Kirin lets out a sigh of relief. He had so many questions but he bit his tongue. He just holds her stroking her hair. The orb is in the grass forgotten.

((Actually the orb is inside of her still, but it's glow is diminishing slowly at the present time.))

(oh sorry just ingore that part then)

Larissa lay there, inside of her mind facing this new entity. Who are you? she asked it. It soothed her and answered, I'm the power of healing. Blue is my color. By having me as a part of you, you are going to have to travel and heal others. That is my purpose. You must comply. She growled at the entity, I am not to be controlled by another. I don't mind helping others, but not by force. The entity glowered at the griffon, You have no choice. That is my function, you have to comply. Larissa felt something outside of her mind. Something that wasn't a part of this mental world she was in. She turned her back on the entity and sent mental fingers out inquiringly. The pressure increased. Then she recognized it. Kirin! Her eyes slowly opened, the blue glow spilling from them.

"Hey beautiful." Kirin says smiling down at her. He leans in and kisses her softly. "I was so worried about you." Strokes her hair and her shoulders. Just so relieved that he hadn't lost her. He leans down and kisses her once more.

She nodded and curled a wing around him, "It would seem I am back to my old self. At a price, but a small one."

"I'm glad." He says putting his arms around her. "I wonder if you will change now at the new moon?" He asks leaning against her. He keeps the sadness from his voice, at least he hopes.

She shook her head, "I highly doubt that. Not with this new power inside me. That power wouldn't allow it for fear that my human self would die. I can't live with it as anything but a magical creature." So having myself changed back to my original form seemed to be the solution it came up with. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He smiles. "I'm happy for you." He lays against her. "I'm glad it was able to help you." He says stroking her feathers. "It's just... " He trails off. He doesn't want to make Larissa upset. He chews his bottom lip for a moment. "It's just I'm going to miss having human companionship." He says softly. He buries his face in her feathers.

She looked down at him affectionately. Human emotions were so fragile. She nestled her beak on his head and suggested, "Perhaps we can find you a settlement in another place far from the valley below. A place that knows not your father's reputation. You can settle there and marry. Open a shop."

"But I'd miss here. This is the first place that's ever felt like home." He says. "That and I don't want to leave you." He nuzzles her feathers. "You're my best friend."

She thought about that. "You would adapt and soon feel at home elsewhere just as much. I could always visit too as I also would miss you." She lifted her beak and looked across the lake. "I can't stay here though. I told you that having this power inside of me came at a price. It wants me to do something. I must leave. So if you stay, you will be lonely regardless."

"I'll come with you." He said. The thought of leaving her for any amount of time scares him to death. "I mean, I know you don't need me to protect you anymore, but maybe I can help with whatever you have to do." He says.

She nodded, "I won't say no to you. Just that if you are with me, you will have to leave here. So it doesn't matter what you choose. You will still lose either human companionship, this place, or both." She rose up and waded out into the lake. Tossing water over her feathers, she began to preen.

"I don't want to leave you Larissa." He says from the bank. "You are truly the only family I've ever had." He says. He strips down and wades into the lake. He would rather loose both this place and human companionship then loose Larissa. He would go where she went.

She paused in her preening, "You realize I will be doing a lot of flying. Will you be able to handle the traveling?"

"Yes." He says with out hesitation. He would make sure he could handle it. "Please, the thought of being away from you, it scares me." He admits in a whisper.

She went back to her preening. "Then I suggest you prepare to travel. Come tomorrow at dawn, we fly." That darn orb inside of her was an incessant voice she couldn't shut out. They had to travel soon. It would not be denied.

Kirin finishes cleaning himself and goes and starts packing. He would miss this place, but he is excited for what lays ahead. It can't be any worse then what has already happened to him. He puts the preserved food in his back and collects the rest of the berries that are ready. He's glad for his ability to preserve food. Soon he is ready to go.

She made sure all her feathers were preened. It had been so incredibly long since she had had the pleasure of that activity. Or at leas it felt like forever since it was a daily ritual. Wading to shore, she watched Kirin packing and then padded into the ancient temple. Laying down next to the old fire place, she lit a fire with a single thought.

Kirin soon comes and joins her. "I don't know about you but I am both excited and scared." He says as he leans against her. "I have had more adventures since I've meet you then I've ever had before." He is silent for a moment, staring at the flames. "And even though some of them haven't been good, I wouldn't trade them for anything."

She lifted a wing up and over her friend. "You didn't have good times before I came along either. The way I see it, some stuff is easier to get through with a friend than without. No matter how much one might wish to spare their friends, in the long run those tough times bring friends together more." She tilted her head down and began massaging his head lightly with her beak.

"That's true. I wouldn't change our friendship and what we've gone through for anything." He smiles as she massages her his head. "I became stronger, when I had to protect you and keep you safe." He smiles a bit. "I know you didn't like it, but it was good for me." He strokes her feather's. "So what have you been instructed to do?"

She grimaced at that question, "You won't like it. I am supposed to do whatever the orb thinks is right."

"Oh... you don't think it would lead us astray would you?" He asks. He leans against her lost in thought. He was a bit worried, but not overly.