Kobold Cleaver is busy with the siege. Joek is busy with certain other matters. It would most likely be very advanced troops to deal with you and Arielle. They know how powerful she is now. That's the first cat out of the bag. I suppose it couldn't be helped." He sniffs.

"Then they'll have to deal with the new management."

"As for leaving, we will at some point. We're used to danger, and were long before we ever became powerful. And we will leave in a manner of our choosing. The question will be who will try to stop or follow us; Joek, KC, or minions? But why bother now? We may be needed here."

She smiled slightly. "As he says, we'll leave when we're ready and not before. Joek is not the first obsessed villain we've met, nor do I think he will be the last."

Kobold Cleaver is busy with the siege. Joek is busy with certain other matters. It would most likely be very advanced troops to deal with you and Arielle. They know how powerful she is now. That's the first cat out of the bag. I suppose it couldn't be helped." He sniffs.

Frost the Ancient wrote:

Kobold Cleaver is busy with the siege. Joek is busy with certain other matters. It would most likely be very advanced troops to deal with you and Arielle. They know how powerful she is now. That's the first cat out of the bag. I suppose it couldn't be helped." He sniffs.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I'm not convinced they yet understand Arielle's powers at all, and I know they don't know mine. We still have room for surprises."

LJ pinches the bridge of her nose, trying to massage away a growing headache.

"Okay, I am not going to let myself be influenced by a dragon's perceptions of our public image, no matter how helpful the dragon. I've learned enough about human nature by now to know not to expect accolades. Some things you do because they're the right thing, no matter what people think of you because of them. But I do feel bad about Arielle. It's not like she ever had any choice about controlling weather. She's technically speaking not even a year old yet. She's never had a chance to learn anything the normal way. And he's right, there are plenty of people who will forget all about the earth elemental attacking the children and blame everything on Arielle's storm. I just wish I could spare her that. And I wonder if I had paid better attention instead of getting distracted by the whole being a goddess thing if I could have spared her that. She needed me and I was barely there."

LJ pinches the bridge of her nose, trying to massage away a growing headache.

"Okay, I am not going to let myself be influenced by a dragon's perceptions of our public image, no matter how helpful the dragon. I've learned enough about human nature by now to know not to expect accolades. Some things you do because they're the right thing, no matter what people think of you because of them. But I do feel bad about Arielle. It's not like she ever had any choice about controlling weather. She's technically speaking not even a year old yet. She's never had a chance to learn anything the normal way. And he's right, there are plenty of people who will forget all about the earth elemental attacking the children and blame everything on Arielle's storm. I just wish I could spare her that. And I wonder if I had paid better attention instead of getting distracted by the whole being a goddess thing if I could have spared her that. She needed me and I was barely there."

"We can't keep her locked up, even if we wanted to, and we can't control what people think. Influence maybe, but not control. A friend has been helping those hurt in the bazaar, but that's been anonymous."

"The servants are into manipulation. We aren't."

"As for Frost, I'm not sure if he can be trusted. After all, it was he that killed the first attacker with Joek's permission. Not that I have much problem with that. Not necessarily a friendly exchange but an exchange nonetheless."

"WE were barely there. And she's growing up too fast. Literally."

"We can't keep her locked up, even if we wanted to, and we can't control what people think. Influence maybe, but not control. A friend has been helping those hurt in the bazaar, but that's been anonymous."

"The servants are into manipulation. We aren't."

"As for Frost, I'm not sure if he can be trusted. After all, it was he that killed the first attacker with Joek's permission. Not that I have much problem with that. Not necessarily a friendly exchange but an exchange nonetheless."

Ch'ack Hammer wrote:

"WE were barely there. And she's growing up too fast. Literally."

"We can't keep her locked up, even if we wanted to, and we can't control what people think. Influence maybe, but not control. A friend has been helping those hurt in the bazaar, but that's been anonymous."

"The servants are into manipulation. We aren't."

"As for Frost, I'm not sure if he can be trusted. After all, it was he that killed the first attacker with Joek's permission. Not that I have much problem with that. Not necessarily a friendly exchange but an exchange nonetheless."

"I know," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "He got me at a weak point. I'm still new at this whole parenting thing. I just feel so totally inadequate." She looked up at him. "So is this the part where you tell me that's totally normal? Since, compared to me, you're an expert at this," she added with a small smile.

"Physically Arielle is already older than Aiselle got to..." he swallows

"So we're in uncharted territory."

Smiling back, "Normal feelings, not normal situations."

"Physically Arielle is already older than Aiselle got to..." he swallows

"So we're in uncharted territory."

Ch'ack Hammer wrote:

Smiling back, "Normal feelings, not normal situations."

"Physically Arielle is already older than Aiselle got to..." he swallows

"So we're in uncharted territory."

"I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories," she said softly.

lynora-Jill wrote:

Ch'ack Hammer wrote:

Smiling back, "Normal feelings, not normal situations."

"Physically Arielle is already older than Aiselle got to..." he swallows

"So we're in uncharted territory."

"I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories," she said softly.

"It's OK. Two people is bad enough. Two times is worse. It's like part of my mind has been reset to days gone by."

Ch'ack Hammer wrote:

lynora-Jill wrote:

Ch'ack Hammer wrote:

Smiling back, "Normal feelings, not normal situations."

"Physically Arielle is already older than Aiselle got to..." he swallows

"So we're in uncharted territory."

"I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories," she said softly.

"It's OK. Two people is bad enough. Two times is worse. It's like part of my mind has been reset to days gone by."

"That I can understand. You missed this morning's freakout when I looked in the mirror. My mind took a little bit to catch up to the idea that no, my hair was not the wrong color. Sometimes it seems like things that happened thousands of years ago are more real than things that happened only a few years ago. I wonder if that will fade?"

