Give up her power willingly? It seemed outrageous. Why should she willingly do what she feared most? But then... Okandar wouldn't be expecting it. Still, doubts kept surfacing in her mind. What if there was no way to over regain their powers? She called forth a minimal amount of her element, just enough to feel the comfort of its warmth. This may be the last time I ever feel this.... she thought sadly.

With a resigned sigh, she mounted. "Whatever comes, comes," she said softly. Tears welled in her eyes, but she quickly tried to hide them. This was no time to show weakness.

_________________
I'm back!

Le bump *sniff sniff* Where is everybody?

_________________
I'm back!

*Is trying to come up with a decent post from dead remains of brain* I dont know.... Do you want to skip ahead to when they reach the isle, considering thats where theyre headed?

_________________
You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

Once everyone had mounted, the pegasi tossed their heads and uttered whinnies of defiance that seemed to shake the roiling storm clouds above the lake. Coiling their powerful hindquarters, they leaped into the sky, breaking through the clouds into a darkness inkier than the deepest night.

But was that... a light ahead...? Orindil's arms convulsively tightened around Nakaida, and he twined his fingers deeper into Mythaniel's silken mane. A tiny pinprick of darkness glinted in the distance like a lone star, and suddenly both pegasi exploded from the void into blinding brilliance, sending showers of light spraying like glistening water droplets. Magnificent sunlight shafted through the clouds, and Orindil had to throw his arms over his eyes or be blinded. Still higher the pegasi climbed, as if to enter the heavens themselves -

Or the Isle of the Goddess. It was as though, bursting from the cloud cover, they'd entered an entirely new dimension. But this was far from the Isle Orindil had dared to imagine.

They stood at the edge of a promontory. Below them, stagnant ocean water lapped reluctantly at the rocks. Before them stretched a forbidding desolation punctuated only by a glittering spire many miles away. The spire may have once been crafted from ivory or marble, but as he brought the towering structure into focus he saw that the tip had been blown off as though struck by lightning. The entire spire appeared crisscrossed by - what? From this distance he couldn't tell, and candidly he didn't want to know.

A thump behind him made him turn to see both winged horses sprawled on their sides, flanks heaving. Patches of darkness remniscent of the void they'd just left clung to their drab coats. Shadows lingered in Mythaniel's sapphire eyes as he valiantly essayed lifting his head. "The journey taxes us," he explained by way of gross understatement, attempting a smile.

_________________

As Naidele dismounted Arel, there was no room for any other thought in her mind than: I'm home. For that instance, it was as if nothing else existed. The Goddess was not captive in her own home. There was no Okandar. No evil threatening to throw its dark shadow over everything that she loved.

But she was called back to reality when she heard a thump and turned to see both Arel and Mythaniel sprawled out on the ground, flanks heaving with their effort. They both looked as if they were hanging on by only a small thread.

Naidele's joy was washed over in sorrow. "I'm sorry," she whispered shakily as she moved towards the pegasi. She wondered if there was anything she could do for them. After all if not for the two pegasi, they would not have been able to reach the Isle.

But before she could say anything else, a voice, frenzied and urgent, blasted in her mind. Beware, daughters, he approaches!

Naidele straightened with a gasp. She recognized the voice of the Goddess, and she knew better than to disregard such a warning. But before she could pass the warning onto the others, a tall figure, swarthed in black appeared before them.

Okandar.

_________________
I'm back!

(hey guys....do you think it's possible for me to jump back in....if not, tell me, but if so, could you fill me in...)

_________________


Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

(You are certainly welcome to jump back in. I can't fill you in right this moment because I have a stupid research paper I have to finish but I'll pm you later with the details )

_________________
I'm back!

((Sorry I've been gone... Haven't found much time lately.))

Khienro took a sharp breath as he saw Okandar again. One confrontation was more than enough, and here he stood, standing before the tall beast of a man, fear and rage mingling in the depths of his blue eye.

Backing up too slowly to be noticed, Khienro found that his hand hadn't the strength to reach his sword, but only to hover over Naidele's anxiously.

((Welcome back, Tur!))

