The Warriors/Wizards Academy

[Skye]

"Yukiko's....gone to fetch him," Skye told him, her hand on his chest, and a stern look coming over her eyes. "He'll come to you, I'm sure. Don't strain yourself more than you have."

Her cheeks were a bright pink, mixing oddly with the stern look on her face. Her voice quivered slightly when she spoke to him, a little unnerved, a little uneasy with the word "love" directed at her. She looked down at her feet, pretending to think hard at Yukiko to avoid eye contact with Alvender, though all she ever had to do was completely open herself to Yukiko's presence.

"Quasak's outside....Yukiko's just reached him."

***

The little dragon, growing steadily in size as she emerged on the grounds, cantered over to Quasak, her fur flying in magestic whisps around her. Her blue eyes sought his. Yukiko approached him, cautiously, and crouched down to his form lying on the grass, as if in slumber....but not quite.

Alvender needs you, she told him softly. He's practically killing himself trying to get to you. Would you go see him?

 

[Raichu Master]

'I'm too weak...' Quasak admitted, although he didn't take it lightly, which is one personality that parallel's Alvender's, his stubborn individuality. 'Tell him, three days, he'll know what you mean,' Quasak said, fighting back the sleep that was threatening to consume him.

Alvender quickly regretted his choice of words as Skye's face lit up. "I meant no offense," Alvender said quickly, covering up what he thought to be an error. "Elven curtesy, if you will," Alvender tried to explain, not wanting to go into a long winded detail of the curtesies of an elf.

It was his turn to flush red, Alvender had never regretted anything he has said, not even when he has snapped at Skye. Now though, it was different, it was like they were getting to know each other all over again, this time with Alvender not having quite the closed mind as he once had.

 

[Skye]

Skye was glad for Yukiko's communication. It brought the attention away from Skye at least. She turned to Alvender.

"Three days," she told him. "She says you'll know what that means."

She found herself smiling, though still tired and worried. She looked at Alvender thoughtfully and stood up.

"There was no offense taken," she assured him. "But I should get some training in. I'll come by and visit when I've finished if you want?"

She paused at the foot of his bed, not really wanting to leave, but at the same time, knowing that she had obligations.

***

Yukiko nodded to the dragon, taking a few steps back. She had never really been around another dragon before, much less spoken to one, and she was naturally very curious, but kept her distance.

Is there anything I can do, or shall I leave you? she asked him politely.

 

[Raichu Master]

'It's been awhile since I've been in the company of another dragon,' Quasak said thoughtfully. With a smile, if dragon's could smile, he looked at the dragon. 'Do dragon's really come that small?' Quasak asked as he noted the size of the fury creature. 'You are a dragon right?' Quasak asked, teasing the smaller one a bit, not cruely, but it's been forever since he's seen a dragon, anything could surprise him. He was indeed intrigued by the small beast.

Alvender gasped silently to himself at the news. This was indeed a bad thing, but he was in no shape to get to his feet.

Shaking the thought temperarily from his mind he looked at Skye with a warming smile, "That would be awfully kind of you, milady. But don't hassle yourself on my behalf."

 

[Skye]

"I'll come by," she promised, and walked briskly out of the room.

She carried herself down the corridoor, something of a bit of authority in her stride. She was on edge, for a reason she could not pinpoint, though she was sure it had everything to do with her carelessness, for almost loosing Alvender again.

She met Lucas out on the green. He looked happy to see her, much to her dismay. She hoped Lily would be joining them for training, at least then the attention would be divided between the two girls.

"Morning, Skye," he said politely, a small bow directed at her. She watched him from a polite distance, her heavy robes making her seem much larger than she was.

"G'day," she mumbled, but kept her eyes level with his and alert.

"I was hoping we'd get a chance to work on your intuitive senses today," Lucas said, seeming as if he was trying to read into her stony expression. "We also need to have a chat about your connection with Yukiko after the lesson, depending on how well this goes today. Shall we then?"

***

I'm a size shifter, Yukiko explained, and expanded to her largest form. Her sleek, furry body stretched, the fur concealing the mass of muscle she possessed. She regarded him with her cool blue eyes, her fur rippling magestically in the breeze.

She felt a pulse of unease from Skye just then, and knew she was at a lesson with Lucas. The dragon understood just enough of the conversation to know that Lucas would be asking her to sever their connection in order to strengthen Skye's intuitive senses. After Alvender's incident, Yukiko knew that Lucas would indeed convince her of it, and the young dragon found herself disappointed. She knew she would do as Skye asked, and despite the fact that she was indeed a dragon, and not dependant on such connections as humans were, she had to admit that she did not like the idea one bit...

 

[Raichu Master]

'Makes sense,' Quasak responded to the dragon as it shift forms. 'I suppose you could call me a human shifter...I'm not sure the term though...'

