Clenching her jaw to keep from screaming as the Wraiths screeching grew almost unbearable, Rayann whirled around when she felt Kali move away from her. While she knew Kali was quite accustomed to casting in these types of situations, she also knew the forces Kali was up against now were not there to aid her but to destroy her.

~Kali! Wait!~

It was too late. Kali was already bounding up the stairs following Nol. Rayann’s motherly instincts kicked in and she blinked from where she was to a few steps ahead of Kali and just in time. Two Wraiths attacked simultaneously and without even thinking, Rayann cast a spell that sent not only light but a shock wave of sound in a sprayed pattern. Again the screeches of the Wraiths echoed within the place and this time Rayann clamped her hands over her ears. As Kali approached, she glanced at her daughter.

~We need to make sure the way is clear ahead of us but also make sure we aren’t being attacked from behind. Go…quickly…~

As Kali passed her by, Rayann cast one final spell in the area they were leaving. Again the pull of magic was felt and the screeching sounds of the Shadow Wraiths behind them died as her Banish Evil spell sent them away. That didn’t mean there wouldn’t be more to come to take their place, but for now, she had eliminated the threat for now.

As she quickly moved to catch up with Kali she could feel the drain on her daughter already and as she caught up with Kali she reached out and took the girls hand. Kali would feel a surge course through her but before she could say anything, Rayann pulled up short and let go of Kali’s hand as she threw her hands before her and quickly looked away. Kali would see her mother’s hair move as a sudden breeze drifted by her. The bell like sleeve to Rayann’s robes suddenly had rips in the material near the cuff where the clawed hand of a Wraith barely missed striking her. In the same instant Kali would feel the pull of magic as her mother cast another spell that caused the regents she suddenly had in her hand to explode in sparkling light as it seemed to drench the Wraith, who also exploded in a puff of smoke.

The path was clear and the dragon was moving onward up the stairs of the tower. Myth was sheathing his blade as he concentrated on the thoughts of his daughter and future wife. While seasoned in the art of battle the inexperience she was disp-laying made him shake his head slightly. It was all he could expect of the upbringing that she had. Full mages did little to instill the proper concepts of strategy. The fact Kali's mind was thinking as fast and in so many ways was promising but at the same time she was extremely unfocused.

In a blur of motion and hair Myth was on the steps ahead of the two searching out for more of the downed wraith's friends. Satisfied there were none for the moment Myth turned with arms crossed looking down at Kali and Rayann. He kept the conversation in missive private to the three but he kept focus on Kali knowing she needed to hear this more than Rayann.

"Focus your mind Kali... your thoughts are spread to thin in to many random directions. It delutes your ability to plan ahead properly. Chargin ahead nearly met an opponent you could not see." he motioned to Rayann's armsleeve. "

I admire your drive to move forward but you need to look beyond the next step. A warrior's greatest weapon is their mind. I may be a warrior of flesh and blood but you are a warrior of magic and thus your mind can be all the deadlier. Focus and look beyond..."

Turning on his heel Myth ascended to join Nol leaving Rayann and Kali. His connection with Kali was still open and she could see he had was already thinking farther ahead than the brief moment of offering advice. He was plotting a dozen different scenarios easily as if it was second nature such was his level of experience. There was also a vision a hope rooted deep in his thoguhts that she would be able to do that herself because he saw a great deal of his own mind's working in her.

Her mother was in front of her in a flash and she brought up her hands to cast. She was so focused on the battle anything that moved was a target. She did recognize Rayann and dropped her hands, but Rayann and Myth would begin to sense a blood lust that was beginning to grow in Kali. She was thriving on the moment, embracing the danger and there was almost a sensation of joy that was pulsing from her with each step into the unknown. As Rayann spoke to her mind she furrowed her brow slightly, but nodded in agreement for the moment.

She felt her mother’s hand and looked curiously, wondering what Rayann was doing, and then felt the rush of wind as Rayann’s robe shredded. The spell evaporated the wraiths and she looked up the stairs, then down towards her mother. As Myth came up beside them and spoke to her she felt at first frustration, but then she calmed and listened. She nodded gently in an almost sad agreement and watched as he continued on.

Myth finished his ascent like a streak and she could feel as he went one way in the hall upstairs and Nol went the other. The two of them seemed to move with a natural connection, it was amazing to her that two warriors who had never met were working so close in synch. She turned and looked at Rayann, a wild look in her eyes as the pursuit of the enemy was gripping her and she smiled turning and dashing up the stairs.

