In a flash of light Elanee and Rain arrive at their destination, a thick lush jungle forest setting with a sweet dank air smell. Surrounded by bush and tree line so thick it would be virtuously impossible to figure out where they are for a good time.

Falling hard to the ground from the transport Elanee crawls to her knees, and seeing that the stone skin spell didn’t stay with her she rubs her throat and coughs trying to breathe some air into her deflated lungs. Getting to her feet moments later she goes to Rain’s side and looking at his motionless body she shakes him a bit trying to wake him.

“Rain...Rain! wake up” checking his chest to see if he’s alive “Oh no, please don’t be dead Rain, I didn’t go through all of this just to let you die here, now GET UP!” and waiting a little longer she hears a beat of his heart and is filled with relief, knowing that he’s only unconscious.

She suddenly hears a rustle in the trees and sounding like footprints getting louder she goes to Rain’s side again, shaking him again with some panic she whispers in his ear.

“Rain, please wake up I need you now, there’s something here, Rain” and seeing no change in his condition, she then looks to Rain’s belt spotting his mother’s sword sheathed in the belt, pulling it out she then stands and looks to the noisy trees.

Hearing the noise get closer and closer she takes a breath and starts rambling to herself, “Elanee, you can do this, you have training, good training, think back now, Rule #1 don’t show you’re afraid cause relaxed muscles can react better than tensed ones, #2 let the enemy make the first move, #3 watch the footing and the arms for that is where the attack is coming from” and repeating the steps she grips the sword tightly and waits.

Finally with the rustling at its peak the creature emerges from the bushes, and standing about three feet tall holding a four foot spear in his tiny hands, the creature has a striking resemblance to a goblin but just smaller. Taking a breath of relief she then says calmly “Oh you’re not so bad I can handle you” and finishing her sentence with three more of the critters showing up surrounding her she closes her eyes for a second, “Damn it, way to go Elanee, get your hopes up falsely” and getting into position to fight them she makes sure that she doesn’t stray far from Rain’s body.

Watching them carefully she waits until the first strike comes to her and with one trying a charge attack the battle begins’, she whirls around in a circle having the spear miss her torso and having the minion run past her she takes the blade and drives it deep in the back of the creature, killing it. The second one advances and trying some pokes at her with some spear thrusts, she quickly dodges them and deflecting the last thrust attempt she quickly thrusts back impaling the creature in the chest. Pulling out the sword she turns to the last two who join up on a single attack, swinging and thrusting their spears, Elanee dodges for the first couple attacks until she can start blocking the moves, finally getting one lucky hit in she deflects a spear high to the left, and bringing her blade back across she slices his throat having blood fly into the air.

It goes into her hair and on her face and having the creature fall to the ground she looks to the last one, looking at his fallen comrade he drops his spear and takes off into the trees, without concerning herself with the chase she runs to Rain’s side and sees if he was injured from the fight. With him unscathed Elanee takes grip of his arm pulling his body to the bushes and covering him with branches from the ground she says to him “Sorry about this Rain but I need to find us a camp area, and can’t do it with you on my back” and still carrying the sword then goes off to find a place to camp.

Taking another bite of his food being hand feed from Dawn, Artanis chews and swallows.

“This is unjustified and disconcerting” he says in between mouthfuls

“Well you did get put in this situation yourself, having locked your own hands here” Dawn says with a smile but turning it quickly into a frown she has thoughts of Rain and Elanee’s condition.

“Hey don’t worry about them, they’ll be fine, Elanee’s a tough girl she’ll make sure they stay alive, and she has Captain training that counts for something right” Artanis says looking deeply at Dawns face and seeing a smile again it quickly turns to a small laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he asked

“Oh I thought you knew with all your spying and watching us” Dawn said “Elanee never went to a lesson from Tristan, not one single time, she made up excuses why she couldn’t always go, so she really only has Rain’s teachings to go on by” Dawn stated and being silent and taking another bite of food from Dawns hand they sit quietly.

Back in the castle great hall Cloud and Namor along with Tristan have a heated verbal battle.

“Namor you can’t do this” Cloud says

“The hell I can’t, he kidnapped me, tortured me and almost succeeded in killing me off!”

“It wasn’t his fault, he was under a trance or spell or something” Tristan added

“What’s wrong in here” says Alisianna just coming to the room

“Namor want’s Rain put in prison for this act for the rest of his life” Cloud bolted

“What! Namor it’s not Rain’s fault” Alisianna pleaded

“No matter, if Elanee is not with Rain when her returns…if he returns, I swear to you I’ll end his life for good!” Namor barked and started to leave the room.

