DARKSWORD: Eye Of The Beholder 

        'Nearly three years have passed since the departure of Cyrada back to his home realm. Darius had settled into the cabin nicely with Arielle, and months later had become pregnant with their first child. He was born almost nine months later as Damian Darksword. The event was a welcomed and joyous event for all involved. For Darius, having a son changed his liefr forever. For Arielle, it gave her a greater purpose than ever before, and seemed to clarify everything. That was, until one night alone with her child, when the visions began.....'

       The wooden crib creaked slightly as she rocked it back on forth slowly, watching intently as her young son started to fall asleep. Arielle smiled, and ran her free hand through her long brown hair, trying in vain to move it away from her face. But to her dismay, it refused to cooperate, possibly being as tired as she was right now. Even though Darius took care of the child from sunrise to the middle of the afternoon, she still felt bushed from the rest of the day. Her and Damien were alone for the evening, as Darius had promised to help his friend Ranier with some sword training.
       She sighed momentarily, missing her love greatly. Darius had been the perfect father so far, being home early almost all of the time, and never leaving on any long quests, preferring to spend time with his son. But he did keep his promises, and Arielle knew that once and a while, it seemed more than fair to let him spend time with his friend. She smiled to herself thinking about him, as she kept rocking the crib. Looking down on Damien, she grinned. 
      "I love you, my little Damien." she whispered softly, so as not to wake him. After a few more minutes, the little one had fallen asleep. She was thankful that so far, he wasn't a loud child whatsoever.
      Arielle then got up and slowly and quietly moved across the cabin to the large bed that Darius had built a while back, and laid down, her head resting gently on the soft pillow.
     "Goodnight Darius, my love." she murmured towards the window, hoping he would be home soon. Arielle always felt a little strange at bedtime when Darius wasn't with her, finding his presence to be so soothing and calming. She closed her eyes and started to drift off to sleep, dreaming of happy things and of her two loves of her life, Darius and Damien. 

       'Help me......please.....' said the voice, not knowing where it was coming from, but sensing that it was closer now. 'You're the only one that can help me.....' said the voice, this time trailing off. Arielle didn't know which way to go, as the voice sounded like it was emanating from both directions. It made no sense to her whatsoever, but regardless, it was still happening whether she liked it or not. 'I cannot hold out much longer.....' the voice said, going silent all of a sudden afterwords.
       "I don't know which way to go!" she yelled, starting to become frustrated, being so close now yet unable to continue past this point. 
       'Noooo......' shrieked the voice, as time had run out. Arielle suddenly lost her cool due to the frustration, and chose one of the two paths, running as fast as she could in vain hopes that she might yet make it, but to no avail. Running as fast as she could and not paying attention to her surroundings, Arielle didn't notice the cliff in front of her until it was too late, trying to skid to a halt with no land under her feet. She plummeted to her doom, screaming to no avail. She blacked out as she fell, her last thought being of Darius, her love.
       "Ahh!" she yelled, coming to in her bed and now sitting straight up, with Darius beside her opening his eyes as well. Her heart pounded temporarily as she looked about to see the familiar interior of the cabin, the crib where her son slept, as her man, Darius, beside her in bed. 
      "My love?" he said softly, putting his arm around her. "Are you all right?" he asked, gently rubbing her shoulder. Arielle turned to Darius, and lowered her head into his chest. 
      "A disturbing dream, is all." she said softly. 
       Darius embraced her lovingly. "Not to worry, everything is fine, as you can see." he said reasurringly, as he had always done since they had been together.
       Arielle smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I am truly blessed to have you, my beloved." she whispered to him. 
      "And I you." he replied, still holding her close. "Now try go go back to sleep." he started. "It's still a while until sunrise, and you need your rest. I will take care of Damien when the new day dawns on us." he said to her.
       Arielle smiled, and kissed her beloved on the lips, passionately. "You are so good to me, beloved." she said, laying back down. 
       Darius kissed her on the forehead as her head met the pillow. "Without you, my love, I am nothing." he replied. A short time later, they had both fallen back to sleep, in each other's arms.