She brought up her hands and a flash of light erupted from her hands, burning through two shadow wraiths, she spun and fired a second shot that sent two more behind her to their death. With each cast Rayann would feel her daughters’ heart beat increase, she was in control, but she was reveling in the heat of the fight. The sensation of the wraiths was dwindling, after ten minutes the sensation of their evil was subsiding and Kali looked at Rayann and Myth. Nol was gone around a corner, she could feel his presence but he was out of sight. Her face was flush with the joy of battle, and almost unnatural urge to press on, “It feels as though the wraiths have subsided, we should…”

The ground shoke violently and a thundering sound could be heard outside. Kali gripped her parents by the forearms before they could even think and the three of them were standing in the grassy emerald field on the west side of the castle, looking up a gentle slope. A massive Forest Ogre, standing a good thirty meters in height was stomping towards the castle; his battle club was a big as a tree. Several goblins were sitting on his shoulders in baskets attached to his chest armor and the instant the three appeared they began loosing their poisoned arrows. Behind the hill the sound of more creatures could be heard, but they couldn’t be seen yet.

Kali instantly brought up her hands and the arrows incinerated as they made contact, turning to harmless dust and hitting the ground. Kali spoke to her parent’s minds as she stepped in front of them, drawing magic to herself… ~ ‘Looks like the excitement has only just begun!’~

The worry Rayann had for Kali was growing with each moment. While she was glad her daughter was willing to meet this challenge, she worried her lust for the fight would somehow affect her ability to remain truly neutral and seek more battles in the future. Myth would feel this worry Rayann had before she quickly blocked this form both he and Kali. The last thing they needed right now was to grow distracted by her worries.

As the sensation of the wraiths began to lesson, Rayann reached up and wiped the slightest sheen of sweat from her brow. She hadn’t really expended a lot of energy with this battle but she felt uncommonly warm. Perhaps it was just the confine quarters of her ancestral home that was making her feel warm.

A the ground shook beneath them and the castle with it, Rayann instinctively reached out for Kali when she reached for her. When Kali blinked them to the grounds outside the castle, Rayann looked up and her eyes grew wide. As the goblins fired their arrows at them and Kali quickly worked at making sure they couldn’t hit them, Rayann cast a spell almost as quickly herself making sure she stepped to the side so Kali was not in her line of sight.

Around the Ogre’s ankles a rope of energy appeared and as soon as he took another step Rayann pulled back with her hands as though she were tightening a lasso. The Ogre’s feet were locked together and he began to tumble forward like a giant oak tree. The Goblins cried out in alarm as their huge partner fell forward.

At least now with the Ogre on the ground, Myth would have a little better chance at doing what he did best. What ever was coming over the knoll was yet to be seen but Rayann steeled herself for what ever it was. But she would have to say she was a little concerned by the amount of noise she heard preceeding what ever it was for it sounded like it was nothing short of a full army.

Kali saw the spell Rayann was casting and she followed up, firing a lightning bolt that smashed into the first goblin off the Ogre’s shoulders. In a burst of black, bloody mist the goblin disappeared. The other five hit the ground, hissing and charging towards the group. Like a flash of light, an arc of red and blue cut two of them down as Nol suddenly appeared, he looked to Myth and nodded, disappearing over the hill. (Calling for Myth) Myth moved forward with speed that made it seem he was gone and back again, three more goblins slumped over, carved into pieces. Nol dashed to the top of the hill and slid to a halt, he turned quickly and screamed at the group, “TWO MORE OGRES, COUPLE DOZEN DRACONIANS, AND GOBLIN ARCHERS!!” Black arrows started bouncing off his armor and he ducked, rolling down the hill a small ways. Kali screamed, “NOL!!!” and he nimbly returned to his feet. He laughed and shoke his head, “No need to fear,” and he shot off to the side. Myth would instantly see that he was moving to the outside to flank the small army coming over the hill and moved to coordinate his attack with Nol’s. Kali turned to Rayann and spoke in missive, ~ ‘Once when I was in a mission with Rorie…’~ and then it happened… a blinding burst of purple light erupted behind Kali and Rorie appeared, he drew a dagger dripping with green poison and grabbed Kali around the chest, pinning both arms to her side and holding the dagger millimeters from the young girls throat. A defensive shield sprung up around the two of them and Rayann would be able to tell that any attack would be deflected easily. The shield was obviously drawing from the ambient magic around them, laced with the divine, and Rayann would feel the perverted twist of energies as the divine magic was being torn and destroyed.



