken away with greedy eyes. Long ago the glint in his sky blue eyes -now pure black- would have been a dead giveaway to the thoughts circling through his twisted mind. Since the accident, however, all that remained of his inconcealable glee was the smirk tugging at the edge of his thin mouth.

How he longed to make that barbarian pay for making a fool of him. Not only that, but she'd done it deliberately so that Shy had witnessed his humiliation! The insult had been rankling in his blood since the other geneticist had left, and now doubled in size with the promise of revenge.

A sudden idea struck Faust so hard that his smirk turned into a giddy grin. Leaning across the table, he curled his long fingers around Shy's hand to get his attention. He knew he already had the other scientist's full interest, but securing this belief had never hurt. A seductive smile twisted the corners of his mouth and added a dimple to his cheek.

"There are hundreds of things we can do with the sample, all of which I will divulge in time, but right now I would like to discuss what to do about this... injustice." His voice dropped to a conspiratory purr, forcing him to lean inches closer so that Shy would be the only recipient of his words. "You need to make her pay, my dear. Show her that breaking a deal with you will only ever cause pain for her." He waited a few seconds for dramatic effect, then dropped his voice even lower. "Make her yours, Shy. When the barbarian arrives, present her with a daughter that is loyal to you and you alone. It is time that bitch learns a lesson in manners."

Despite his best attempts, which were rather poor anyway, Faust couldn't keep the hint of lustful greed out of his voice. Oh how he loved revenge.

* * *

Porth was the first to touch down on the dew-damp fields outside the Vella Crean, but only because he was racing to keep his rider on his back. Any slower and she might have taken a dive, regardless of what damage it did to her, just to be that much closer to her goal.

On the brown's tail came the glowing silver queen, Myrah'Care. She was far more graceful in her descent, twisting and turning through the night sky like a drop of moonlight. From her back slipped the red-robed mage of the Warren, who was quick to catch up with the first woman.

"I'm gonna kill him!" Rugan snarled, nearly frothing at the mouth. Spittle dripped over her lower lip from the force of her words and dried blood made frozen rivulets on her wrists.

"You are going to wait." Mystic instructed in a commanding tone. Her long fingernails dug into Rugan's elbow and held the woman in place, albeit by her own choice. If Rugan wanted to smash the mage's head into the ground, she wouldn't even have to break a sweat. Mystic was too close and too distracted to stop her by any means other then pleading at that point.

Black eyes blazed with a fury Mystic knew all too well. Her own precious son slept soundly at home, guarded by so many wards, spells and knights that the gods themselves would be hardpressed to disturb him. Losing a child was never easy, but Rugan had faith that Mystic would be able to retrive hers. This blind loyalty brought a pang of guilt to the mage's heart for a second. It was quickly washed away by the age-old determination that she was so well known for.

Turning her attention away from Rugan briefly, she stretched out her mind into the vast expanse of the Vella Crean and sought out one familiar colour combination in particular. When she bumped into Naeodin, she took a moment to explore the woman's mind for signs of wakefulness. It was imperitive to have her help, but she was loath to wake her with all the troubles she already had on her shoulders. Thankfully, Naeodin was already up and about, so Mystic honed her telepathy into a single, tight band and cast it into the other woman's thoughts.

~Naeodin,~ she called, her voice flooded with warm reds and golds, ~I need to speak with you. It is urgent. Rugan and I wait on the fields outside.~ The message given, she retracted her telepathic thread and waited. Rugan's muscles bunched and flexed restlessly beneath her grip.

[Naeodin]

((<Shy> EEEE! ... am I a pretty bunny?))

Shy purred. "I love it when you talk like that." he said, grinning. "Sexy." He paused, tilting his head. "I love the way your mind works." and then he frowned. But Roah was only a baby- how can a baby show it's loyalty?

He stilled. "Faust." he said slowly, carefully. "They're here."

There was no need to say who. Immediatly he got up, moved to a panel and pressed some buttons. He felt no grimness at what he was about to do. He was a scientist.

And his creations never failed him.

"Faust." he repeated, turning to him. "I need you to go up there now, gain me some time." he purred, placing a hand on Faust's cheek. "Later, later I will show you what I have done." he said, so as not to give the misinterpretation that he didn't trust Faust. "But I need some time."

And he got to work.

**Before**

Naeodin looked at Shy levelly. "I'm going to aid you. I'm going to defend you and I'm going to be your Ally, Shy."