       'Arielle, I know you can still hear me. I need your help, urgently....' sad the voice, calling to her. Suddenly, she realized that she was having the same dream over again.
       "Who are you?" she asked aloud. "And how are you in my dreams?" she continued. 
       The voice replied quickly but calmly. 'I am the White Dragon. You may remember me.' it started. 'In your previous dream, I couldn't make proper contact with you, as your telepathy seemed to jumble me. It is clearer now. Order has been brought to chaos.' finished the voice, reassuringly.
       "Why do you contact me here, Dragon?" she queried, wondering what was going on. 
       The Dragon was to the point in it's reply. 'I require your help. I am trapped within a cage of sorts, and you are the only one that can hear me in this manner. You must find me and free me, or I might very well perish.' it finished, explaining the situation. 
       Arielle became confused at this. "How can I find you?" she asked. The Dragon responded, this time a little bit fainter. 'Use your telepathic abilities. And leave quickly, as I haven't a lot of time......' said the Dragon, voice trailing off. Arielle suddenly felt herself being pulled back to the waking world, and decided to allow it to undertake this quest.

        Laugher filled the cabin as the small child bounced on his knee in delight, and he wasn't minding it one bit either. Damien was as happy as a small child could be, and Darius wasn't complaining, happy to spend quality time with his son. 
       "I wish I could bounce as you." he said aloud. "It seems to be most satisfying." He was about to poke Damien's cheeks, when there was a knock at his door. With Arielle out at the market, he carefully picked up his son in his left arm, and got up to answer it. He opened the old wooden door to see his friend Ranier standing there, with a grin on his face.
       "Ranier! Come for more sword training?" he asked. 
       Ranier laughed. "No, last night was enough for the time being. Chandra had to go visit her family for a few days, so I thought I'd stop by here for a bit." 
      "Please come in!" said Darius, letting his friend in to sit before closing the door behind him. Ranier smiled as he sat down on an old chair. Darius handed him little Damien, who had fallen silent, but looked curiously at the visitor. "Oh come now." said Ranier. "You know who I am!" he said happily, before reaching out and gently poking Damien's cheeks. 
       Damin giggled and poked back, getting Ranier's nose, much to his surprise.
       "Oh alright then, you win!" he said, before Damien smiled and looked back at his father. 
       "Very well." said Darius, picking him back up, and transferring him carefully to his crib. Ranier smiled and sat down in the nearest chair, watching the toddler sit down in his crib and look about. 
       "So," he started, turning to Darius, who had also sat down. "I take it that Arielle is not present?" he queried, looking about the cabin.
        Darius nodded. "You are correct. She went out to market earlier this morning, and I told her not to hurry anywhere. She needs some alone time." he finished.
        Ranier nodded. "Indeed. Nevertheless, you miss her, don't you?" he asked. Darius smile vanished for a moment.
       "Yes. Even if she is gone for but a half a day, I do miss her greatly." he replied, before looking to the crib and Damien.
        Ranier looked blank. "I miss Chandra as well. I don't always feel complete when she is not around." he said, before looking about again. His gaze caught the bookshelf. "Say, have you read any of those old tomes yet?" he queried, studying the shelf with fascination, the books all neat and in order.
        Darius looked to the shelf as well. "A couple. A historical text, and a spell tome. I do not wield the magic, so it doesn't really do anything for me." he replied. 
        Ranier brought his attention back to the crib again. "And what about you, little Damien? Read any books?" he said with a grin. 
        Damien just stared at him with a small smile, pondering the other adult like a cat pondered another animal. 
       "Oh well." said Ranier. "You'll be reading soon enough." he said, voice trailing off.

        The forest was thicker than she remembered, the long brush bouncing off her tunic, sometimes leaving a mark or two. Arielle wasn't exactly running, but she was moving as quickly as she could through the greenery, hoping that she was making some progress. '
       You are headed in the right direction, don't worry.....' said a voice, telepathically. It was the White Dragon. 
       "I sure hope so." said Arielle, pulling down on her powder blue tunic a little as she hurried. While proceeding through the lush plantlife, she couldn't help but feel bad for not telling Darius about her quest.
       "Forgive me, beloved." she whispered to herself, while pushing some shrubs out of her way. More then anything she wished she was home with her beloved and son, enjoying time with them both. But she promised to undertake this mission and so what she could to assist the dragon. Arielle wasn never one to break a promise, and didn't want to start now. 
       'I'm sorry to have taken you away from your family, but no one else could hear me and come to my aid.' said the Dragon again, in her mind. Arielle sighed and continued on.
      "No need to apologize." she said.
      As she continued on, she couldn't help but wonder what would lay ahead in wait for her on this quest. Would she find the Dragon without incident, unharmed and just suffering from bad luck, or would she find the Dragon being held against it's will, surrounded by enemies that would have to be fought? Arielle wanted to ask the Dragon about the circumstances, but decided not to at this time. Whatever waited for her, she would have to face alone. The prospect of this did unsettle her, but she vowed to be ready no matter what.
       'You should be getting near a clearing in the forest soon. I'll tell you which way to proceed when you get there.' said the Dragon, letting Arielle get her bearings. Arielle put her right hand down near her belt, on the hilt of her sheath. The sword that Darius had given her long ago was ready to be used, her training in the ways of the sword coming along quite nicely as of late. Having sharpened the blade recently, she wasn't at all concerned with the readiness of the weapon, nor her ability to wield it. Soon, her mettle and training would be tested, and put to their limits.

       "She was supposed to have been back by now." said Darius, a concerned look on his face. The sun was starting to set, and Arielle had not returned from her trip to the market as of yet.
       "Could she be running late?" queried Ranier. "We both know she stops and speaks with animals telepathically from time to time." 
        Darius frowned immediately. "No." he said. "She was supposed to have returned here a little after midday." he explained. "Even if she had stopped to converse with some animals, it would never take this long." said Darius, referring to her connection to the animal world via her telepathic abilities. He paced a little bit, and this worried Ranier a little more as well. 
       "Perhaps we should go find her." he said, wanting to help.
        Darius pondered this for a moment before answering. "It will be dark soon. Also, I cannot leave Damien alone for any length of time. He is not old enough for that as of yet." he mentioned, looking to his sleeping son in the crib. Life had become a little more different since tthe child was born. No more could he go off on a crusade or quest without worrying about ramifications. He was a family man now, and had responsibilities. Just then, Ranier spoke up and broke his train of thought. 
        "Darius, I just noticed something." he said. 
        Darius looked to him. "And?" he asked aloud. Ranier pointed to a spot on the wall where a sheathed sword usually hung near the bookshelves.
       "Where is Arielle's sword?" he queried, looking to the vacancy. 
        Darius saw this and frowned again. "The sword. Where has she gone....?" he said quietly, voice trailing off as he wondered where his beloved had gone. 
        Ranier stepped beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Not to worry. I will stay behind and watch over Damien while you go search for her." he said, offering a course of action. 
       "Ranier, as always you are the brother I never had." replied Darius, a small smile appearing on his face. Ranier nodded. "I do what I can." And with that, the sun finally finished setting, and darkness reigned supreme. Ranier eventually slumped down in a chair and fell alseep, while Darius slept by himself in his bed, wishing Arielle was next to him, and not out there, somewhere.

        She didn't move a muscle as she stared down two unfamiliar soldiers in front of her, both holding battle swords which were pointed towards her. The standoff had begun only a short time earlier as she emerged from the thick forest into the clearing that the Dragon had told her about. She wasn't however, expecting to find this upon her arrival. "Remember what Darius taught you." she mumbled to herself, both hands holding her own sword, which was also pointed outwards towards her adversaries. It became apparent to her that both her and the soldiers were waiting to see who would make the first move. A second later, she had her answer as the soldiers charged towards her.
         Arielle assumed a defensive position that Darius had shown her early on. 'Don't be overly aggressive at first.' he had said. 'Letting your opponent make the first move and give away a tactic will give you the upper had more often than not.' His voice rang in her head like he was right there with her. Arielle had a split second to formulate her plan. In that split second, she noticed that both soldiers were focusing their weight forward, looking for a quick overpowerment. She grinned at this, knowing how to counter.
         She suddenly sprinted forward and closed to gap, before coming to a halt before the two men and ducking down at the last second. Unable to stop in time, both men were caught off guard and crashed over Arielle, going slightly airborne before crumbling in a heap on the ground, their weapons going in opposite directions. Arielle got to her feet and used her sword to knock the weapons further away with her boots. The two men scrambled up as fast as they could to face her, but were surprised to see their swords gone, and staring down the blade of another. 
        "Don't make me use this!" said Arielle sternly.
        The two soldiers looked to one another before turning an running, not wanting any of this, having been shown up by a woman very easily. Arielle smiled to herself and lowered her sword when they were gone, pushing some of her long, brown hair out of her face. 
        "Thank you, beloved." she whispered, a hand on her heart. Her combat abilities were all thanks to Darius, and she had always been one to give credit where credit was due. Just then, the Dragon began to talk in her mind again.
        'It was admirable the way you dealt with them. Now continue on, as the sooner you get to me, the sooner we can both go home.' it explained calmly. Arielle thoughts turned to Darius and Damien. 
        "Home...." she said softly, wanting so much to be back with her loved ones.

         Ranier woke with a yawn and straightened himself in the chair, rubbing his sore neck in the process. He looked to the crib to see that Damian had already awoken, and was sitting up looking at him and giggling. 
       "Uh huh." said Ranier. "There is nothing humerous abut slumbering in a chair." he remaked, while closing one eye. This was enough to make Damian giggle even more.
       "You are a happy one, aren't you?" he said, getting up out of the chair finally and stretching. He looked to the bed area to see it was empty, as Darius had already left to go find Arielle. Looking back to the crib, he smiled. 
       "Well." he started. "I guess it's just you and me for a while." he said, looking down at the little one with a bit of a smile.
        Damien clapped his hands for no reason, and set about bobbing his head back and forth. Rainer laughed "I wish I had your enthousiasm right now." he remarked, before wandering over to the bookshelf. He browsed the upper shelf and looked sideways at the titles on the spine of the books. Something eventuallu caught his eye. 
       "Archery For The Novice.....oh yes I should read this immediately!" he said sarcastically, before laughing himself. "One of Darius' little gags no doubt!" he said, before sitting back down in his chair and pondering Damian, who was sitting calmly on the floor of his crib, looking for one of his toys.
       "I'm glad you can be so calm and collected." started Ranier. "To be honest with you, I'm worried about your mother and father, and am feeling a bit nervous." he explained. "Normally when trouble arises, I'm the one that goes with your father and helps him overcome the danger. I'm not used to just sitting around and waiting for word, even if it's still early."
        Damian continued to ponder the larger person, and started to smile. "Uh huh." said Ranier. "Well, if you're happy, then that's all that matters I suppose." he remarked. "If I could be your age again and not have any worries." added Ranier quietly, lamenting about simpler times.
        After a little time had passed, he got up off the chair and found a pastry in the cooking area, eating it calmly. It wasn't long after that he decided to read a book off the shelf after all to pass some time. Ranier selected one that dealt with someone's experiences in a past battle and started reading, hoping to learn something along the way. Damian suddenly giggled again. Ranier grinned and looked around the book. 
       "Do not worry. After some reading, you and I will go outside and get some fresh air, all right?" he asked of the boy. Damian clapped his hands briefly, then sat back down and fell silent. Ranier turned his attention back to the book and started a journey into history.

        Knowing he was now headed in the right direction made all the difference. The only merchant that had spoken to Arielle was also the only one she visited, and not near the market either. It seems that Arielle had only gotten as far as the merchant on the edge of the village, bought some rations, and headed off into the forest to the south. For all intensive purposes, Darius did not care where she went so long as he found her safe and sound. He could not bear to have anything happen to his beloved, and just wanted to bring her home. Fighting through the thick brush, he was making good time, even though he wasn't fully sure where he was going. That notwithstanding, he soldiered on, determined to reach his beloved.
        Suddenly, he heard voices as he stalked through the forest, they began to get closer and closer. Darius stopped his advance and slowed right down, being as stealth as he could, trying to get closer to the voices. It was't long until he saw something ahead. Two soldiers from an unknown army were sitting down up against a tree, taking a break and eating some rations. Darius skulked closer and listened to the conversation. 
       "Yeah. She got us good that woman." said the first soldier. 
       "Fine soldiers we are. The boss will have our heads for this." said the second soldier.
       "Dammit, how are we going to explain this?" asked the first soldier, hoping his buddy would have a response or a way out of their current predicament.
        Unfortunately, the response came not from the other soldier, but from Darius who jumped out from the brush and pointed his sword at the two of them. 
       "You will explain it to me, friends." he stated. The soldiers dropped their food and put their hands up in the air, not wanting another fight. 
       "We surrender!" yelled the first soldier. "Don't hurt us!" 
       Darius raised an eyebrow. "That all depends on what you have to say." he remaked, eyes locked on the both of them. 
       The second soldier then spoke up. "She was crazy. Came through here and pointed a sword at us. We made the mistake of attacking her, and she took us both down and hid our weapons!" he explained, with a trace of fear, unsure what to do.
        Darius grinned. "Indeed. Which way did she go?" he asked. 
        The first soldier spoke up again. "South, past the clearing. She headed south." he answered. 
        Darius nodded. "Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your meal." he said, before withdrawing and heading off towards the clearing as fast as he could. 
       "That's it!" said the second soldier. "I cannot do this line of work anymore! It's going to get me killed!" he exclaimed. 
       "You and me both." said the first soldier, a look of resignation on his face, before both of them got up and left in a hurry.
        'She fought two soldiers and continued on. Hmm.' he thought to himself, trying to find a reason for this. It was like Arielle to wander off and pick fights with anyone. When he was training her in the ways of the sword, he had instructed her that it must only be used for defence. Darius knew that she must of had a reason for the battle. 
       "They must have surprised her." he mumbled to himself, as he ran through some brush on his way through the forest. What he couldn't figure out was how this all connected, as not much was making sense at this point.

        "What is this place?" asked Arielle aloud, staring confusedly at the odd looking structure that stood before her. A building made out of stone, it was too small to be a castle, but too big to be a large dwelling of any kind. It's windows that were visible to her were small and dark, while cracks started from their sills and continued down to the ground. This structure had been here a while. She looked about, not wanting to get too close as of yet. As she pondered what to do, the Dragon took the oppotunity to speak to her again, albeit a little clearer now.
         'You are much closer now!' said the Dragon. 'You must enter the structure and find the entrance to the catacombs below.' it said, directing her. Arielle looked a bit skeptical, but soon made her way into the place, as the front door had long ago disentigrated into a small pile of wooded rubble, allowing for easy entry. There wasn't much light inside, but enough for her to move about without crashing into anything. She looked around as best she could, searching for anything relevant. Pushing some of her hair out of her face, she carefully walked over to what looked like a break in one of the stone walls, with something dark in the middle.
         Arielle let her eyes adjust a bit better to the increased darkness, and found that the break in the wall was a stone staircase heading down below floor level. She carefully made her way down the stairs, and was met at the bottom by an old wooden door. She tried opening it. It creaked loudly, but was moving ever so slowly. She kept at it, and a little while later, managed to move it enough to squeeze through. The other side revealed a passageway lined with stone, and little else. 
       "How cheerful." she mumbled to herself, not exactly having a good time at the moment.
       'Soon, very soon now.' said the Dragon, telepathically. Arielle just nodded as she walked, making her way down the passageway. now curving to the right a little. 'At the end of this passageway is a chamber. You will find me in there.' mentioned the Dragon, as Arielle started to near the end of  the stone corridor, passing the odd small torch on the wall, the only source of light down there.
        Her thoughts again turned to Darius and Damien, and what they might be going through at this very moment. 
       ''I will return to you soon." she whispered, voice trailing off.

        He stood silently and motionless, watching intently as the animal moved closer and closer, pondering for itself the beings that stood before it. Moving slowly, it jumped forward randomly, until it was almost right in front of them. Damien held out his hand to it, not sure what was going to happen. Suddenly, he began to giggle and laugh as the small rabbit licked his hand a few times before hopping off into the brush next to the cabin, and going on it's way.
        "So you like rabbits, do you?" asked Ranier, smiling as he picked up young Damien and spoke to him softly.
        "Perhaps you've inherited your mother's ability to talk to animals." he said. "Or, more than likely, you just got lucky!" he quipped, as the boy became silent and stared. 
        Ranier eased Damien carefully into an old chair that sat outside the cabin, before leaning on the wall next to it.
       "I'm glad you're enjoying this outside time. It's going better than lunch did." said Ranier, referring to the fact that Damien didn't seem to want to eat much a little while earlier. As much as he enjoyed watching over the boy, Ranier looked down at his bow, wishing he was with Darius, backing him up on his quest to find Arielle. Even though it had been only two days, it seemed a lot longer. He was also starting to miss Chandra a lot more as well, and wished she were here to keep him company. 
       Ranier looked to the sky and sighed. "My dearest Chandra, I wonder how you are right now." he said, before leaning down and picking up his bow. He rotated it in his hands, checking for any issues that might need some attention. Everything was fine, and in a way, it satisfied him to know that his bow was always in tip top condition.
       He had learned at a young age that his bow was an extension of his person, and that in order to learn the bow, he had to become one with the bow. Ranier looked to Damian, who was watching him and the bow. 
      "When you grow up and have a sword, you better take good care of it." he mentioned. Damien pointed at his own nose and smiled. 
      "Yes, you need to take good care of that as well." said Ranier, amused by the innocence of the boy. "Perhaps I'll have to have a conversation with your father about your future weapons training." he said to himself, knowing under the current circumstances that it would be a little while before this happened.

       'This forest goes on forever!' he thought to himself, still stalking through the trees and brush as quietly and as quickly as he could. It wasn't always easy to do both, but years of training and experience had served him well. Making good time, Darius decided to stop and take a break, sitting down on a fallen tree and reaching into the small pouch hanging around his waist for a quick snack. Taking a bite of the meat roll he just produced, he took the time to look about the area of the forest he was in. Off in the distance ahead, the trees looked like they were starting to thin out.
        'With luck, I'll be out of this greenery and closer to my objective.' he thought, even though he wasn't exactly sure where the objective was. Darius hoped that Arielle was not too far away, and safe. His heart yearned for her, and nothing short of her safe return to his arms would be acceptable. Finishing the meat roll a few moments later, he got up off the tree and brushed himself off before continuing on. As he resumed his stealth, he listened intently for any unusual sounds. but heard none.
         "No animals to speak of either." he mumbled to himself.
         Being alone in a vast, quiet forest didn't rattle him as it would another man, but he did wish that Ranier was travelling with him. Darius knew he could count on Ranier in any situation, and vice versa. Even with his sword and powers, it was still nice to have a friend with him on a journey, even if it is for conversation and whatnot.
         "Oh well." muttered Darius, still moving through the brush. He continued to make his way among the trees, indeed noticing that they were starting to thin a little. He sped up a bit in hopes that there would be a clearing soon, or just out of the forest in general. As much as he enjoyed forests, he'd had enough of this one.
          Almost an hour later, the trees ended temporarily, and he found himself on the edge of a meadow, staring at a stone structure that stood off to the side near a cluster of trees. It had no discernable entrance, and the window slots looked decayed and cracked near the bottom.
         "Charming." he said aloud, trying to figure out if he needed to go inside. 
         "I have no way of knowing if Arielle went in there, or kept going into the meadow." he said to himself. Looking back and forth from the stone building to the meadow, he was at a crossroads. After thinking it over for a while, he decided to gain entry to the structure. 
          "Well now." he said, pondering it carefully, before proceeding to find an entrance, any entrance at all.

          There was no way out. The doorway she had used to gain entry to the room was now solid rock, and circling her stood soldiers with weapons and armour, the likes of which she was unfamiliar with. The Dragon had also stopped talking to her telepathically, and this left her a little unnerved. Arielle looked around at all the soldiers. She counted six, and while she did have her sword and training, she instantly felt overwhelmed. 'Darius could handle all six, but I am not sure if I can.' she thought to herself, hoping that she could overcome the odds.
          Without warning, one of the soldiers charged her, and the battle was on. She waited as long as she could, then sidestepped the soldier, who couldn't slow down and crashed into another soldier, sending them both down to the floor in a heap. Arielle readied her sword, and swung at another soldier that had gone on the offensive, catching him near his waist. He screamed in pain, and doubled over. He was now out of the fight as well. Sensing that momentum was on her side, she ran in between two soldiers who had drawn swords and were ready to strike. 
          They both swung at the same time, hoping to catch Arielle in the middle. Thinking fast, she dropped to the ground and slid on the floor under their attack, the blades each connecting with the other soldier. They fell to the ground, bleeding and out of the fight. The sixth soldier dropped his weapons and put his hands on his head while dropping to his knees, wanting no part of this. She smiled at the fact that she was doing well, but didn't have time to celebrate, as the first two soldiers had gotten to their feet, and didn't look happy at all, all things considering.
         Arielle's eyes went wide as the two men charged her, as she was still getting to her feet. Knowing that she had no time to draw her sword, she resorted to her telepathy, closing her eyes and contacting both men in their minds.
       'Weapons down.' she said in their minds. 'There is no reason for this. I am not your enemy. Cease and desist.' she said, planting that in their subconcious minds. Just then, they stopped their advance and lowered their weapons. A slab of stone slid open, revealing the doorway. Both men turned and walked out, leaving her with the fallen soldeiers. She walked over to the men laying on the floor.
         Blood was evident, as both men took sword slashes to vital areas, their chances of survival minimal. 
        "I wish.....I wish I could help you!" she said, sobbing. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen." she finished, tears running down her eyes. 
        "I was brought here by a Dragon, and now look was has transpired because of it." she said, sorrow in her voice, unable to look at them anymore. There was nothing she could do. Through no fault of her own, these men would die.
         Suddenly, a bright light appeared next to her, then was replaced by the sight of a Dragon, hovering above the floor slightly. It was of a shimmering white colour, and it's eyes were as blue as the sky. 
       "Arielle. I thank you for coming here." it said, looking at her. "Why, why have I come here to witness this?" she asked, motioning to the fallen soldiers. "I have a family to take care of, and you have brought me here to see death?" she queried, still sobbing. Arielle turned away from the sight, not sure what to do at this point, but not wanting any part of it anymore.
        The Dragon spoke again, the soft voice that was almost female trying to reassure her. "My dearest Arielle. These men will not die. You have the power to save them. Go to them, heal them now." it said, explaining. Arielle looked confused, but went back over to the men. 
       "I do not understand." she said. The Dragon looked to her, blue eyes glowing. "I have given you the power to heal. Use it now!" it exclaimed. Arielle knelt down and put a hand on each soldier. A strange white glow started to envelope their wounds, and within a few moments, made them disappear completely. The men started to moan and come to.
        "I.....I did that?" she said, bewildered at what had just transpired. 
        The Dragon's energy crackled. "Yes. Yes you did. I have bestowed on you the great power of healing. It was determined that you were as pure of heart as could be, and should be granted this. Use it wisely." it finished, eyes glowing again. Arielle curtsied in front of the Dragon.
        "I thank you. It is a great honour." she said, wiping the tears from her eyes, as the two soldiers got up and left in a hurry, not wanting any part of this. 
        The Dragon nodded. "Indeed. I am sorry to have brought you all this way, but it was necessary. The others said you would be worthy, and they were correct. I just wanted to see it for myself. I hope you can understand." 
         Arielle was about to respond, when the Dragon's image began to crackle and flash. 
        "Until next time." it said, voice trailing off as a bright flash signified it's exit. Arielle looked about the room, and realized her sword was laying on the floor. She picked it back up, and walked to the doorway, glad to be able to leave and go home, but in heavy thought about her new ability. It was a very big responsiblity, but one she could handle. 
        'I will not let them down.' she thought, referring to the Dragons, and all the powers and abilities they commanded.