“Hello sister,” his voice was sly and cold, “so nice that we can have this little reunion at our ancestral estate. I have missed you Kali, how come you don’t come calling anymore?” Kali grit her teeth and looked at Rayann, grasping as hard as she could he looked down and squeezed all the harder, his large frame dominating her quickly. He looked up into Rayann’s eyes; his own blue orbs were twisted and swirling with a mixture of the beautiful blue, and an inky black. “Well, well, well… it looks like I get to steal away your child twice, only this time I won’t be playing nicely with her, this time she is going straight to the Queen and being tried for treason and defection. You hear that Niece? The Queen herself will be jury and judge over your trial, you should consider yourself lucky, she only does this under very special circumstances.”

He looked up at Rayann and smiled. She could feel the buildup of energy around him, it was not obvious what he was going to do, but his signature of magic is something she would recognize immediately.

As the flash happened behind them, Rayann instantly felt ill. Her nausea was nothing knew when this sort of magic was wielded but now it was even worse. As Rayann’s eyes bore into Rories, she concentrated on Kali instead of her own illness. Panic crept up on her and she wanted to scream and reach for Kali but that would serve no purpose other than getting Kali killed. Instead, she concentrated on Kali. The bond they now shared had grown strong in the time she and Kali had spent together and as her eyes glanced down at Kali then back to Rorie, Rayann filled Kali with visions of a spell she could cast without using her hands. Rayann’s spells were useless but Kali was inside the bubble with Rorie.

Rayann’s own hands clenched into tight fists at her side as she stood motionless and glared at Rorie. Finally she spoke to him in an effort to draw his attention to her and not to the girl in his grip.

”I never took you for a coward, Rorie. Hiding behind a child? That was something you would never have done. But I’m finding you’re full of surprises lately. I should have expected something like this out of you. Tell me something, Ro, how much did you have to promise the Dark Queen in order for her to spare your life? Did you have to grovel before her so she wouldn’t kill you instantly the moment you came back without my daughter?”

Rorie sneered as she spoke to him and he responded, “Oh please dear sister, do you really think that all this was orchestrated just so I could hide behind a little girl? This is an extraction; we just need her back at the palace so she can face her accuser.” His smile twisted, “Of course, I wouldn’t expect the welcome to be as warm this time.”

He leveled his gaze on her, she would feel his calm, “I didn’t have to promise her anything, the Dark Queen is forgiving despite popular belief. She searches for loyalty as much as results. Seeing as the incident at Silvanost was my first blunder, and technically wasn’t my fault,” he squeezed Kali so hard she gasped and her eyes bulged slightly, “I was simply reassigned to bring this whelp back for corrective measures.” Kali grit her teeth and hissed at Rorie, “You are nothing but a coward Uncle, you lied to me!” Rorie laughed and spoke back to Kali in a calm voice, “You were a means to an end Kali, nothing more. Thanks to you and the opportunity to train you I am more powerful than I ever was I have been rewarded for my loyalty and given more magical power than I ever had. Technically all this is your mother’s fault, if she hadn’t taken our bond and confiscated it all for her selfish little self we could be sitting around a supper table chuckling over who gets to carve the roast beast… but as such, fate has brought us to this place.”

He looked back up at Rayann and as the magic continued to build he spoke with a sinister calm, “I guess it’s time to say good-bye dear sister, perhaps we will meet again sometime, when you are finished grieving over the loss of your daughter, I want you at full strength when I face you again so I know I beat you at your best. By the way, red really flatters you; maybe you should have switched allegiance sooner.”

Kali felt the missive from her mother and she sent a response, it wasn’t a word, but a feeling, one that would confirm she understood. Rayann would feel something rather strange however, the spell she suggested was being cast, silently, but the magic that Rorie was gathering was being shaped, almost as a potter shapes clay. It was bending away from its will and being changed into something different. Rorie looked up at Rayann, his voice suddenly cold and full of angst, “STOP IT! I can feel that you are countering my magic Rayann! I swear I will slash her throat in front of you, Tahkisis won’t care if I do the deed myself and just bring back a body!” The knife began to move dangerously close to Kali’s throat, so close the shadow almost made it appear as if the blade was pressed against Kali’s pale flesh. Kali looked up at her mother as she concentrated, her eyes full of determination and her teeth grit in a twisted gesture of concentration, Rayann would feel the buildup continuing despite Rorie’s threats, especially now that Kali was aware he thought Rayann was casting, not her.