"I don't see much grey in your hair." *ducks*

"Hopefully."

"I don't see much grey in your hair." *ducks*

"And you never will. Although that would be closer to my original hair color than this is."

"Enough goofing around. We need a plan. And in spite of what we told the dragon I'm not sure we should stay here. It's not always a good idea to stay exactly where all your enemies know where you are. What do you think?"

Ch'ack Hammer wrote:

"Hopefully."

"I don't see much grey in your hair." *ducks*

Swats him playfully.

"And you never will. Although that would be closer to my original hair color than this is."

"Enough goofing around. We need a plan. And in spite of what we told the dragon I'm not sure we should stay here. It's not always a good idea to stay exactly where all your enemies know where you are. What do you think?"

"I'm sure someone would help us travel, avoiding omniportals. E7 could transport via plants or earth, SunnyG, Djuhah? It'd be nice to slip out quietly."

*sigh* "The Oasis? A little vacation? Coconuts and a grass hut? The Grove? SunnyG's resort? Maybe all 3?"

"I'm sure someone would help us travel, avoiding omniportals. E7 could transport via plants or earth, SunnyG, Djuhah? It'd be nice to slip out quietly."

Ch'ack Hammer wrote:

*sigh* "The Oasis? A little vacation? Coconuts and a grass hut? The Grove? SunnyG's resort? Maybe all 3?"

"I'm sure someone would help us travel, avoiding omniportals. E7 could transport via plants or earth, SunnyG, Djuhah? It'd be nice to slip out quietly."

"We should probably keep moving for the most part. So I guess all three. Hopefully that will make it harder for trouble to find us. I guess the question is which one would you like to go to first?"

"Besides, I have an old squirrelfriend there." ;)

"How 'bout the Grove? We haven't checked on them since Aidan's 'problem'. Being busy would be good."

"Besides, I have an old squirrelfriend there." ;)

"I'll go and wake up Arielle. And then ask Djuhah for a favor so that we can get there without anyone the wiser."

She came back about a half hour later with a sleepy Arielle in tow, and carrying a small bag.

"I packed up a few things for Arielle while I was thinking about it. Who knows how long it will be before we come back here." She smoothed Arielle's hair away from her face as Arielle yawned and rubbed sleep out of her eyes.

"Djuhah!" LJ called out, not too loudly.

He materialised in front of them.

"Yes, Starsong? Was there something you needed?"

"I was hoping you could do us a small favor? Could you please transport the three of us to the Grove? We'd rather not use the omniportal. The less people know where we are, the better."

"Of course, Starsong. That will be no trouble at all. But are you sure you should leave this place? It is well protected. You are safe here."

"I'm sure. It may be safe, but it's also confining. And all of our enemies know exactly where we are. It's better this way."

"As you wish, Starsong. Know that you are always welcome here."

Winds swirl around LJ, CH, and Arielle, transporting the three of them to the Grove of the Ancients.

"As you wish, Starsong. Know that you are always welcome here."

Winds swirl around LJ, CH, and Arielle, transporting the three of them to the Grove of the Ancients.

Moving to the Grove

Oroth steps out of the omniportal and cups his hands around his mouth.

"Hey Tristan! LK! You want to go to see Sunny G?"

Oroth steps out of the omniportal and cups his hands around his mouth.

"Hey Tristan! LK! You want to go to see Sunny G?"

Oroth Sunschild wrote:

Oroth steps out of the omniportal and cups his hands around his mouth.

"Hey Tristan! LK! You want to go to see Sunny G?"

Subtle ;)

Oroth steps out of the omniportal and cups his hands around his mouth.

"Hey Tristan! LK! You want to go to see Sunny G?"

:::Sure, but I need to clean up first. I also skinned my knee. Who's Sunny G.? Sounds like someone who serves pulped oranges.:::

Frost flies overhead, testing his wings. He pauses, and then lands. He sniffs the air. "Fire." He hesitates. Then he shrugs. "At any rate, it is time to go hunting." He flies off.

Oroth Sunschild wrote:

Oroth steps out of the omniportal and cups his hands around his mouth.

"Hey Tristan! LK! You want to go to see Sunny G?"

Covered in a sweet layer of dirt, Tristan enters the Eyrie from another climbing expedition.

:::Sure, but I need to clean up first. I also skinned my knee. Who's Sunny G.? Sounds like someone who serves pulped oranges.:::

Sorry for the delay. That's what I get for waiting for the messageboard to say there was a new post instead of checking the Eyrie myself...

"He'll probably think that's pretty funny. I'll fix your knee before we go."

Oroth Sunschild wrote:

"He'll probably think that's pretty funny. I'll fix your knee before we go."

"Thanks. I like climbing around the Eyrie. There's so much to see. And I stay away from the dragon too. Let's find Little Kiba and head towards the Omniportal."

"Sorry I didn't get here sooner, I almost didn't hear you. Dad knows I'm going to the Sanctum, so I'm set to go!"

Did Tristan just talk like a normal kid? No more :::'s? Lol if it was a typo.

"Just one more thing to do before we leave then."

Kneeling, Oroth places a hand on Tristan's scraped knee and speaks a word in Celestial. A faint golden light shines out from under his hand as Tristan's knee heals.

"Okay, let's go. Off the Sanctum!"

Herding them to the Portal and on through to the Sanctum.

The Servants suddenly begin to leave. There are flashes of light as they disappear, until there seem to be none left. However, the shadows outside the Eyrie seem unusually long, and strange birds constantly fly about.

The Servants suddenly begin to leave. There are flashes of light as they disappear, until there seem to be none left. However, the shadows outside the Eyrie seem unusually long, and strange birds constantly fly about.