"Oh. Even when I can't hide my wings?" He asked with a huge smile, somehow he knew that he would be safe with her when they returned. He loved his wings and couldn't imagine having to hide them for any reason. The light breeze drifted between them, and ruffled his feathers slight. But seeing the air play with her hair made him soften his gaze and reach out lightly brush back a stray hair behind her ear. Leaning in to kiss her, Xikah placed his forehead against her's. "I love you," He couldn't imagine life without her now. "I'm never gonna let something stop me from being there with you. I will make sure that you can paint your little windows. We can catch bugs and berries and adventure together."
His grin was big and childish but full of happiness.

~~~

Skyler looked into his eyes and she could feel her heart breaking at the sadness behind them. Her own eyes twinkled as she slowly smiled softly. "I said we would talk about it at your house. And, well, here we are. Era, can we sit down?" She asked before walking into his room, she didn't really look around the room too much, her eyes rested on the nymph himself. He was really handsome now that she allowed herself to really take a better look without telling herself that he was off-limits. Her heart was fluttering and cracking at the same time, she had to sit down. The edge of his bed was soft and at the perfect height.

"Erasmus, when I first met you it was shortly after I was rescued from the circus. You were one of the first people to show me kindness, and you were incredibly handsome too. I fell in love with you then. But I was younger and you were a heart breaker. With every mission we went on, you flirted with everything that moved. You were still nice and flirted with me, but I was starting to get the idea that you just flirted with me because I was there. I had to convince myself that I could never take your flirtation serious. I didn't want my heart to break every day." She smiled up at him, little tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. She couldn't believe she was sharing all of this, but who better to share it with? "When you said what you said earlier I knew I had been wrong to shut you out and to refuse you. I didn't realize that you were being honest with me the whole time, I thought you were, well just being a nymph. "

~~~

The ghoul didn't take too much time thinking about the suggestion. "That should work fine. I'd much prefer battle fields over sanctified graves... wait was the battle field sanctified? I really do hate going against other nation's religious practices for something as simple as food. Actually never mind. I don't want to know, I need to take into consideration the well being of Tuyere."
Hearing her name the small dragon started her hunger wailing again. Loud cries directed at both her rider and the older dragon for food. Jewely-Ann!! I want food! Tempo, share with me!

She laughed a little. "Even then." A tender smile slipped across Orelia's features as the harpy-tengu reached out to her face. She leaned forward to brush her lips against his with a warm fluttering in her stomach. What a wonderful life she had!

Orelia wrapped her arms around Xikah and tried to control the tide of love and happiness sweeping trough her heart. Before him, Orelia had never truly known love, and if an after ever came sorrow would forever dwell in her heart. "That sounds like a plan to me."

After nodding silently, he moved to sit in a wicker chair before the harpy. Erasmus listened intently to her words as his expression flickered from one emotion to the next. At last, a smile wrapped itself across his lips to express his joy.

"Maybe my own explanation will help. I've always felt very lonely indeed, and because of that sought out as much company as possible. It had never been my intention to make you think that my heart lay with another, but what else was I supposed to do when I though you didn't return my feelings? Feelings which I've shown by confiding in you. That I've given you, and none other." He wanted to beg her to believe his words.

Instead the nymph moved to sit upon the wooden bed. He reached out hesitantly, and opened his arms to welcome Skyler into his embrace ... If she so wished.

She had to think a little while once more before nodding to herself. "It's not sanctified. People just kind of avoid it." Irian had blocked of the little dragonet's cries earlier, and now still could not hear them. So it was rather surprising when Tempo ambled forth to drop a piece of meat before Tuyere unceremoniously. The redhead couldn't help but think it was sweet after that fact; it made a smile bloom upon her face.

He laughed joyfully and pulled her along as he started to run down towards the water. He picked her up and spun her around as they ran, he knew she couldn't fly herself but he could help get her in the air if she desired. The soft gurgling of the water called out as they got closer. Xikah could see dragonflies darting around and the cloying sweet smell of several colorful flowers. He knew they could get some good colors from them, they just needed things to keep the paint in. Shells would work but tiny bottles would be ideal.

~~~

Skyler moved into his open arms, nestling into his body. She could feel the dull pain of tears behind her eyes, she didn't want to cry. "I'm so sorry. I should have trusted you, I shouldn't have just assumed. I probably broke my own heart by doing so. Can you forgive me?" She looked up to his face, she felt so small curled into him. She desperately wanted to start over, he was one of her closest friends and she hated that she had hurt him.

~~~

"Eh that works. Holy things don't bother most undead, I just don't like stepping on toes. Speaking of, depending on how fresh things are I might have to get Tempo, or if Tuyere feels up to it, to roast them for better keeping." He looked over to the two dragons, the little firecracker was trying to wrestle the piece of meat she had been given. Gnawing and chomping it at with no grace or manners. It was delightful to watch her.

((I keep sitting down to write this, but it never works ... ))

She giggled and laughed at Xeek's actions, clinging to him as he spun her around and pulled her towards the stream. The sound of water called out to her, and before she knew it, Orelia found herself throwing off her top and jumping into the water for a swim. It was refreshingly cool, making her sigh and smile at the sensation. She glanced at Xikah, eying his wings. "Can you swim?"

--------

He squeezed Skyler gently. "Of course I can. I love you, and I know you wouldn't have done this if you'd known ... Maybe I should have spoken up sooner." Era knew he'd been a terrible flirt for a very long time. There were excuses he could throw out, and had, but the fact remained that a part of him did like all the attention and affection such actions could garner.

-----

Irian couldn't help but stare at the ghoul looking at his dragon. He was so beautiful to her, so handsome. "Tempo will help." The eggs had been delivered now, well they had other things to take care of. "I just need to grab a few things, then we can go." Standing, the redhead ran away to father up oils and anything else the little dragon might need for grooming.