“I SWEAR TO THE GODS RAYANN!! STOP COUNTERING MY MAGIC OR I WILL SLASH HER IN FRONT OF YOU!”

Rayann didn’t move from where she stood.

”We’re here, right now, Rorie. There’s no need in putting off the inevitable. You want a confrontation, I’ll be more than glad to give you one. After all, it’s the least I can do after what you did to my daughter. And while red may suit me well, I have to say, black is not your color. Unless you’re in mourning. Which can easily be arranged. Would you like me to do that for you?”

As Kali let her mother know she understood, Rayann taunted Rorie even more wanting her brother to focus his entire attention on her and not Kali. And as he grew agitated, she knew it was working, especially when he screamed at her to stop countering his magic.

”You can’t. She’s as much a part of you as she is me. Blood is always thicker than water, Ro. You’re proof of that. I feel sorry for you. Really. You’re so absorbed in your own self pity that you look for anyone to blame other than yourself. Me. Kali. Myth. Who will it be if you kill all of us? Mama? Papa? You’ve already eliminated Nim’Sul so you can’t blame HIM for anything now. So I guess you need to find SOMEONE….”

Narrowing her eyes at her brother, Rayann lowered her voice so he would have to strain to hear her.

”You’re pathetic…”

She could tell Kali was ready now and she prayed to Lunitari Kali would come through unscathed knowing the Goddess would provide whatever was needed.

Rorie looked up at Rayann as she made her statements, and he merely smiled, “You are the only one to blame Rayann, you are the one who stole the magic that we shared. I hope you have enjoyed the cost.” He looked down at the top of Kali’s head below his bearded chin, the dagger held steady at her throat. His gaze moved back to Rayann and spoke calmly, “I think I will just bring back the body, it will be so much more satisfying seeing the look on your face as your daughter’s life drains from her throat.”



The look on Kali’s face was of pure calm now, Rayann would feel the magic, countering Rorie’s own, the dark ambient magic had been woven into a perfect balance of harmony and perfection, Kali whispered sweetly, “Uncle?” Rorie raised a brow and looked down at the top of her head again, her beautiful honey blond hair shimmering under the purple light of the protection sphere, “Yes Kali?” Her voice was slightly raspy, but clear and full of a quiet gentleness, like a child thanking their parent for a sweet treat, “You lose.”


Rorie furrowed his brow in confusion and then the magic pulsed around him, the dagger evaporated in his hand and a blast of energy exploded between them, sending Rorie backwards into his own sphere and Kali forward. She hit the sphere with a wind knocking thud and slid to the ground as if she was in a glass sphere. She turned and Rorie was growling, gathering ambient magic and hissing ancient words of power, Kali brought her hands up and had her spell off before Rorie was even half way through his incantation. His eyes went wide as his concentration broke and the blast of dark magic, the magic she had once known so well hit him dead in the chest. He gasped as the light in his eyes went dull and he fell over to the ground. Kali coughed and fell to her knees, shaking with rage. She looked up at the black robed figure before her, face first against the ground and she then turned, looking over her shoulder at Rayann through the shimmering purple.


She stood and whispered magic words; the sphere broke and dissipated as she limped the distance between herself and her mother. She was pale and tired, tiny drops of blood that she had coughed up were on her pale lips. She croaked words to her mother, her voice was so weak she had to bring her mouth to Rayann’s ear, “Nol and Father… we need to help them.”

A clean gash appeared across the throat of the downed ogre before Myth came to a halt opposite of Nol looking over the hill at the oncoming enemy. The goblins and draconians were but a simple matter but the ogres represented a true problem when working in tandem with the other two groups. Taking out an ogre was as simple as just being faster hence the reason it's companions were troublesome. They were there to make a strike to the ogres tougher.

Kneeling Myth sheathed Blue Moon and reached to his belt for a rune covered satchel bringing it into view. A casual glance revealed nothing about the object but a closer inspection revealed it be a bag of holding. Reaching into the seemingly infinite depths Myth drew forth a finely crafted longbow. There was no missing the mastery of elven craftsmanship that now rested in Myth's hands. Myth caressed the object like a lost lover before standing.