“The king won’t let this carry on Namor, Rain has risked his own life to save this city, and that act won’t go unnoticed” Cloud defended

“We… shall… see…Captain!!” Namor said with a convincing tone and slammed the door on his way out.

“Don’t worry about him Cloud he’ll calm down” Tristan smoothed over

“I don’t think so Tristan, not this time and I’m worried a bit, I think I’ll go see the King now and make sure that my brother won’t be put on the execution block as a welcome home present” Cloud ended with Tristan and Alisianna in his wake following Cloud’s lead to the King.

Rain awakes at the sight of evening dusk seeing fire crisping to the air with Elanee tending to it; trying to sit up Rain makes a little moan as he grips his head and seeing him awake Elanee emits a smile on her face,

“Hey, how do you feel” she asked

“Very weak right now mentally and physically; and like I was trampled by a carriage with a team of fifty horses”, and looking around he gains a confused look “Were not in Silverspire are we”

“No not really, not a far as I can tell” Elanee replied “I was hoping that you could tell me, I dug this image from your mind”

“How long was I out for?”

“A while” Elanee said and turning to the fire to put another log on Rain noticed the marks on her neck that formed deep bruising.

“My god did I do that” asked Rain in a worry

“Yes, but it looks worse than it feels” she replies hiding the constant pain.

“Elanee I’m so sorry, I could see everything that was happening and….oh my god Namor” he finishes with a shocking frightful look “Did I…”

“No he’s alive and fine, don’t worry Rain, Hey it wasn’t you that did this, not by your own will anyway” Elanee responded

“Doesn’t excuse what I did”

“But you are not to blame for the outcome Rain I hope you can believe that” and turning to the fire again she looks back at him holding his side. Lying back down in pain Rain holds focus, recalling through his mind what he has done. “Hey get some rest and tomorrow hopefully you will be well enough to walk, and we’ll figure out a way home”

Nodding his head he closes his eyes “Elanee” he says

“Yes Rain?”

“Thanks for saving me, and keeping me alive, I owe you my life”

“Get us out of here tomorrow and we’ll call it even, now shhh, rest Rain”

The night gets cold and the next morning comes swiftly to them, the streaks of first light hit’s their eyes opening them and Rain opens his to see nothing but locks of brunette hair, moving his head back and sitting up he sees Elanee curled up in his robe with him to keep warm through the night. Getting up and moving around a bit feeling the pull of sore and bruised muscles he slides out of the robe wrapping the part he had around her, and goes to start a fire. Elanee gets up a short while later seeing his back arched and feet squatted warming his hands.

“Morning” she says yawning

“It got cold last night, hope you slept good”

“I was fine, slept really well actually” she replied to him

“We will return as soon as I can teleport, though I am still too weak right now we should probably leave out that we slept together, Namor has enough on me to watch me hang for a year”

“I promise to you Rain I won’t let that happen”

“I just don’t want him thinking nothing else that isn’t true”

“Do you still regard me as a whore Rain?”

“No, of course not you’re a one man girl now and that’s good” Rain states and shaking head she looks at him again “Do you think I’m that easy Rain”

“Hey what’s with the defense, you’ve known him for a while now”

“Yea well there seems to be a part missing that I feel I don’t know yet” she explains

“And that’s why you have separate rooms, for some space from your togetherness” asked Rain

“You miss understand Rain, we don’t have separate rooms because we don’t want anyone to know that we are sleeping together, it’s because we haven’t slept together” and getting up she harshly tosses his robe back to him and goes by the fire. Feeling again bad for speaking his mind he changes the topic

“You asked me yesterday about this place and thinking for a while I think I know”

“Ok where are we then” she asked without looking at him, just to the flames that seemed too grew in heat as she was.

“My mother used to take me here to be just with me, to bond as mother and son, it was nice” and looking to him she gets a sorry filled look to her face. “I think there’s a pond just over here that is if you didn’t stray too far from where we arrived”

“I didn’t” she shot out in defense not knowing if it was needed and then followed him.

With the next morning hitting the city, guards at the gate get a messenger from the enclave baring a note to Cloud from Lalandra, meeting him in the guard house Cloud sees the Drow and hears some disturbing news,

“Cloud she says that they are not even in this realm right now” the messenger replies

“Well that doesn’t help Rain can’t be tracked”

“But Elanee can, and she is following her life force” the Drow answers and accepting the information the guard stays until new orders are given and Cloud informs the rest of the news.

After about an hour Elanee and Rain arrive at the pond and Elanee goes to the water line to drink and Rain follows suit. Elanee runs her head under the water to wash out the dried blood in her hair, and both hear some noise coming from the woods.

