Brow furrowed in thought, Naidele considered Khienro's suggestion. Could it be? Maybe it was so. Her affection for him... no it was more than that.... Well, what she felt for him certainly ran deep. It was odd. When she left her home, she had never expected to find someone who made her feel the way that Khienro did. She hadn't thought of anything except for their mission.

She realized that she had been standing there silently holding his hands for a few moments. She shook herself out of her thoughts and opened her mouth to reply. "Either that or.... Well, I really don't know," she said softly, "Maybe it is." Her hands tightened on his as she gazed up at him. "A connection perhaps...?"

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Khienro, in turn also tightened his hands slightly, but his cheeks and neck were now crimson red.

"Or mabye I just have bad notions." He said, looking over at the small sunrays that could barely be seen over the horizon. "But..." He said, dismissing the sight that his eyes were set on, "Mabye it is..." Weather he was thinking out loud, or talking to Naidele, He soon seemed to snap out of his trance on the horizon, as he looked back at Naidele and shook his head. "I don-" His brow furrowed. "Do you think... Do you think The goddess has anything to do with this? Or know anything? Can you talk with her? Or is that impossible?"

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Naidele couldn't keep the small, wistful smile from her lips at seeing Khienro's cheeks turn crimson. She found his embarassment endearing. She dropped one of his hands only to reach up and gently touch his cheek.

"I don't think you hold bad notions," she told him, "It makes more sense than anything else I could think of. And I certainly feel connected with you." Her cheeks heated slightly at this.

When he mentioned the Goddess, her face became downcast. "It's possible, but I haven't been able to communicate with her in sometime." Her voice was defeated, and despite how she willed them not to, tears filled her big green eyes. "It's like she's just... gone. Not since Nakaida and I heard the name of the city Navhieri have I had any inclination that she's still with us." A single tear trickled down her cheek. "It's a horrible feeling. I never knew my birth mother. The Goddess has always been my mother, and now I don't know what's happened to her. Maybe we'll find the answers to our questions in Navhieri."

She shook her head and smiled weakly. "But I'm being foolish with these tears," she said, trying her best to make her tone sound cheerful. She feared she failed miserably. "Forgive me." Still, she found it hard to banish the feeling of despair that had settled on her.

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Khienro smiled slightly as he saw a tinge of ping rise on Naidele's face. At least he wasn't alone. He lifted his free hand up to wipe away her tears.

"I wasn't mad at you in the first place..." He lowered his voice as his hand ligered on her cheek. "And I've felt a connection between us as well..." His usual voice returned again, "But now you make me worry about you. You don't know your mother, and the one you did know as mother can't comunicate with you. Something is wrong here."

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Finding comfort in Khienro's touch, Naidele pressed his hand to the side of her cheek with her own smaller one. "Thank you for being concerned for me," she said to him with a small smile. But that smile faded as she began speaking again.

"Yes, there is something wrong. Very wrong, I'm afraid. I've always been able to communicate with the Goddess. Her presence has always been there in the back of my mind. Until now." Her grief gave way to frustration. "I thought our problems had been taken care of. I thought we had won... but it seems that things are not that simple."

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Khienro nodded as he still absent mindedly stroked her cheek.

"Mabye there is something else... Another evil..." He looked into her eyes, though he didn't really see anything, he was seeing his home town through his mind's eye. His home town in flames. Now frowning, he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. Choosing to practice his new 'ability' he spoke mentally.

"Naidele.... I don't want to sound like a child, but.. But I would like to go back home sometime. Something is out there, and I don't know if my mom is alright." He smiled slightly with a twinkle in his eye, "And I would very much like for you to meet her, too."

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"Of course you don't sound childish, Khienro," Naidele replied, she too falling back into speaking mentally, I understand you wanting to see your home and your mother again. I too long to see my homeland again. A genuine smile graced her lips when he mentioned wanting her to meet his mother. I would like that too.

She was silent for a moment, not speaking mentally or verbally, as she thought. "Maybe when this is all over," she said out loud, "Sometime I could take you to see the Isle of the Goddess where I grew up. I don't think anyone from your land has ever seen the Isle, but I don't think the Goddess would mind for you to be there."