Bringing the weapon up and turning it in the direction of the charging ogres Myth's other hand rose to position. It would appear to be a strange move considering Myth had no arrows upon his person nor was there a visible string on the bow itself. Yet as Myth reached to were an arrow would be notched the air shimmered as arcane energy gathered in his hand taking shape of a drawn arrow. What rested in Myth's hand was another famliy heirloom the bow Windfall the bow of the crown prince. Once belonging to his brother it had been passed to Myth. The arrows were the will of the user made manifest.

Myth could feel the bow tap the latent energies in his elven blood and he focused his mind on the lesson his daughter imparted upon him about the use of the ambient. Harmony was something that Myth was familiar with and it took only moments to find the proper application he needed for this. The energies of the arrow took on a multi-colored hue as Myth took aim at the first ogre that lumbered into view. As Myth loosed the ambient laced ephemeral arrow from Windfall the air around him heaved violently almost causing Myth to loose balance. He had not expected such a shock wave of energy and at that moment his attention was drawn away from the impact that occurred his eyes shifting to Rayann and Kali. (I wasn't sure what effect I wanted the shot to have so I did not describe it since Myth never saw it... so make of it what you will.)

When his elven eyes focused in on Rorie Myth was bringing another arrow into existence within Windfall. He was taking aim awaiting an opportunity and as he was about to let loose his shot Kali acted taking Rorie out. A loud roar from Myth's right drew his attention to the encroaching force and Myth's mind returned to a focused edge. He cursed his momentary distraction bringing the bow to bare.

Rayann let out a small cry as she watched what took place in the sphere between her daughter and her brother. Taking a few steps closer but daring not to touch the sphere knowing the affect it would have upon her, she could do nothing but watch helplessly as her daughter defended herself against her brother.

As Rayann watched Rorie fall forward and Kali look over her shoulder at her, Rayann’s eyes were full of fear. When the sphere was gone and Kali came toward her, Rayann quickly closed the gap and took Kali in her arms. Her daughter was badly injured from the violent hit she took against the sphere wall not to mention the energy she expended combining the magics in the harmonious way she did.

Hearing Kali’s words in her ear, Rayann merely nodded as she held Kali’s weight against her, supporting her daughter fully. Rayann’s voice was shaking a little even in her missive as she spoke to Kali.

~I need to take care of something first.~

Holding out her left hand, Kali would feel the pull of magic as Rayann cast another spell, this time targeted on Rorie. His body began to glow then disappeared as she sent him back from what ever dank, dark hell he came from.

Looking down at Kali, she knew the girl couldn’t do any more today. If Kali tried she would sacrifice her body and that was something Rayann couldn’t allow. But she didn’t want to leave Kali alone anywhere either. Not with the threat of something happening to her. It was a painful decision, but Rayann looked down at Kali and stroked the hair back from her daughters face.

~Kali….you can’t cast anymore. You run the risk of not being able to recover if you do. It would crush us if that happened to you. You just entered our lives. We can’t bear the thought of losing you now. Not to mention you and Nol have many years ahead of you. Please. Rest in my protective sphere and regain your strength. I will stand here and help Myth and Nol if you will allow me to protect you. Please?~

He daughter was a strong willed young woman and Rayann knew she would not like the idea of this but she also hoped Kali would see the practicality of the situation and know her mother was only trying to do what she thought was right. Glancing at the advancing enemy, Rayann knew she would have to act quickly and hoped Kali would agree to the suggestion.

Kali looked up at her mother, and she spoke quietly, “No mother, I know the risk is great, but I must help… I must.”She inhaled deeply and wiped her lips with her sleeve. Standing to her full height she looked at her mother and seeing the concern in Rayann’s eyes she spoke in missive, ~ ‘Fear not mother… I will tell you when I am truly spent.’~ Rayann would see that Kali was not going to leave the battle, but Rayann would also feel for the first time today that it had nothing to do with the thrill, her spirit was focused and centered, she was concentrating on the balance of things around them, not the excitement of the battle.

She touched Rayann’s shoulder and spoke again, “Trust me Mother, focus on the battle, I will be alright. If I cast less aggressively I can sustain.” She smiled, the delicate lines of her face echoed her resolve, she would face the enemy with her family. She began moving towards the top of the mountain, watching her father fire his bow. She could not help but smile, the warrior heart in her was proud to see her dad in his element, fighting the evil that crept along the planet, meeting it directly in the face and saying, “NO”.

