The forbidding spires and towers of the vanquished citadel loomed above him as Orindil skirted the remains of the crumbled gatehouse. The destruction was complete - the fortress was deathly silent, like a tomb. Moonlight bleached the black masonry a drab gray, adding to the sense of dejection and the fallen vestiges of a former glory.

Orindil sighted a more or less intact storehouse nestled against the charred inner wall. Shivering in the cold, he went to see if any supplies remained.

A faint skittering was his only warning before two scaled whirlwinds leaped at him from the shadows. Viscerally he whipped out his rapier and brought it up in an imperfect parry. One of his assailants recoiled with an agonized shriek, while the other darted away to attack once more.

Recovering, he recognized them both as half-demon survivors. Their crimson eyes glinted with madness borne of desperation - madness of the worst kind in an enemy.

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Aeryn let Khienro and Nailede be. He looked around for his daggers, but he knew that he must of have lost them in the battle. "Drat!" He muttered, just picking up an old sword he found and then sat close to the Keepers once more.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

((Someone stop me if you've already got a plot idea))

The demons did not remain behind solely out of convenience. In the dark shadows of the storeroom two lighter shades were faintly visible; one tinted fiery red and the other pale and wispy as air. As the demon lunged, the paler shade turned - and Nakaida's eyes looked mournfully upon Orindil. Reaching out with one transparent hand, she looked to be speaking, an expression of urgency upon her face.

But at that moment both vanished into air as though they had never been.

The demon crouched, saliva dripping from hia razor-sharp fangs, maddened eyes fixed on Orindil. "The Keepers are doomed," he grated with a harsh bark resembling a laugh.

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The apparitions halted Orindil in midlunge. Blood congealing, heart pounding, he could only stare, his weapon raised uselessly by his side. His gaze became riveted on Nakaida and her unspoken words. He had to hear her! She needed him! Reflexively he started forward -

Only then did he become conscious of the pain stabbing through his side. The flesh below his ribcage had been crudely lacerated, courtesy of the two half-demons taking advantage of his obvious disconcertion. He spun in time to avoid a fatal attack, instead taking the wound to the shoulder. Growling away the pain, he launched into vicious offense.

The next time he looked, both shades had vanished.

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Naidele held onto Khienro's hand, hoping he would not let go. Her eyes roved over him, assessing the injuries he had taken. He looked to be alright except for some burns. She gestured to the burn marks with a wince.

"I wish I could help you with that," she said, "But I'm afraid that even if I could muster the strength to use my power right now, it wouldn't do much good at all." She smirked slightly. "When I'll this chaos has died down, maybe we can find a healer to treat yours and everyone elses' injuries." She prayed that everything was over, and it did seem so, but she really had no idea whether or not they were truly safe.

She turned her eyes downward shyly, and she decided to take a chance. "Khienro," she said softly, "During the battle, when I was sure that all was lost, I thought about you...." She trailed off, and turned her eyes back to his. She hoped that she had not misjudged his feelings for her, and that she was not just making a fool of herself.

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I'm back!

Kheinro nodded, and brought his hand down, still holding on to hers, and sat upright in a more comfortable position. He nodded,

"Mabye... I suppose that time will heel them..." His voice trailed off, and he was about to speak again when Naidele cut him off. Her words echoed through his mind, bouncing off the mental walls of his inner soul.

"Y-You did?" He tried to find words that would help his awkward situation, without much luck. "W... Why? I mean.." He closed his eyes, turning red, "Why me?"

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

Naidele's pale cheeks turned crimson, and she searched for words. "I... erm... well...." She trailed off and was silent for a moment, thinking of how to say what she was feeling without making too big of a fool of herself. She glanced over at Aeryn, who was sitting a little ways away, and wondered if he could hear all that they were saying.

"I like you a lot, Khienro," she resumed awkwardly, "More than like you...." She bit her lip nervously. "I understand if you don't feel the same way," she continued quickly, "I just... wanted you to know...." She turned her face away, wondering what his reaction would be. Would he let go of her hand and leave? Or would he be happy about what she had revealed to him?

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I'm back!