She didn't mention the fact that the Goddess may no longer be present, or that the Isle too may have been destroyed. But that was the exact thought that was going through her mind. Why else would the Goddess not communicate with her or Nakaida anymore?

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Khienro nodded. Yes, when it was all over. Whenever that would be. But now was not a time to think of such things. Now was now, and not tomarrow.

"Yes... But we have to find out what is going on first, then hopefully take care of it." He looked at Naidele as he spoke. "I just hope you and Nakaida don't kill youselves." He tried to smile good-naturedly. At least she strong. he thought to himself. Just like mother... Khienro soon found that all of his thoughts eventually lead to either Naidele or his mother.

His heart now aching, he couldn't stand it any longer. He suddenly and quickly drew Naidele into a tight embrace. "Naidele, I don't know what I'd do if you were to die. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

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((*Cannot contain self any longer* Kiss already! You're driving me ballistic! *Runs around in circles*))

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(( ROTFL!! Well, talke to Artemis... *Motions at other RPer, not feeling the need to handle a mad Melda at the time* And I hope I'm not being too MSish... Oi. Please tell me if I am.))

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(Lol, Melda . Here comes the kiss!)

Naidele's eyes widened in surprise when Khienro suddenly pulled her into his arms. But it didn't take her long to recover from her initial shock. In an instant, her arms were around his neck, and she pressed herself close to him.

"Khienro," she whispered to him in a voice broken with emotion. Tears filled her eyes, and if she had been able to think of anything but his arms around her she might have berated herself for becoming so emotional recently. "Whenever I think about the fighting we've had to do and what's still to come, I worry for you more than anyone else. The thought of something happening to you...." She couldn't bring herself to say the word 'die' for fear that she would burst into full fledged sobbing right there. "It makes me ache inside."

Then her hands found their way to the nape of his neck and she pressed downward as she stood up on the tips of her toes. She tipped her face up to his, lips parted slightly as she silently begged for him to kiss her.

(Sorry if I get too romantic/MSish. I can't help myself )

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((Ho boy... Ok, hope I don't mess this up. ))

Khienro, who now had a few stray tears of his own, sucked in a good amount of air as he looked down at the slender, beautiful face infront of his. His whold body tense, he looked into her eyes, hesitent for several seconds. Was this the right thing? Should they be doing this, here? Now? With evil still out there somewhere? And what about- all of the logic his brain was sending him fell on stone ears as he found his face slowly inching towards hers, until their lips made contact.

As his mind shot off into orbit with the stars, his arms tightended around her waist, never wanting to let go. Honestly, he wished this could never end. He knew he had feelings for Naidele, but this? This was possibly his heart keeping a secret from him.

(( Oi... I'm so mushy at romance scenes.... I think I could die from embarassment... Just as a question, does anyone here not like romance? (Its a little late for that, I suppose...)))

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((I'll rescue you!))

Nakaida, on the point of turning to stamp out the fire, froze as a pair of amber eyes met hers. She whirled. Looming shadows shifted.

Hidden in the brush in the dim dawn, but too large to be completely so, crouched at least three griffins of uniform size. Nakaida's first reaction was to scan the skies, where dim shadows also flitted. Her second was to claw a knife out of its sheath. "Naidele!"

This was all she had time to say before an inhuman sound - half eagle's cry, half lion's roar - multiplied threefold pierced the air and Nakaida stumbled back, attempting desperately to both evade the deadly talons and strike out with her weapon.

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Naidele saw the hesitation in Khienro's eyes, and for an instant she worried that she was making a fool of herself, that she had misjudged his feelings for her. But then, before she had time to fully comprehend what was happening, she was being quite thoroughly kissed.

Broken and rather incoherent thoughts ran through her mind. This had never happened before. She had never felt like this. Ever. Her heart felt as if it would burst right out of her chest, and her stomach was in knots.

When they pulled away- Naidele was not sure how long they had been kissing; that time had been indefinite to her- she kept her arms around Khienro's neck, not wanting to break the contact. She let her head drop to his chest and rest there as she fought to regain control of her breathing.