“I wonder if that’s more little people coming” Elanee said

“What???” Rain blurted out “You fought people here already”

“Yeah using your teachings”

“You mean the lessons from the Captain”

“No I mean yours I never went to a lesson from Tristan” and looking to the bushes, the ground starts to shake a bit as three jungle dressed giants part the trees and look down at them. Spouting off that they were angered when Elanee killed some of the jungles folk and that they are there to reap compensation for their loss, Rain and Elanee start to run through the woods with the giants giving them chase.

Dodging near misses from arrows being fired from their massive bows and clear cutting trees above them in an attempt to lob Rain and Elanee in half, they lead the giants on a chase for a good couple miles until they come to a cliff side. Being cornered by the giants, they look at each other,

“You still can’t teleport Rain?” questions Elanee huffing for air

“No I need more energy” Rain vents back heavy for breath

“Do you need a specific type or just plain energy?”

“Just energy why” Rain replies puzzled

“I have an idea” said Elanee “But I need you to trust me, and hang on to my hand” and looking to her he nods. She leads him straight toward the giants, dodging their massive axes cleaving into the ground, they stumble a bit from the rumble they create and running up to a leg of one giant Elanee touches it. Closing her eyes and concentrating hard she drains the life energy from the giant and throws it through her own body and into Rain’s. Like getting a battery replaced Rain suddenly gets a huge jolt of energy and with an axe baring down on top of them Rain then closes his own eyes and flashes out of existence, the axe then hitting the ground pelts dirt and stones into the air and when the dust settles the giants looked shocked and confused that the two little humanoids are nowhere to be found.

Arriving at the gate front Rain and Elanee appear and hanging onto one another in a bear hug motion they open their eyes to look around at the familiar sights. Guards yell to summon Cloud and the rest to the gate and arriving there Cloud hugs his brother tightly, followed by Dawn and Alisianna. Namor and Tristan arrive moments later and Namor embraces Elanee.

Then growing with insane anger while fixing his eyes upon Rain, he pushes Elanee to the side and barrels toward Rain, tackling him at the stomach and losing their balance the two crash to the ground, and throwing fist after fist at Rain’s face Namor yells to him.

“Take this you son of a bitch; you have any idea what you put me through”

“You guys STOP IT!!” cried Elanee

“NAMOR!!” said Tristan and together with Cloud they peeled the two apart; binding their arms to their backs they still motion to each other to wanting another round at it.

“You guys stop this right now, for the love of god Rain just got back” cried Dawn

“I’ll tell you this Rain you from here on in, stay away from me and Elanee, she has me to help her with any future problems now and there’s no need for you anymore” Namor snapped

“You want to know why he took me Namor you piece of shit, because I had the strongest mind as well as the most anger, I couldn’t stop what I was doing those nights, believe me I tried” Rain yelled at him

“And you think I’m just going to let this go because of that, oh no no no, you wait Rain, when I’m done talking to the king you’ll either be at the end of a rope hanging in the town square, or locked up for all eternity with me as your only guest” and shifting his hand to be let free Tristan releases him and grabbing Elanee’s arm he walks back into the city.

Cloud then let’s go of his brother and wiping yet more blood coming from his lips Rain says “Can’t I go a couple days without bleeding from the mouth, hey what about the Kopesh is he…?”

“He’s dead Rain” Alisianna assures him

“What happened out there?” asked Cloud “Why didn’t you come back here?”

“Elanee thought that if she could teleport me far enough away that I would be knocked out and break the mind bond” Rain stated and smirking a little he continued “ She’s pretty smart and powerful, she drained a giants life force to recharge me to be able to get us back here, without her we’d both be dead”

And being escorted back into the city gates Dawn stops

“Oh no we forgot about Artanis, Rain do you have the key?” and reaching into his robe he gives it to her, she says she’ll meet them at the guardhouse and goes to free Artanis.

Rain is told by Tristan that the king will have a word with the council and Namor to determine his fate, and he is to remain at the guardhouse, under guard until he is summoned. The night is long and Rain stays up all night thinking of what will become of him, finally he is brought before the council and for hours they discuss with Rain, possible avenues.

After the meeting Cloud goes to find Rain to see what happened and looking for him everywhere he finally finds him up in his quarters of the scholar wing packing up his things.

“They sacked you from the council!!” and about to storm out of the room Rain stops him with calling his name

“Cloud don’t they didn’t sack me, I dismissed myself voluntarily”

“What why for what propose?”

