"People who fight angry are easy to beat, even more so than the dire bears that inhabit this island." The man says coldy.
As Taron dashes forward Asch fades out of view and reappears behind the man with two shadowy black blades next to his neck. "I'd let him go if I was you....my hands might slip and slice open an artery and then I'd be oh so sad."
"If you were me, child, not was." The man replies, not loosening his hold on Taron, though the were-dragon is struggling feircely. "And if your blades 'slip' than it's because of incompetence, and that is what would make you sad, not the fact I would be cut. Don't think I couldn't handle all of you as easily as I handled this one."
Asch's eyes flash dangerously at the man's words but manages to stay calm for now.
"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously, her draconic eyes searching for some trail of him through time.
"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously, her draconic eyes searching for some trail of him through time.
"My name is Rameil. What is yours?"
"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously, her draconic eyes searching for some trail of him through time."My name is Rameil. What is yours?"
"Ephebe Andromeda Sunwake. I think. The middle name is mutable. I've probably got the right one," she said, absently as she watched his timeline in reverse, her eyes sparkling with gold flecks as she did so.
"You're...Kam's father?"
"He's what?" Asch asks as he continues to keep the blades solid next to his neck.
Taron goes still as he learns who Rameil is.
"Kamenwati never knew his father."
"Lillith kicked me out a few months after he was born. Said she didn't want to raise him in a zoo." Rameil says releases his hold on Taron. "It's my fault for taking in strays until they were healthy again. I did try to get her to take me back a few times, but you can guess how that went."
"You terrified him. He didn't know who you were. After the things that horrible woman did to him...he doesn't trust easily and rightfully so. Fist you mentioned Lilith and then...the way you smiled, so help me I would have run too if I were Kam. It wasn't exactly a pleasant expression."
"And your fault was in letting her keep him. Apparently she preferred the Abyss as a 'nurturing' environment," she said, eyes narrowed as she glared at Rameil.
Fei stands quietly off to the side, thinking to himself that these three siblings have the most...unusual...extended family he has ever heard of in his rather (truncated) memory. ;)
Fei stands quietly off to the side, thinking to himself that these three siblings have the most unusual extended family he has ever heard of in his rather...truncated...memory. ;)
Asch stands still as a statue. "So who is lilith exactly?"
"What?!" Ramiel exclaims, eyes flashing. "What happened? What did she do to him?"
"He was around four years old when she met someone and married him. Turns out he was a demon, and he turned her evil! The way Kam is now is because you didn't fight hard enough to stay!" Taron nearly yells as he grabs Rameil's shirt, lifting him off of the ground. "I realize if you hadn't left I never would have met him, but at least he wouldn't have had to go through all he did! At least she can't hurt him anymore!" Taron hurls Rameil away. "And you won't hurt him either. He blames you for what's happened to him, and I'd rather he think his father is dead than let him discover you barely fought to stay!"
"Never go near him again." Taron says, a dangerously calm aura emanating from him.
Asch stands still as a statue. "So who is lilith exactly?"
"She was a demoness devoted to Pazuzu. And unfortunately for Kam, his mother. She tried to steal Kam back to the Abyss a few months ago. Taron defended his mate, and she's dead now. End of story," he said flatly.
Asch drops down to the ground to avoid the human missile. "Warn a guy before you decide to throw someone at them."
Asch stands still as a statue. "So who is lilith exactly?""She was a demoness devoted to Pazuzu. She tried to steal Kam back to the Abyss a few months ago. Taron defended his mate, and she's dead now. End of story," he said flatly.
"She wasn't a demoness when I married her." Rameil says as he stands up and brushes himself off. "And did I hear that last part right? She dead? Killed by the hand of my son's friend?"
Asch drops down to the ground to avoid the human missile. "Warn a guy before you decide to throw someone at them."
"Sorry." Taron says as he keeps his eyes on Rameil. "Who wants to explain the way our part of the family works to our most recently acquired father-in-law?" He asks icily.
"I got this one. What the hell...we're pretty well concealed..."
Ephebe shifted into dragon form and moved to right in front of Rameil.
::MATE does not mean just friend. We are dragons. A mate is a lifelong ROMANTIC partner, chosen once in a lifetime. And yes, Lilith is dead. Any other questions?::
Rameil looks up at the dragon towering above and blinks.
"I knew those berries were no good..."
Asch rolls out of the way as Ephebe moves towards Rameil. He stands up with a sigh. "I'm going to get killed by friendly fire to day." He mutters as he dusts himself off.
Rameil looks up at the dragon towering above and blinks.
"I knew those berries were no good..."
Ephebe sighed. ::You're not hallucinating.::
She shoved him lightly. ::See? Hallucinations don't push people now do they? I really am a dragon. And so are my brothers. And your son is my brother Taron's mate. He's also badly traumatized from his childhood and has been forcibly transformed into a demon. Thankfully the transformation wasn't entirely complete and he is still himself appearances aside.::
Vakkler paces in the hallway, muttering to himself. "Bloody derro...should have eaten them all years ago..."
"Excuse me?" a student asks, looking nervous. "Aren't you supposed to take me to my detent--"
"ZIP IT!"
"Alright. Can I just--"
"LATER!"
"Okay..."
Asch rolls out of the way as Ephebe moves towards Rameil. He stands up with a sigh. "I'm going to get killed by friendly fire to day." He mutters as he dusts himself off.
"No you won't. Your amulet will kick in before that happens."