(*Chokes on all the fluffiness* Lol. J/K. Yeah I hope no one really dislikes romance.... I'm a hopeless romantic, so I love all this.)

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((Well, I'll try and break said fluffiness.))


As they broke away, Khienro lost all words, seemingingly only concious enough to hold Naidele close and lean his head on her's. Although this all seemed quite real, judging by all of the jumbled up thoughts and emotions mixed inside, but really, he was now fully convinced that this was a dream. It was too wonderful. Too peaceful. Too.... Perfect. What, with just he and Naidele, the tall trees whispering in the cool wind... The dew on the grass... The morning breeze that came with the first rays off dawn, for a cool light.......

The large griffin staring intently at the couple....

Wait, A griffin? This isn't supposed to be happening! the part of his mind, whatever it was, was screaming at him in horror, for this would more than definatly put an end to this. Instinctivly holding on to Naidele even tighter -though he thought it impossible to do so- he tried his best to remain calm and speak to the fire keeper without giving the griffin a start.

"Naidele, please, please don't move. There is a griffin right behind you. A big one. And It looks like he's not alone, either." He paused for a second, and tried to remain like nothing had happened, "And if you can reach it, my dagger should be hidden under my belt [note:'belt' as in shoulder belt. Think DMC Jack or Will]. I'm afraid my sword is back towards camp."

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"Naidele!"

Naidele heard a voice call her name. It was Nakaida's voice. She would have spun around, to the direction that Nakaida's voice had come from, but before she had the chance. She heard Khienro's voice in her mind.

"Naidele, please, please don't move. There is a griffin right behind you. A big one. And It looks like he's not alone, either. And if you can reach it, my dagger should be hidden under my belt. I'm afraid my sword is back towards camp."

She froze right where she stood. She didn't like the thought of a griffin being behind her where she couldn't see it's movement. She didn't like the thought of a griffin being around them at all. Slowly, very slowly, she moved her hand to locate Khienro's knife. Her arms were already around his neck, so she had only to move them a little to get to his knife. Her fingers closed around the smooth handle, but she didn't make any other movement.

"Khienro," she spoke to him silently, "I don't know if we are quick enough. I'm afraid that the griffin will be able to strike before...." But her thoughts were interrupted when an unearthly, peircing sound reached her ears. The cry came from the direction that Nakaida's call had come from. There were more griffins back at the camp.

But she didn't have much time to contemplate that thought, for the cries from the other griffins seemed to be a signal to the one that was perched behind her. She and Khienro were almost knocked off their feet as it took to the air right above them. It too let out a peircing cry as it came towards them. Naidele tossed Khienro his dagger. She was now able to grasp the hilt of her own dagger. She drew it just in time to begin fighting off the razor sharp talons.

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The Goddess felt, heard everything that Nakaida and Naidele were experiencing. She felt, but she couldn't do anything. Tears leaked from beneath her long lashes. She feared for her daughters. She had loved the two young women even before they were born, and now she might be losing them both. And she was powerless to stop it.

She was imprisoned.

To think it. She, the Goddess, the most powerful being in Creation, imprisoned in her own home. It was ludicrous. Ludicrous, but no less real. For once, she didn't have an answer. She didn't know what to do.

When Nakaida and Naidele thought they had defeated Okandar, they had truly only banished him. Banished him to the source of his power. The Isle of the Goddess, where the five Elemental Spheres were kept.

She had been taken by surprise that day, not suspecting for such a thing to happen. When she felt his evil presence, she had immediately prepared to imprison him. But, so close to the source of his power, his abilites were maximized ten fold. She had underestimated his strength, and in so doing she had made it possible for him to imprison her. Now, her only hope was the two remaining Keepers.

If they could get to Navhieri. Then they could get to the Portal. Yes, there was a portal in the dead city of Navhieri. It would be much faster than taking a ship back to the Isle. And she needed them to get there fast. It was their only hope. Together, the three of them would overpower Okandar. If they got to the Isle in time, they could release her from her prison, and then they would conquer.

She hoped against all hope that they could do it. She didn't want to contemplate what would happen should they fail. [/i]

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