She stood at the top of the hill, her red robes swirling around her and she reached out in her mind for her mother, finding her location. She observed the battlefield and her hands started to glow as she drew power to herself, the magic was bending to her will almost effortlessly, she prepared to make her next move…

Rayann had no choice but to let her daughter be her own woman. It struck her then that this must have been how her mother felt when she reached the age at which she was ready to do things on her own. It was a moment of sobering clarity for Rayann and she knew then Kali would indeed be just fine.

Kali would feel the same calmness slipped into her mother then and know like her, Rayann was no focused on the balance of the world around them and not the battle. It was also the moment Rayann understood the difference between what she had done in the past as a White Robe mage and what she must do now as a Red Robe mage.

A small smile eased over her features as she calmly walked to join Kali on the hill. The enemy forces were advancing towards them and as Myth stood like the proud warrior he was, fighting back the enemy, Rayann and Kali stood just as proud. Their red robes, honey blonde and platinum blond hair swirling like halos around their heads. Myth would feel the calmness of the women in his life and know harmony had been obtained. Matching his own. The three had now become as one with the world around them.

Like Kali, Rayann’s hands began to glow as she began to draw magic within her. It was the first time she attempted to use both ambient and divine magic together but doing as Kali had showed her and seeing the vision of what Kali was preparing to do, Rayann was able to blend the two together harmoniously. The effort wasn’t as easy as one would think but Rayann was able to maintain the balance and she began to feel that same, inner core calmness Kali felt.

It was time.

Time to restore that which was out of balance. Glancing at Kali, Rayann smiled then looked out over the battle field. Let the balance be restored was the only thought she had and as her hands began to glow brighter, she felt as though that thought was manifesting into her spell.

Kali felt her mother’s mind, they had merged into a collective, their magic swirled around them and simultaneously the two women’s hands went up, shock waves erupted and the ground swelled with the cone of power that shot forth and devastated the two Ogre’s. Both fell backwards with a deafening crash, their piece meal armor clattering as their bodies made contact with Krynn. The goblins caught in the wake leapt from their stands and Nol cut them down, mopping up the ones that scattered and hid from the arcane arrows of Myth’s bow. The Draconians scattered, taking to the forest around them, the leader slain they did as Draconians were want to do, they retreated until gathered under a new banner.

Kali felt dizzy and she fell to her knees, heaving as her lungs burned from exhaustion. She propped herself up on her hands and then finally laid down, belly first, letting the cool grass embrace her cheek. She looked up at her mother, wheezing as her body gaze way to the exhaustion. She closed her eyes and felt strong arms embrace her, they were Nol’s arms. She could only smile as her pale face spoke of her need to rest, and she sent a missive to her mother and Myth, ~ ‘Tomorrow….. the tower of Glen Durel….. tomorrow……’~





Nol tenderly took up Kali in his arms and stood to his full height, looking at Rayann and Myth with concerned eyes. She had spent herself for the cause of Krynn, and Nol spoke to Rayann, “The castle should be safe now, but the tower is another matter. I think we should be safe to stay in the castle wing, the wards and magic protecting the tower are not living, they are merely reactionary to anything coming into their perimeter. Is there a room I can bring Kali to so she can rest?

Rayann felt drained but not near as much as her daughter. When Kali collapsed, she instantly knelt down at her daughter’s side. She was proud of what her daughter had accomplished and the way Rayann herself was able to apply what Kali had taught her. Laying a protective hand on Kali’s shoulder as she fell into the grass, Rayann saw the strong arms reach out and take Kali’s form. Knowing who held the girl she smiled tiredly and looked up into Nol’s face.

Nodding in answer to his question, she looked past the dragon to see Myth approaching. Now that they were all gathered, she could create the port to the room she knew Kali would find rest and comfort in. As the bright portal appeared Nol could see the large room and see the furnishings knowing it was the room that used to be Rayann’s parents. When the dragon looked at Rayann again for confirmation, she nodded again. Without further hesitation, Nol stepped through the portal.

As Myth walked up to Rayann she raised her hand and with his help stood once more. Her legs were shaky but she forced herself to step through the portal with Myth. As Nol laid Kali down in the large, soft bed. Rayann touched Myth’s arm and they were instantly transported to another room in the same wing but one floor up. Glancing around, Rayann saw the room was untouched, just as the others. It was a guest room but it was very inviting and welcoming. Laying her head on Myth’s upper arm, she spoke in a soft missive to his mind.

~I never knew you were the accomplished archer, mel’amin. And our daughter has certainly shown she is going to be quite the accomplished mage. I can’t wait to see what she will be like in a few years.~