_________________
You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

((thank you SG! ))

_________________


Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

(LDM, we kind of need you to post as Okandar.... But if you would rather not, I can do it.... whatever you prefer )

_________________
I'm back!

((okay...um...not sure how to jump back in...could someone give me a opening...idk))

_________________


Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

(Sorry, LDM, but I'm going to powerplay Okandar again Just take back over whenever you would like.)

Naidele couldn't stop herself from grabbing ahold of Khienro's hand. The whole time they had been riding with the pegasi, she had been steeling herself for this moment, trying to prepare herself for another confrontation with Okandar, but now that it was really happening, she realized that she was just as scared as ever.

"You don't belong here, Okandar," she said, trying to sound fierce, but unfortunately her voice cracked, ruining the affect. She held onto Khienro's hand so tightly, that in the back of her mind she wondered if it was bothering him. "Your presence taints this holy place. Leave. We will request this but once." Again, her voice was too shaky to really convey the ferocity that she wanted.

Okandar's eyes passed over her quickly, as if she was nothing to worry about, a problem to be easily taken care of. "So we meet again, Keepers." He sneered the last word, distorting it from a title of respect to an insult. "I cannot say that it is well met."

Then he turned his gaze to Khienro, Aeryn, and Orindil. "I thank you," he continued in a velvet voice, "For deciding to drag along these poor fools." His scrutinizing eyes landed on Khienro and Naidele's clasped hands, and then he looked back up at Naidele in a knowing way that made her cheeks burn. "For it will be a pleasure to be able to break up such a close little group."

He laughed mirthlessly, a truly chilling sound. "It is my delight to crush young romance...." His eyes swept over Orindil and Nakaida. "No matter how reluctant it is."

Okandar then stopped in front of Aeryn, and his smile grew. He glanced from Aeryn to Naidele and back again. "And I even have the pleasure of breaking up a family." Okandar had ways of finding information, and it had certainly pleased him when he found that Aeryn was Naidele's blood brother. That could be used to his advantage.

Naidele's brow furrowed in confusion. What?

(There's an opening for you, Tur. And a way for Aeryn and Naidele to finally find out that they are siblings )

_________________
I'm back!

((YAY!!! Hannon le, mellon nin!!! ^^))

Aeryn looked up at Okandar, pulling out his sword. "What do you talk about, demon!" He cursed and felt sweat coming off his forehead. Family? What was he talking about? And why did he keep glancing at me? Aeryn thought.

_________________


Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Khienro, who was now thoroughly scared out of his wits, barely noticed how hard Naidele's fingers dug into his hand, and was holding on quite hard to her's as well.

Seeing Okandar once was one too many times, and Khienro had now seen him twice in person, and at least three times in his sleeping hours, whether he had told anyone or not.

As he let the dark figure's words soak in, he scooted ever so slightly and quietly closer to Naidele. But, as the matter of family was mentioned, his brow furrowed, and he looked over at Aeryn, barely turning his head, which seemed to be stuck in it's position.

Family? he thought, Are they..... Related?

_________________
You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

Aeryn meet Kheinro's gaze, as much as confused as he was. How are we related...if we are???? He thought, sighing.

_________________


Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Naidele turned her hand to gape at Aeryn. Surely not. She knew nothing of her birth family, for she had been taken from them as a newborn to be raised on the Isle. She had never even considered their identity. Surely Aeryn could not be.... No, it was too coincidental.

"What are you doing, Okandar?" she sneered, once again trying to sound tougher than she really felt, "Trying to play mind games with us because you know you can't best us in power." She left unsaid that he had already bested them in power once.

He laughed coldly. "I play no mind game, young Keeper," he said, "You are, in fact, the birth sister of this vagabond right here." He gestured to Aeryn. "I have ways of getting information."

Naidele's mouth hung open. She wanted to speak, but no words would come. How could this be? It was too far-fetched, too outrageous to be true! What were the chances? But as she looked into Okandar's cold eyes, she knew that he wasn't lying.

Then her eyes turned to Aeryn. Now that she knew the truth, she could see some of her features in his face. They didn't look a lot alike, but the resemblance was there. "My brother?" Her voice was a weak whisper.

_________________
I'm back!