Then she was returning and slipping the pack into Julian's hands. "These are oils, picks, and other things to help groom Tuyere. Rubbing her with the oil will help when keep her growing scales soft enough that when she starts shedding them, it'll be easy and painless." She'd never had those things for Tempo, not at first.

He couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she pulled him down towards the water. His smile reached across his face, this human meant everything to him and he would do anything in his powers to keep her safe. As she stripped down to go swimming he admired her form, she was gorgeous, prettier than any bauble he could hope to find and hoard. Hearing her question he snapped out of his zoning. Swimming... He wasn't good at swimming, in fact he was terrible at swimming. His feet weren't paddle shaped and went right through the water with little resistance. His large heavy wings absorbed water like they were big black sponges. If he got them wet, or if the water was too deep he could get pulled under and easily drown.

And yet he started to remove his layers and layers of fabric and clothing. When you looked this fabulous it was a lot of layers to take off. In just boxers he made his way down and waded in, careful to keep his wings up and out of the water. It wasn't going to last very long with both his balance and his luck something was going to fail and he would be soaked.

~~~

Hearing those words her heart soared as if a bird in the sky. Her own wings fluttered lightly as joy vibrated through her. Unable to hold them back any longer, tears began their trail down her face. "You big dummy. If you had just said so I would never had turned you down! But it as much my own fault. I don't care anymore. I love you Erasmus, you silly nymph." She buried her face into his chest as she laughed and cried at the same time, her body shaking form the exertion.

~~~

Julian was just in love with the tiny monster. She was the second greatest joy in his undeath, and he would jump the moon for her. Irian was the first and he would go through second death if it meant her happiness. Having been handed these new tools he was glad for his eye-less appearance for he knew he had a love lost look in them. His award winning smile that was stretching boundaries, suddenly snapped back and the undead president was all business. As if he was taking notes and the dragon's life depended on it he was listening to the rider's words.
"Absolutely. I would do anything you told me to do with this dragon. If you told me she needed the hot sands from a sphinx's nest I would get them. Is there any business you need to attend here first with the other riders? I can hold back or go down to the battlefields on my own if you did. The other riders were not comfortable in my presence." Julian was used to not being accepted among other races and groups of the living. And if the first step to acceptance was a lack of visible presence, then he could oblige.

Orelia felt a mischievous smile cross her lips as she eyed the harpy-tengu. Sure he looked odd, lifting his wings up like that, while the rest of him was in the water, but it was oddly cute. Xeek though, he couldn't be descried as cute ... handsome and odd, definitely.

She dove under the water and swam up behind the young harpy. Suddenly, she burst out from under the water and latched onto Xikah's neck."Gotcha!" Yelled out the brunette joyously.

Rolling his eyes, the blue skinned nymph gently brushed away her tear. "And I would have known that how? I should tape you at work some time, always so prim and proper." Erasmus laughed lightly as he wrapped his arms around Sky. He was teasing her, that was all. The amethyst haired man was happier then he'd ever been, and yet there was all that trouble from before looming just around the corner.

Irian shook her head. "There's nothing more to do here, well not anything that can't be taken care of someplace else. We do have to find Weft still." Crouching down, the redhead lifted a hand to gently run it through her ghoul's hair. It seemed very soft to her, it always had. Undead or not, Julian was more alive then anyone she'd ever met before.

Xikah found himself wading waist deep into the stream, slowly raising his torso out by standing tip toe on his talons. Hearing a small splash he looked around, he couldn't see Orelia. A minor sense of panic set in, he was still on edge with the looming threat, but he knew that she couldn't have gone too far without him knowing which helped ease his worry. And then suddenly with the weight of a surprise human-mate wrapped around his neck and hanging off him he lost his balance falling backwards. With a heavy sounding sploosh the harpy-hybrid was floundering in the stream, his wings quickly becoming waterlogged.

~~~

"Well excuuuse me Mr. Flirts-a-lot, perhaps I should tape you sometime when we're among others?" she laughed pushing slightly at him. She took a few moments with him to collect herself, stopping the tears and pushing down some of the re-surfacing fears. Snuggling into him she let the last of her sniffles die down. "Well should we see how much trouble we should be planning for? Xikah's quicker in the air than myself and can blend easier; unless, of course, you have a hidden costume room somewhere." Skyler knew she could mask herself under magics and cosmetics if needed but if she could send someone who would be more covert she would. They needed as much intell as possible before diving head first into trouble.

~~~

"Very well my dragonrider. I will make my way to the battle fields to find myself a small stock of snacks and finger-foods. " He professionally stifled a giggle at his own joke. "You can finish up whatever you need to here and when you are set you can meet me there with Tempo and we can take off in search of my old friend." Julian moved to pick up Tuyere and bring her with him when she started to pitch a fit. Screaming and gnashing her teeth at him. Jewely-Ann!! NO touch! I stay with mine meat! Initially taken aback the ghoul retracted his hands, then bopped her on her snout effectively stunning her, scooped both her and her piece of meat up into his arms before heading down the narrow path to the battle field for some scavenging.

Stepping onto the war grounds he could tell it wouldn't be difficult to find enough things to pick and take. But he needed to put his dragonette down in order do so, and she was huffing angrily at him. "Tiny one, will you stop it now? You still have your meat and we're in a field of meat now." No "Well will you help me dismember some of these corpses then? It could be fun." He smiled sweetly down at her, he wanted his dragon to have the same love for him that he knew Tempo had for Irian. But her firey temper was smoldering, little coal eyes staring up at him started to soften. We destroy together? Julian's lack of eyes twinkled as he let her down and she pounced behind him as they walked into the field of death.