Khierno, surpised, to say the very least, froze. She liked him? he definatly wasn't expecting that. Khienro tried to reason logicly what he should do. He pondered the thought of getting up and leaving, not becuase he wasn't happy, but to think about this for a moment. But, his body obvioulsy wan't keeping up with his racing mind and heart, for all he could do was sit there, staring into Naidele's beautiful eyes. And what was more, he found himself wanting to say the exact same words. And heaven help him, he couldn't keep the smirk from spreading across his face, his white teeth glinting in the moonlight.

"I... I uh..." he shook off the smirk, and then suddenly blurted out, "I like you too." Not meaning to say that - in that tone, out loud, He quickly blushed and sank back, hoping that the darkness would cover him. It was then that he realized that Naidele's slim hand was still encased in his. Looking down at their intwined fingers, Khienro thought on it. But, he made no move to change the situation.

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

Half stumbling as he went, Orindil walked from the ruins of the citadel with a leather pack bulging with a week's supplies slung over his shoulder. His other hand gripped his side, which was bleeding profusely from the half-demons' concerted attack.

He looked out upon the rise, to the others. The Keepers were jaded and couldn't help anyway. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he moved to the base of the hill, to a small trickle of water that passed for a stream. Setting his pack down, he knelt and began cleaning out his wounds.

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Ghostly apparitions haunted Nakaida's restless dreams, specters of cloud and shadow. A shade of herself turned and, unnerved, she found its fingers reaching, grasping - but frozen in place, her limbs would not respond. "Orindil..." she found herself crying out, though if in a dream or reality she could not say.

Throat tight and breath coming in gasps, Nakaida awoke in a cold sweat. The moon and stars swam before her eyes. Gradually she was aware of certain sensations - low voices speaking not far away, the breeze on her face, something soft underneath her. But when Nakaida went to raise herself from where she lay, the world dissolved into a blur and she fell back, panting, and waited for the sudden dizziness to cease.

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Naidele began to worry when Khienro didn't respond for a while. She looked away from his face, not wanting to meet his eyes.

She glanced back a moment later to see that he was smiling. She waited for his words with anticipation. Finally, he blurted out that he liked her too. She wasn't sure if he would say more, but she found herself smiling too. She looked down at their hands, clasped together, and her heart was filled with joy.

She was about to speak, but suddenly she heard Nakaida crying out for Orindil. She turned away from Khienro and looked toward her sister. She seemed to be struggling. Naidele let go of Khienro's hand and ran to Nakaida.

"Nakaida! Nakaida!" she said frantically, "Nakaida, what's wrong?" She laid her hand gently on her shoulder, trying to get her attention.

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I'm back!

His side and shoulders bandaged, Orindil crested the hill to where the others were camped. He wearily dropped the supply bag on the ground, then looked up in startlement at Naidele, who was calling Nakaida's name. Suddenly apprehensive, he darted to Nakaida's side. Upon seeing her pallid features, he was instantly reminded of the shade. But the hallucination vanished a moment later, and he saw only Nakaida struggling to sit up.

"What happened?" he asked, looking at Naidele.

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"I don't know," Naidele admitted in a frightened voice as she continued to try to get Nakaida's attention, "I was talking with Khienro, and then I heard her calling out." She hesitated before saying, "She called for you. I rushed over to her, but she hasn't spoken since." Her brow was creased with worry and fear.

"Nakaida, please," she tried again to speak to her sister, "Please if you can hear me, answer me. Nakaida?"

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I'm back!

Khienro got up and went over to the other side of Nakaida when Naidele moved over to her sister. Putting his hand on her brow, he made sure she didnt have a fever.

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

"Yes - yes," gasped Nakaida. She made an effort to steady her sporadic gulps for breath, her heart still pounding uncomfortably. The world spun and then settled and she echoed Orindil - "What happened?"

Somehow she could remember silvery light, and the Goddess's voice in her head, and then nothing.

But before any of them replied Nakaida had taken in Orindil in particular of the three. "You're hurt," she said in sudden concern, forgetting her aching head and leaden limbs.

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Aeryn leaped up and ran over to them, laying the rusted sword down. Aeryn helped keep Nakaida balanced as she spoke. She seems so worn out... He thought. More thoughts of recent events filled him mind. So Naidele and Khienro dig each other...Finally, she said something! It took long enough. His thoughts where broken when Nakaida talked of Orlindil being injured. He shook his head and looked over at Orlindil.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly