Life continues..

[Nikkii O'seth]

Naldany said nothing but just smiled at him before she got up an pushed him on the bed. The two was soon swept up in passion for the time.


Nikkii was bothered by the news of what Keyra had done. Her assistant handmaidens follewed her step by step.

"I have underestimated her reasons for being here, I thought she was hear trying to get me to take her back under my care. But this news of her infecting others is something I would have never guessed her to go that far." Nikkii paced around in the library thinking.

"What if someone else is behind this mistress?" The maiden asked.

"I doubt it she is so unpredictable an unstable and the only other one that might do that is the vagabond Loveless... I think he might be dead no one has seen him in many years.. but her doing this will bring more humans..... those hunters."

"My'lady the children have the started heading to the dinning hall, will you be instructing the young ones tomorrow?" The other madien asked.

"Maybe depending on what I decide tonight... now you two start seating the children."

[Phelan]

Phelan lay in bed with Naldany in his arms while he stroked her hair.

'How can I ever leave this behind again? I won't let this slip through my grasp again.'

Naldany pushed away from him and began dressing. Phelan looked at her puzzled.

"Dinner?" She said smiling.

"Oh right!" Phelan said with a chuckle.

He went over to the closet and looked inside. There were a pair of black velvet pants with silver trim and what appeared to be a white silk shirt with blue trim and an ornate blue cloak with a silver underside. Phelan grabbed them and wriggled his way into them. The fit was exquisite, they felt like a second skin, just like his leather pants had used to. The shirt was cool against his skin and he left the neck unlaced and open showing his chest. He pulled on a pair of black boots with silver trim that had been hidden behind the cloak and lastly he pulled the cloak about his shoulders and fastend it in place with a silver lighting blot broach. He stepped back out to where Naldany was waiting in a stunning dress.

"Well? How do I look?" He said spinning in a slow circle. "If I look one hundreth as good as you I would be most delighted." he added.

[Nikkii O'seth]

Naldany smiled and straighted him a bit before kissing his cheek and taking him by the hand."You do.... now we must hurry." You know Nikkii will not be pleased with this in the slightest. But it's good to make a good showing to the other members."

"Then let us be off then." Phelan kissed her hand and opened the door. The playfully went to the dinning hall, acting as they did so many years ago. Darlena an Tailu was just entering as the couple strolled up behind her. She was dressed in an evening dress but with some of her bandaging still showing at the top. Darlena took one sniff an sent Tailu on ahead.

"Oh you two...... well I see you both are in good spirits ... " Darlena said smirking. "I know where you have been... we have a bit to discuss after dinner."

Naldany was obviously embarrassed but smiled an pulled Phelan in with her. Nikkii was acting a bit withdrawn from the others but plainly showing that something was bothering her. Aramis and Zealott was seated near Nikkii, Aramis didn't look to pleased to see his father an mother comming in together but Zealott was overjoyed.

[Phelan]

Phelan smiled at his children. He noted Aramis' scowl as he and Naldany walked by. Perhaps the boy was mearly acting and truly was wicked at heart. Phelan decided that he would still teach him, perhaps the proper training will whittle away at his arrogance and wickedness. He thought. Phelan leaned in close to Naldany.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear as they sat down at the table.

[Nikkii O'seth]

Aramis went to eating but didn't take his eyes off his father, he watched as Naldany told Phelan that she loved him as well. Olantar was next to the boy.

"Olantar tell me about him.... why does mother so readily go back to his arms after he left us? Does he have your loyalty or do I?" Aramis said quietly to the captain.

"My young lord that is one of the bravest teir'dal men I have ever served under. I owe him my life, would gladly place it in his hands to do as he would see fit. And as for my loyalty it is to him first as he sits higher and my duty to you is to preserve you life so that one day you will be in his posistion." Olantar said without looking to the boy.

Aramis couldn't believe what he just herd, this angered him so much that he began to chant a spell, Naldany saw this and stood from her seat quickly casting a spell to knock Aramis from his seat. Nikkii stood up and placed a rooting spell on Aramis.

"Phelan, Naldany this will not be tolerated here.... one of you will disipline that boy right this minute."Nikkii demanded. "We have enough problems as it is... and frankly I am not in the mood for this almost daily exercise with Aramis."

[Phelan]

"I'll take care of it..." Phelan said getting to his feet. "Olantar would you please accompany me?"

"Of course my'lord." Olantar said rising to his feet also.

Phelan walked over and snagged the boy up by his arm and Aramis followed half drug, half running. Olantar followed, puzzled as to what this was about.

"LET GO OF ME!! YOU VAGABOND!" Aramis screamed.

"Be silent boy!" Phelan said at a normal tone, but it's sharpness gave Aramis pause.

Phelan stopped infront of the training room. Discipline is learned through training. He heard echo in his mind, one of the many things he had learned. Phelan opened the doors and tossed the boy through the them, Olantar followed silently.

Aramis scrambled to his feat and launched a fireball at Phelan. Phelan mearly side stepped it and avanced forwards.

"Haven't you learned yet? You have far more to learn than you can imagine and yet you still try to strike me down before you have learned all of it?" Phelan said in a quiet, but deadly tone. "Olantar, toss the boy some blades. Lets get this out of his system right now."

"But, my'lord..."

Phelan turned and stared hard at Olantar.

"But what?" Phelan said icily. Again thinking that Phelan would be off guard the boy sent another fireball at him, but again Phelan mearly stepped out of the way.

"nothing my'lord." Olantar said embarressed and pulled some very ornate swords from a cabinent and tossed them to Aramis, who gladly caught them.

"Now... Boy" Phelan said the word with scorn as his mentor used to do to him. "If you think you are a man, strike me down. If you can."

"My'Lord!" Olantar exclaimed.

"What!?" Phelan yelled.

"I cannot allow this to..."

"You can and will! Because he has to get through both of us to leave." Phelan said sternly.

Aramis launched at Phelan. The blades were fine blades and he immediately ingnited one in blazing flame and the other crackling with ice. Phelan parried the first series of blows. Olantar just stood frozen in disbelief. Aramis pressed his attack and made his move for Phelan's head.

Phelan easily stepped out of the way of the blow and struck his sword and continued it's momentum away from him. He brought his other sword streaking toward Aramis' head, but slow enough that the boy could get his block up. Aramis blocked the blow and began the routine that Phelan had taught him. Phelan let some slide through his defense lulling the boy into a false sense of security. Olantar undrestood immediately that Phelan was going to mearly teach the boy a lesson and attacked from behind.

Aramis threw himself sidelong into a roll that brought him out of the flanking position Olantar had created.

Good the boy has some instincts about him. Phelan thought as he ran forward.

Phelan and Olantar didn't have to say anything, it was just like old times when they moved in tandum. Each knowing the others moves and anticipating the others fients. Aramis was on full defensive his swords working in a blur. Again Phelan was impressed, he hadn't been ready for multiple opponnets until much later.

Aramis scrambled backards and launched a fireball between him and Phelan at the floor. The explosion rocked the room and flames briefly danced about the floor. Black smoke rose up from the spot. Phelan jumped without hesitation into the smoke and closed his eyes and listened.

Aramis' untrained footwork gave away his location as his feet scuffed the floor. Phelan lashed out at the sound from the smoke. Aramis was caught off guard and only blocked the first blow. Phelan felt his blow slip past the point of saftey and pulled back his blow. Then the point connected with flesh.

Aramis yelled and Phelan came out of the smoke to see Aramis gripping his chest and his blades laying on the floor. His eyes were the size of tea cups as he looked up at Phelan in astonishment.

"Yo..You.. You actually hit me!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, had it been a real fight, you would have died just now. You lack discipline. You lack heart and spirit. You have a lot to learn my young friend." Phelan scooped the swords up and handed them to Olantar who put them away.

He then pulled Aramis' hands from his chest and inspected the wound. It was just a shallow cut, nothing serious. Phelan had the sneaking suspicion that Aramis had never been struck by a sword. He looked into the boys eyes and there was still something burning behind them, but what emotion was it, Phelan wondered.

"Now, can we go finish dinner and try this again later?" Phelan asked pleasantly offering Aramis his hand.

Aramis stood on his own ignoring Phelan's hand.

"Of course father. Aren't you going to actually disicpline me for what happened at dinner?" He said curiously.