Shy nodded his head. "I know." he placed one hand on hers and brought it to his lips to kiss it.

"It's not for free."

Naeodin's eyes were bleak, and for one moment Shy felt sorry for her. A long time ago, she would have done anything for her friends for free, she would died for no reason other than... because. But now, too much was at stake, and it wasn't just the Vella Crean.

Shy nodded his head. "I know." he said levelly, gravely and with such a gentle, sweet tone that he didn't use with anyone else. It was her voice, and hers only and with that, he smiled, pressing her hand closer. "I promise, once this is over."

Naeodin's gaze was level. "Thank you." she said, broken. How long could she last?

Shy shook his head. "Don't thank me now...

***

And it was with this memory, this exchange that she was going to make, that Naeodin strode determinely down towards where the two dragons waited. Sasiath followed close behind, not a body guard but a witness, regal and gold with such a silver tinge that she appeared duo colored, rather than just aging gracefully.

"Mystic." Naeodin said softly. There was some connection there, not because Naeodin could identify with the mage, but because she had seen the guilt in her eyes when Vaero had died. She saw the pure anger in Rugan's eyes, the impatience and sighed a wavering breath. "Please, come with me. Not in public."

The room was right next to the fields, one that had been used as an emergency aid repair room, and yet it was furnished in rich colors and furniture.

"Please, sit." she said blindly. "Rugan." her voice was a trifle sharp. "Sit."

No one commanded the Blacksmith except for maybe Mystic, but Rugan wasn't the only one with things at stake.

"I know." she started, turning on the lights and drawing the shades, leaving the door slightly ajar. "That you've come about Shy." she pressed on blindly, not waiting for an answer. "I know he did something, because he came to see me." she stopped, and gathering control turned around. "Mystic, I've given him my protection." she said quietly. "I can't let anyone harm him. He's mine, because he's part of the Vella Crean. I don't know what he's done, but... I know, that it must be tragic." in another moment, she would have smiled. "He's hard to live with."

Naeodin wondered if Shy knew. Well, of course he did-- what was he ever unaware of? Still, she tried to gain some time-- for herself.

"I will help you though, in any way I can. But there are limits." she turned to Mystic, her gaze searching. These women were so Young! They had not seen the grief in their child the way she had... and she felt so old...

Shy had promised.

"There are limits." she said. "Because I promised him." she tried to communicate with Mystic that she had something at stake, something so valuable she couldn't give it up.

***

Shy was a genius when it came to his creatures. Most were all loyal to him, and the ones who weren't were only disloyal because he had created them with more stubborness.

He wasn't about to do that now.

"Baby baby baby." he crooned.

She would be perfect. She would be everything Rugan had wanted and more, in a child.

As a baby, she might not be able to show her true emotions, to communicate. And Rugan will not see anything as "wrong." In fact, Roah would react instinctively in a perfectly natural fashion.

Why had he not thought of it sooner? Faust was a genius.

The child was going to love him.

Be loyal to him.

And there was nothing Rugan could do to stop it.

[Mystic Dragon]

((<Mystic> -.- *turns him into a toad instead*))

((Don't forget that Roah has to be old enough to walk and talk on her own. She's going to 'defend' Shy from Rugan.))

The place where Shy's hand had caressed his smooth skin still burned with his warmth. He could feel the subtle indent of his fingers, the microscopic layer of sweat that coated his palm, as if his hand still touched his cheek. It was moments like this that made it all worthwhile. The exile, the prosocution, none of it mattered now that Shy was in his life. All he needed to make his dreams come true was that sample.

Even as Faust turned, forming a plot as to how to stall the others, a little part of his gut started doing backflips and cartwheels. Shy would be able to do for him what he had never managed on his own. There was no doubt in his mind.

* * *

Mystic had slid into a seat as soon as the offer was made. She crossed her feet at the ankles and folded her delicate hands in her lap in the manner of Tris'Hathian royalty. These simple, unconscious gestures had been ingrained into her composure long before she became the famed Red Mage, or even Myrah'Care's bonded. Mystic was of noble birth, though years of trouble and strife had beaten the poorer characteristics out of her. Despite her youthful appearance, Mystic was approaching her fourtith year of life. Only those who knew her well could pick out the decades of grief that had dulled her once lustrous spirit.