“Yours and Dawn’s as well as everyone else’s wellbeing, I’m a liability now with what has happened and I need to be cut loose, don’t worry about it” Rain said trying to give him some closure on the matter

“It was one time Rain, this could’ve happened to any of us”

“But it didn’t Cloud it happened to me cause my mind was the strongest, they knew that I would be the hardest to turn back, my demonic blood allows me no reason in such a state, I won’t be used like that again”

“Where are you going?” Cloud asked

“The enclave with Lalandra, she agreed to house me and even let me use some of the books I’ve been annoyingly asking her to borrow, I’ll be safe there from any harm I could ever do to you guys”

“And any harm we can do to you right” Cloud said back with Rain halting his packing again,

“Cloud I’m sorry for what issues happened when I was under that hypnosis; I hurt a lot of you more than I could ever take back”

“So the part about me and Alisianna was in there too?” Cloud reassessed

“Yes” Rain said blankly lying right to Cloud’s face for he knew that was false,

“So you don’t hate Alisianna then?”

“No Cloud”

“Do you still have feelings for her” Cloud asked and Rain grew a look,

“They may not be lustful feelings any longer but I still care for her Cloud”

“And what about Elanee…”

“What about her” Rain said packing up again.

“Rain please I’ve seen your attraction to her, she means more to you than you’re letting on, don’t shut her out of your life like you did Alisianna, she deserves better”

“Your right” Rain said packing up his sack and latching it to his backside “She deserves a man like him, and she has it…she was holding me back anyway” Rain ended leaving the room and wishing to pursue him Cloud knew it would make no change, watching him go Cloud just shakes his head.

The next night Cloud and Alisianna get ready for their marriage, doing the ceremony in a druid fashion in honor of Alisianna, there is only the great druid conducting the ceremony along with Straud and Cynn as Clan member witnesses.

There are twin aged oak trees bend to an arch shape and covered in jasmine flowers giving a soothing scent through the speaking of the great druid preaching and reciting their vows to one another they seal it with a kiss. Calling his mount thereafter they fly off to share a romantic evening and night with one another. They fly out to a location only known to Alisianna, and arrive at a hidden lake, it had old trees of all types in growth around it and the lake seemed to be the draining spot to a half circle pattern of small waterfalls, Cloud thought it was perfect. They land and at first they lay together by the lake side in each other’s arms.

“You know Alisianna, from the moment all those years ago when I first saw you, I was in love with you, your hair, your eyes, your lips; your mind”

“My body figure” Alisianna said to him giving Cloud a sarcastic eye gesture and laughing Cloud nodded his head, “And I you my love, for your loyalty, determination and devotion to your life and calling has captured me”

“And my body” Cloud gestured back to her in question

“Just a bonus” she smiled at him stroking the side of his cheek and giving him a passionate kiss to the lips. Cloud goes to slide her dress off her shoulders when she stops him. “Uh ah!” she waves her finger to him “First a swim” and back flipping from the shoreline, sliding right out of her dress before Cloud could see anything she dove into the water. She immerges to the surface only revealing to his eyes her face and top torso leading only to the top of her breasts that were hidden in the water.

“Common the water’s warm” she called to him

“Are you naked?” Cloud asked with a nod from her head and turning around she said again “I won’t peak I promise”.

Cloud then stripped from his clothes and splashed to the water, it felt as warm as a hot tub for the mountains around the trees were from past volcanic action that still gave off heat, swimming close to her, she backstroked away from him smiling and he kept trying to advance closer but with every attempt she swam away.

“You know this only intrigues me even more” Cloud said smiling

“I know” Alisianna said seductively and staring at him for a short time she then gathered some water to her hands and splashed it at Cloud, he splashed back and the two played around in the water giggling and laughing until he got close to her and in a spinning move turned her to his side and held her close just staring at her and her to him.

“My god your beautiful” he said to her and smiling she said back “Maybe it’s not polite to tease a holy knight, but it is fun”

“Especially one who just saved you from drowning” Cloud smiled to her

“Really is that a fact” she looked at him intently “Well then I guess you’re ready for your internally grateful reward now aren’t you” and chemically induced to his eyes as she closed hers she started to kiss him from his lips down along his neck and then to his chest and up again, sliding him to his back floating in the water she mounted his torso as he used his arms to keep afloat, slowly he swam to the shore line and flipping her to the grassy edge did he run his hand along her body. He stared at her perfect form and the scent of her jasmine aroma seems to intensify even more when they engaged in a sexual lust that could not be helped. Kissing her lips and chest he smelt the deep jasmine scent that she gave off as her skin grew warm and warmer that lasted thought out the evening moonlight.