        "I guess I have no choice." said Darius, who had tried for some time to find an entrance, as well as make his own. He couldn't squeeze through the window slots, and his sword couldn't cut through the stone. He even tried picking up a small log and using it as  battering ram, but to no avail. Knowing he had to get in there, he was left with only one option. Focusing his thoughts on the nearest wall, a crackling ball of ice began to form in his hands, which were cupped together, ready to prepare a blast of his elemental power, one that could gain entry into the structure.
         He closed his eyes, and felt the power surging throughout his body, as it had many times before over the years. When he first assumed these powers, it was a bit unnerving to have this feeling. All this time and training later, Darius was so used to it that he sometimes missed it when he didn't call upon the power after long periods of time. Sensing that it was time, he concentrated as hard as he could on the wall before him, and prepared to let loose the power. 
         Darius opened his eyes quickly and was going to release the ice orb, when he suddenly saw a doorway, and someone standing in it, before walking towards him. The light blue tunic and long, brown hair were unmistakable. It was his beloved, Arielle! He quickly dispersed the ice orb and ceased his concentration, starting to run towards her, filled with emotions. She did the same, and within a second they met in a passionate embrace, one that seemed to go on forever. After a bit more time had elapsed, as well as a passionate kiss between the two, Darius spoke.
        "Beloved! I was worried beyond belief!" he said, sincerely, before pushing some of her hair away from her beautiful eyes. To his surprise, he saw tears streaming down her cheeks. 
        "My love, I am truly sorry for misleading you and running off." she said, sobbing a little. Darius pulled her close again, and kissed her on her forehead. 
        "All is forgiven." he said. "You are safe and well, and that is all that matters to me." he finished, cradling her in his strong arms. 
        "You.....you have always been so good to me." she said softly. 
        Darius smiled. "You are my beloved, and you complete me. There is no other way for me to treat you, then  that of a lover and soulmate." he said, still holding her close as she began to look up at him and smile.
        "The White Dragon appeared to me in my dreams and instructed me to come here to help it." she said. "There were some trials, but in the end, it was me it was after. I had been evaluated before I received it's gift." 
        Darius looked confused for a moment. "Gift?" he asked, wondering. 
       Arielle nodded. "Yes. It decided I was honest and pure, and gave me the gift of healing." she replied, snuggling into her love's body. 
       Darius smiled. "You are honest and pure, and I am happy at this great honour that was bestowed upon you." he said, stroking her hair.
        Just then, she looked back up. "Damien! If you are here, where is Damien?" she asked, worriedly. 
        Darius grinned. "Not to worry. He is at home with Ranier watching over him." he replied, with a touch of certainty in his voice. They turned and headed for the forest, hand in hand as they walked. 
       "I do however, have but one request, my beloved." said Darius. She looked to him as they walked. 
       "Yes?" she queried. Darius began to grin. "I wish to accompany you next time and be your sidekick." he said, before grinning a little. 
       Arielle smiled and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "But of course. Perhaps I will be the one coming to your aid." she said with a grin.

       A clapping sound alerted him to the fact that Damien had awoken, and was wanting to play. Ranier shuffled over to the crib, having just woken up himself. He looked down at the boy and pondered him for a moment. Damien smiled and kept clapping, happy as usual. 
       Ranier grinned. "If only I could see things through your eyes for a little while. I bet you see everything in different terms." he stated, before turning and heading for the cabin's door. He wanted to get some fresh air to start the day. He slid on his boots and walked outside, only to be greeted by a welcome sight.
       Darius and Arielle walked up to the cabin hand in hand, and they were both smiling.
      "Isn't this a sight to behold!" said Ranier, who reached out and shook his friend's hand, before getting a hug from Arielle. 
      "I'm pleased that you have come back safe and sound." he said, addressing both of them. Arielle smiled. "Oh Ranier, you softy you!" she said, before giving him a peck on the cheek as she went by, and into the cabin. 
       Ranier and Darius walked to the door, and watched Arielle pick up here son and hold him tight. "There's my little Damien!" she said, kissing him on his head and playing with him. The two men smiled and turned away for the time being.
      "I owe you for staying here and caring for my son." said Darius. "I know you would have rather been by my side in the search for Arielle." 
       Ranier smiled. "No trouble at all." he said. "You know I am here if you need me, no matter what it is for." he replied.
       Darius nodded. "I am thankful for that." 
      "I shall be off now. Chandra will return home soon, and I miss her so." 
      "Safe journey." replied Darius. "Give Chandra my best." he said. 
       Ranier grinned. "I will, and please come and visit soon." he said back, before turning and heading out. Darius stopped at the door of his cabin and looked to his friend. 
      "Count on it!" he exclaimed, before heading inside to be with his beloved and son, the two things that mattered most to him.

                  
                                                           THE END