Rugan was not so cooperative. She balked at the outright command from Naeodin, even going so far as to open her mouth to retort. A sharp look from her princess killed the words on her tongue. Under the continued attack of that cold stare, she relented her enraged pride and sank into a seat. Already most of what Naeodin had said had passed over the blacksmith's head.

"I understand your vow and I respect it." Mystic returned smoothly once she had assured herself that Rugan would behave. Her tones, much like Naeodin's betrayed nothing of her own feelings. How long had it been since she'd last spoken with her heart in her voice? Too long. Too many years of governing a Princlet, sitting in on a council of men who hated her, and fighting a hopeless battle had killed that emotionality. "Rugan and I have not come here to harm Shy-"

"WHAT?!" The furious dragon master roared. Leaping to her feet, Rugan reached instinctively for the dual blades strapped to her back. Mystic's hand lifted from her lap, facing palm out towards Rugan. Her own hands halted their progress halfway to the clasps.

"Rugan and I have not come here to harm Shy." The mage repeated without taking her gaze off Naeodin or lowering her hand back to her lap. It wasn't a spell that held Rugan in thrall, but her own respect for her superior. "However, we will not leave until we have regained what is ours. The moment Rugan brought that child onto Tris'Hath soil, she became a citizen of Lanutha. It is my duty, you see, to protect all those under my care."

Mystic paused again, her golden eyes beseeching as they scanned the contours of Naeodin's face. "That is the promise I have made."

[Naeodin]

Naeodin sighed, rubbing her temples. "This is..." she said. "Complicated. I can only hope that Shy figures this out." her tone was wry, as if this was something that never happened. How many diplomatic missives had she had to send as representation of the man? "Alright." she said, clearing her throat. "Shy...."

Would be there soon.

"I don't know if his lifts will be functioning to let you in." she said. "Rugan... there are private lifts to the scientist's main quarters from my office. You know where it is? Take them down, those will never be out of order and you should find him almost immediatly."

She mentioned only one name, because she turned to watch Mystic beseechingly. This was something they should let the children figure out. The moment those words drifted through her head, she knew one day, she might see humor in all of this.

"Mystic...?" her tone was slightly wavering. "Will you wait with me here, for a while?"

***

Shy wrapped the baby in soft clothes. It was late at night after all, and he didn't want to jarr the child's body clock. Crooning something, and knowing everything he had done was over, he held her.

It would be flowing through her veins soon, subtly altering her genetic code so that no one would see something as wrong, or different. But she would be.

***

[Naeodin]

((Continued. I posted in guest mode before. Let me just add... ))

Shy walked around the room. It was large, beautiful and his "main room", really. A scientific lab merged with the haven of a sugar-holic, it was both something beautiful and wretched. Rather like, -or so he believed- himself.

He placed clothing on a chair, mirror and vanities and all those frivolous stuff appeared and a note.

'Don't panic.' it read in a flourishing script. 'I'll be back soon.'

And he left the room.

In an hour or two, or three, depending on how strong she was, she would grow. And mutate and become. ((gasp)) BIG.

Actually, older. But hey, Shy believed in theatrics.

And, she would be his.

((First that ambiguously gross sentance involving daughter and other room. Now claiming her... o.0 Shy has a touch of perversion in him..

<Naeodin> o.0 a TOUCH?))

[Mystic Dragon]

For a second, Mystic's careful composure fled her face as she watched Rugan gleefully stalk off in the direction of Naeodin's quarters. Her hands twitched constantly at her sides, just waiting to bathe the Crean in Shy's blood. Beside her, Mystic had a modicrom of control. Parted from her, Rugan resembled the beast for which Cree had named her.

Wild cats, or ferai as they were known on Tris'Hath, were unpredictable creatures at best. They were well known for being guides to the lost, but at the same time had a reputation of slaughtering hundreds. It was rumoured that, during the cataclysm, they had come under the scalpal of those mages attempting to create tigra. Already hunted to endangerment, what few survived these experiments were left altered; twisted. The lack of sense in their actions was blamed on this tampering.

Rugan, like the wild cats, could go from gentle as a kitten to a raging maelstorm of hate in seconds. Her intents this time around, despite Mystic's warnings, were all too clear.

As the tip of the woman's long, black ponytail disappeared out the door, Mystic forced composure back into her thoughts. She settled her golden gaze on Naeodin again and forced a placating smile across her rose-coloured lips.

"Of course, Naeodin. Although I would like to speak with Shy alone sometime tonight."

* * *

Rugan tromped down the halls with all the grace of a bull elephant rampaging through a china shop. Both of her thick hands were curled into fists so tight that she had reopened the welts on her palms again. Blood welled around her fingernails and sweat trickled into the open wounds, producing a minor sting that was wholly ignored by the single-minded woman.

What she could not ignore, however, was the sudden apparation in a white lab coat that blocked her path. With a snarl, Rugan raised her fist and readied to bring it down on Faust's face.

"Now before you do that," Faust intoned sweetly, "think of your child." He smiled as the fist stopped inches from his nose. "What do you think Shy would do if he found out you'd so much as scratched me?"

The enraged woman let out an inarticulate roar. Her fist quivered in mid-air, as if it took a great force of will not to let it continue on its destructive path. Faust continued to smile benignly.

"Now, why don't you and I take a little walk? I'm sure it would do wonders to calm your nerves." A milky pale hand slipped around her buldging, black arm and secured a gentle hold. Without a care for the muderous look she was directing at him, Faust attempted to lead Rugan away from Naeodin's room.

Rugan would have none of it.

[Naeodin]

Shy wondered briefly if Faust would be handle Rugan.

Sighing, and even though he had been so looking forewords to primping so that he looked acceptable when Roah woke up, (he wanted her to be dazzled by her "uncle" Shy... oh migod...) he decided that he should rescue that little man as well.

He didn't know why he was so infatuated, really.

The Vanyas... well, that he understood. He had come across them so early in his beginnings, and they were so adamant of their denial that it was cute. But Faust... with a sickeningly melting smile, he looked over at the clock and nodded his head.

Two hours. Mentally working some of his own magic so that Roah would speed things up a little bit, he decided to take an aimless walk.

He wondered what Faust was doing now...

***

Naeodin smiled, tired. "Of course." she said. As long as he's alive... but she had no doubt about that. Sitting down across her, Naeodin sighed.

"Maramia's fine." she said suddenly.

[Mystic Dragon]

Mystic's face took on a darker shadowed immediately. The mere mention of Maramia's condition brought up a wave of guilt that the Red Mage had never been able to get over. No matter how many times people had told her that it hadn't been her fault, no matter how many victories she had assured, she would never forgive herself for that loss. She knew Maramia's pain all too well.

"That's good to hear." She replied in a choked whisper, forcing another smile onto her face. For a few endless seconds, she fiddled with her hands in her lap, much like an impatient five-year-old. Mystic was neither impatient nor childish, but merely filled with a desire to end this uncomfortable silence. She tilted her head to the side, regarding the older woman with animalistic intent as her mind sought feverently for another topic. Anything but the war. "I apologize for this situation, Naeodin. I was only recently informed of the deal they struck myself."

* * *

Elsewhere, Faust was attempting to drag a mountain down the hallway. He had given Rugan's arm a few tentative tugs, then a more insistant pull, all to no avail. Rugan would not be moved except in the direction she wanted to go. Faust found this very irksome considering it mucked up his plans.

As soon as Faust had released his grip, Rugan turned smartly around and continued marching for Naeodin's chambers. Despite her potent fury, she would not attack Faust. All her energy had to be saved for dismembering Shy.

[Naeodin]

Naeodin nodded, and smiled, bravely. "Mystic." she said quietly. "I'm getting something out of this." she confessed. "And... in a way, I'm not so sorry this is happening. If this hadn't happened, I woudln't have been aware... aware of a solution."

***

Shy pressed a button.

The short corrider that would have connected the lift to Shy's main room expanded. It was like magic, really. The room existed yesterday, so no on would really reach it, and it wasn't really there. A room full of mirrors, tons of them and forming a maze that seemed to rotate. It was like those circus merry go rounds and a mirror maze all in one, bright lights flashing.

Mirrors could break, of course. That wold probably only confuse things even more. How do you know a mirror had been broken, if anyone one replaced it almost immediatly?

It took the best an hour to get through it. He would give Rugan two. Maybe maternal instinct would make it easier.

He paused, pondering something and then pressed another button.

He hoped, that Faust would not hear THIS. After all, unfortunatly, Shy coudln't...hold a tune.

"It's a small world after all..."

And he didn't think his pride would live up to it, if Faust heard him sing... sing that SONG.

[Silver Midnight]

((*sits and eats popcorn waiting to see Shy beaten black and blue*))

[Shard]

((sits down next to Sil. "This is getting really good. They're so evil!))