"No." Phelan said and continued walking with Aramis and Olantar trailing them.

"Why?" Aramis said in a puzzled tone.

"Because I decide to show you mercy this time." Phelan said coldly. "This time." He said again.

Then they returned to the dining room and Phelan headed back to his seat. He caught Naldany's eyes and shook his head as if to let her know the boy was fine.

[Nikkii O'seth]

Naldany was a bit concerned with Aramis at first till she reassured by Phelan, but still looked at the boy checking him over. Aramis sat an hung his head down in shame, other memebers of the house went out of there way to avoid looking to the boy an quickly finished. Zealott put her hand on Aramis's arm an looked to the cut on him, but said nothing more. Nikkii seemed satisfied with the outcome of what went on an tried to hold back the pleased look on her face.

"Well, now I have something to ask you all... I have been giving thought to this whole Keyra problem that is facing us... I think that luring her to us will be the best course of action... But Naldany ... Phelan, I want the use of your daughter...." Nikkii said leaning over the table towards the two.

Naldany was completely shocked by what Nikkii asked. "Aunt I will not put her in harms way... that girl would kill her."

"Now child she will not be in danger.... I want to use her gifts... I want her to make someone look like me or .. Phelan... maybe you."

[Phelan]

"why not just use me then?" Phelan said "There is no sense in putting the children in harms way."

[Nikkii O'seth]

"How can I gaurentee that you would keep your calm? You both have a heated history that goes back to when we was rivals ourselves... But since you wish to be a maytr then fine.... I want to draw her close to our borders, but lycanthropes sense of smell is very strong an the way that we did this as hunters was to get the lycan worked up." Nikkii stood up an stood behind Phelan placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Fair warning she will need to be showing her lycan self." Nikkii dropped a small glowing sack into his lap. Phelan went to open it and was quickly stopped by Nikkii. "Do not open that here... unless you want a stronger one going berzerk here with a small one at her side."

Darlena slammed her utensil down an grabbed Tailu. She growled a bit a Nikkii before storming outof the hall. Aramis perked up when he saw this an herd that. Clearly he was thinking up a plan his own and it involve that sack his father held.

"Tomorrow we she set out the details but keep that safe till then." Nikkii said looking at the door Darlena went out.

[Phelan]

"Nikkii, you can truly be a wench." Phelan said before following out the door after Darlena with the sack in tow.

Phelan didn't stop when Nikkii yelled as he walked out the door, frankly he didn't care. He walked straight to his room and locked the sack in a small chest. He went to the closet and placed it at the top of the closet and then started pacing about the room.

"Oviously this was her plan all along. She knew that I wouldn't let my daughter be bait. What a cunning move, though, I couldn't have said yes to her plan and couldn't offer her up for the bait. What a wench!!!" Phelan spoke to himself as he paced and fumed.

[Nikkii O'seth]

A few moments later a there was a knock on the door before Phelan could say anything it crept open an Aramis walked in an flopped down on the bed.

"So father can we get back to training?" Aramis wasn't hoping that he would say yes. Phelan continued pacing the room, Aramis was looking around to see where that strange sack was. He had already put it somewhere and he was thinking of a way to get to it and find out why it couldn't be opened with Darlena and Tailu around.

"Father... what grandmother said ..... about berzerk lycan, what did that mean? Aunt Darlena was upset an made a very funny sound. Like the wild beast that is hunted for food, you know something.... no you all know something and your hiding it from me." Aramis started to peak on the bed still looking for that sack.

***

"He hasn't been here for a few days and you already seek to make him suffer... tell me was Zealott going to be placed out there for that bandit to kill?" Naldany said shooing Zealott out.

Nikkii smirked at the comment and returned to her seat. "No ... I will never place her in harms way... She is our legacy and has duties to fulfill when she becomes of age." Nikkii sipped her wine. "Keyra will come to Phelan of that I'm certain... I would do so myself but I lack the speed he does and she would fear me because of the hunter abilities and not come out, they have an old game of cat an mouse to play out so why not force it on our terms."

[Phelan]

"Fine lets get on with your training then." Phelan said ignoring the rest of what Aramis had said.