Ephebe sighed. ::You're not hallucinating.::
She shoved him lightly. ::See? Hallucinations don't push people now do they? I really am a dragon. And so are my brothers. And your son is my brother Taron's mate. He's also badly traumatized from his childhood and has been forcibly transformed into a demon. Thankfully the transformation wasn't entirely complete and he is still himself appearances aside.::
"Um.. okay.." Rameil says as he picks himself up off of the ground again, the 'light shove of a dragon being more than enough to knock him over in his confused state. "So.. can I at least try and explain things to him?"
"Good point." Asch says as he brings his attention fully upon Rameil. He draws both revolvers and keeps them lowered at his sides.
"Um.. okay.." Rameil says as he picks himself up off of the ground again, the 'light shove of a dragon being more than enough to knock him over in his confused state. "So.. can I at least try and explain things to him?"
Ephebe cocked her head to the side as she considered it.
::Would you be willing to let me see your thoughts? Surface thoughts only, I won't pry, I swear. It would help me judge your intentions and if they are good convince my brother who is understandably protective of Kam. And then Kam would have to give his consent to meeting you as well.::
"I.. of course. I want to see him again, now that I know it is him." He says, and his mind reflects this. "If I can't talk to him, I'd at least like to stay close so I can see him. I won't try to talk to him at all, and he won't know it's me. I'd be a bird or something."
"I got this one. What the hell...we're pretty well concealed..."
Ephebe shifted into dragon form and moved to right in front of Rameil.
::MATE does not mean just friend. We are dragons. A mate is a lifelong ROMANTIC partner, chosen once in a lifetime. And yes, Lilith is dead. Any other questions?::
[Blink, Blink]
Fei is unsure what advantage there is in using magic to take a draconic form against someone who so easily defended himself from Taron's attack - but as this appears to be some kind of family matter, he respectfully keeps his thoughts to himself and just observes.
She searches through his surface thoughts looking carefully at what she finds, measuring and judging his intent.
::Taron, I believe that he is sincere. I found no trace of any demonic interference. And I would have, believe me, if it were there I would have. I know you want to protect him, but I think that this needs to be Kamenwati's decision. You have to ask him if he wants to speak to his father. If the answer is no, than Rameil will respect that. But you have to ask. Taron...this is a chance for him to reconcile his past. Believe me when I say, those don't come often. Would you really deny him that chance?::
::...::
::No.::Taron replies after a few moments of telepathic silence. ::I'll send directions on how to get to Avalon from in an hour if Kam wants me too. Have fun with the rest of the survival excercise.:: He activates his amulet and disappears.
Asch stares blankly as Taron activates his amulet and disappears. ::So....what do we do with Kam's father?::
Ephebe changed back to her human form. "We wait, I guess. Honestly that went better than I expected."
She looked at Rameil. "I don't suppose you could show us the way back to our campsite from here? The cave where you found Kam before."
"You know even if he agrees to talk to you that he has a lot of pent up anger and hurt to work through. I don't know you. I don't know your past. I don't know if you know what it's like to wake up in the night and wonder who you are and pray to any gods that listening that it wasn't really you who did those awful things, please no, don't let it be true. That's Kam's life now and you are going to have to be very, very patient with him," she said very evenly her eyes focused in the distance carefully not meeting anyone's gaze as she spoke.
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This reminds me of a Kobold joke, actually. So a kobold bumps into a gnome. And the kobold says, "Hey! Watch it, gnome!" And the gnome says, "No! I'm not a real gnome, I'm a kobold like you!" And the kobold says, "What? You look just like a gnome!"
"I know," says the gnome. "Some wizard cast baleful polymorph on me!"
Ha! Now THAT'S comedy!
Isn't that interesting, though? You gnomes (or kender, or whatever)pride yourselves on your humor, but when we kobolds bother to try it ourselves, we're better. Tells you something, doesn't it?
Isn't that interesting, though? You gnomes (or kender, or whatever)pride yourselves on your humor, but when we kobolds bother to try it ourselves, we're better. Tells you something, doesn't it?[/ooc]
Ephebe changed back to her human form. "We wait, I guess. Honestly that went better than I expected."
She looked at Rameil. "I don't suppose you could show us the way back to our campsite from here? The cave where you found Kam before."
"I can. I should warn you though, night is falling and some dangerous creatures roam the island at night, and a few can even make it here if they want eggs from the big birds."
"You know even if he agrees to talk to you that he has a lot of pent up anger and hurt to work through. I don't know you. I don't know your past. I don't know if you know what it's like to wake up in the night and wonder who you are and pray to any gods that listening that it wasn't really you who did those awful things, please no, don't let it be true. That's Kam's life now and you are going to have to be very, very patient with him," she said very evenly her eyes focused in the distance carefully not meeting anyone's gaze as she spoke.
Rameil pales as he listens to Ephebe's telling of Kam's life.
"I.. I know he'll need time. I will be patient because I hope there is a chance he can at least tolerate me. Let's go to your camp now." He casts a spell and a wind blows a tunnel through the mist, allowing you to follow him as he leaves.
"You sure you don't want a hidden mansion for everyone now?" Asch asks as they start to leave the cave.
"You sure you don't want a hidden mansion for everyone now?" Asch asks as they start to leave the cave.
"You know what? Yeah, that sounds great. I really don't need another survival exercise. And I think we could all use a good night's sleep uninterrupted by things that go bump in the night trying to turn us into snacks."
"I second that!"
Amada casts a quick spell and a shimmering doorway appears. After everyone goes in the doorway disappears. When everyone gets in they see that its a huge building inside the pillars are black marble as are the floors polished to mirror like perfection. A liveried black and red figure stands at the doorway waiting for them.