In truth he hadn't heard it, his mind was still boiling and racing to see what plot Nikkii was trying to hatch. He walked out the door with Aramis lagging behind, taking a very long time to shut the door.

"Come on, we don't have all night." Phelan said.

Before long they were back in the training room. Aramis looked less than eager to be back in the room.

"Never felt the bite of a sword before?" Phelan asked.

"I've never had to, I'm too good." Aramis said raising his chin in defiance.

"You've never had to, because you have never met a true swordsman before. Most that walk these caverns aren nothing but slit throats, cut purses and petty buglars. Then there is there the wizards, but they know nothing of swords usually.

You son... are very arrogant. If I had been trying for real, that blow would have killed you. It would have pierced your lung and then you would have been finished off by the second blow. Don't you understand that seeking out fights is a deadly game that you are bound to lose? There is always a bigger fish in the sea, just as there always is a better swordsman in the world. If you keep tempting fate you will run across them."

"Yeah ok." Aramis said rolling his eyes. "Then why is it you place yourself in a fight with the Devil-elf?"

"That should be obvious." Phelan said in a chidding manner.

[Nikkii O'seth]

Aramis's eyes grew wide for a moment. "You seek to beat her single handed huh?.... Well I have something to say fo that. I want her first, mother and aunt Darlena won't let me near her again and this would be my chance to see how I can really do against her." Aramis readied himself to attack Phelan but something caught their attention over in the corner Darlena stood. She had lowered her invisabilty an was holding some very large shackles.

"Aramis I do that because you have a habit of not listening to me and your training is not where it needs to be before your ready to fight the Devil-elf... you didn't see me standing here and yet she can do the same thing."

Darlena had changed her clothes an was wearing some loose fitting pants an shirt.

"I think it's time you see what your father and I know about her ... and test your courage. Phelan please help me." Darlena said handing him part of the shackles.

"Sure ..." Phelan took the shackles and followed her instructions . "Darlena.... are you sure?"

"Yes I am, he needs to see this... here use this." Darlena handed his a pouch of sleeping powder. She cuffed herself an tugged a bitt to test it.

"Aramis please move away from me.... And do not come within my striking range." Darlena started to pant an her features changed, within moments she was in full werewolf form snarling and biting at both the men. Aramis was paralized with fear, Darlena made him look like an infant in size comparison. As the chains began to strain Phelan threw the powder on her an she slowly changed back into her normal form.

"She is a monster too.... h..hh..How can I defeat that?" Aramis said comming to grips with what he saw.

[Phelan]

"First off, she is not a monster. She has been afflicted by a disease, a disease I might add that you would most more than likely be afflicted with yourself had she not distracted Keyra the last time you met her.

Your Aunt has learned to control her affliction and uses it to her advantage. Keyra has done the same thing, however she is twisted and kills anyone at will for pleasure." Phelan said quietly as he moved to unshackle her.

Phelan knew she would stir soon, the powder had been a small concentration. Aramis still stood there terrified and shaking.

[Nikkii O'seth]

Within a few moment Darlena started to rise with a little assistance from Phelan, Aramis's once arrogant attitude had completely left him and was replaced by fear an his own doubt. His skin was sweaty an heartbeat was fast.

"Aramis .... this is why I don't want you to fight her but, since you would not listen to me or your mother..... maybe now seeing my other self an the words of your father will convince you to stop being so reckless, there are many things in this world that you are not prepared enough to handle." Darlena had her arm draped over Phelan's shoulder as he helped her sit down and regain her wits.

"But I want to help..... please let me do something... I promise I won't be so reckless an I will do my best...." Aramis said slowly approaching them.

Darlena smiled an hugged the boy. "I'm glad to hear that, one thing to keep in mind if she should take that form avoid her bite at all cost.... but her bite is not any less potent even as an elf." Darlena pulled her lip back to show her fangs. "I don't think your body is strong enough yet to survive the infection.... now you two can continue with what your doing I must check on Tailu an Zealott."

Darlena nodded to Phelan before she left the two to get on with his training. They didn't have long before a second visitor would interupt them, this being Nikkii.

"Phelan I wonder if this is a good time to explain where we would like to set up our little trap?" Nikkii said with her usual smirk.