Quasak, who was not one of fury, but a scaly beast, never before saw a dragon that had fur, and was quite fascinated by the dragon. Then he sensed something, while his mind linked with her, though only in dialog, Quasak was a stronger and wiser dragon than he would ever care for anyone to know. Which is the reason he doesn't link minds with Alvender so much. 'I don't like that human,' Quasak said pinpointing the source of her worry. 'I share Alvender's caution, isn't wise to leave her alone with him,' Quasak said in all seriousness.

'By severing the link, Skye, whose grown dependent of it, will most likely crumble under the pressures you often relieve for her without knowing it. Leaving her feeling completely mentally naked, with nothing to replace your mind. It'll be some time before she'll be able to recover. It's more of a weaning technique,' Quasak commented, not knowing if his imput was needed on such a touchy subject, but he just thought a bit of caution might be needed.

* * *​

"Three days..." Alvender whispered to himself, shaking his head warily. "I won't be prepared in that time...none of us will be..." Alvender added hoarsely as he fell deep into another sleep, trying to get as much rest as possible.

 

[Skye]

I should go to her, Yukiko said, almost worriedly. Who knows what he's capable of convincing her to do? My absence will not help that...

She was looking in the direction of the courtyards, where Skye's presence resonated from, an orb of tremendous light in Yukiko's conciousness. The dragon turned back to Quasak.

If you need anything... she told him. Do not hesitate to let me know.

Yukiko glided through the air, shrinking in size as she reached the academy. She darted through the corridoors, reaching the courtyards and Skye, who was concentrating on a meditation with Lucas. He felt her probing with his mind, and Skye trying desperately to keep him at bay. Yukiko, outraged, though she knew it was important training, lent her mind power as well, and the force of her repulsion of Lucas' mind sent him flying across the grounds.

(OOC: Hehehe!)

"What the?!" he exclaimed, getting to his feet and dusting off his robes. "That dragon..."

"'That dragon,'" Skye said hotly, getting to her feet as well, feeling her temper flare. "Is the only reason I can get anything done. We're a team, for the rest of our lives. We are so linked that I'm sure if one of us died, so would the other. We cannot live without each other, and you cannot ask me to do so."

"You could be a powerful weapon without her....you could use your strong intuition for so many important things..." Lucas prompted.

"I am not a weapon!" Skye exclaimed angrily. She held her staff tightly in her hands as a strong wind, whether created by the rise in her temper or not, blew from behind her, sending her short hair and robes flying whildly about her. She took a step closer to Lucas, her indigo eyes shinning dangerously. Yukiko stood behind her, at her smallest size, watching the scene with quiet interest. "I am a human....I am a person...I am a wizzard...but one thing I am NOT-" she was now standing two inches from him, staring up into his face with an expression of such anger and loathing that it made him step back. "-is a weapon."

She called Yukiko onto her shoulder, and turned away from Lucas.

"We're finished here," she told him firmly, and set back off towards the academy.

"Yes....we are," Lucas agreed, but Skye could not hear him, nor could she see the smirk planted upon his face.

 

[Raichu Master]

When Yukiko had gone, Quasak, who was worried about the dragon and her master, transformed into a human and followed the young dragon.

Watching the spectacle from a tree, hidden by the branches, Quasak could not help but chuckle to himself as he saw Lucas being chewed up and spit out. When they left though, Quasak stopped abruptly as he saw Lucas smirking. 'What's he up too?' Quasak asked himself.

Deciding to wait on the branch and follow Lucas to see what he was doing, Quasak stayed there instead of going to see his young elven friend.

* * *

Quasak had let Alvender into his mind during that whole seen, and Alvender drew worried as time went on, studying every move Lucas made. 'Follow him,' Alvender ordered to his red scaled friend, who was now human.

'I'm one step in head of you,' Quasak replied, his voice seemingly mischievous as he said that.

Alvender wanted to move, wanted to see if Skye was ok, but instead laid on his hospital bed, waiting for her to come to him.

 

[Skye]

Her temper still white-hot, Skye stormed into the academy, not taking any notice of Quasak, but allowing Yukiko's abnormally calm nature relieve her of her anger. The little dragon spied Quasak, and nodded in simple acknowlegement.

Skye reached the hospital wing and found Alvender's bed. Despite his usually calm, collected demeanor, she detected a hint of worry on his expression as she entered, which, though her temper was cooling down, did not improve her mood. She sat down beside the bed in a chair that was nearby.

"I'm worried," she told Alvender. "I'm worried that we're on the wrong side of things."

She looked around the apparently empty room.

"We can't talk about it here though....there has to be somewhere that we can be sure we can't be heard," she whispered. "Are you feeling well enough to walk yet?"

 

[Raichu Master]

"There is no right side," Alvender sighed quietly to Skye so as to not attract the attention of the nurses or any others that may be lingering.

"I'm free to go on my own accord. Come," Alvender said getting up from the bed, surprised to find that he could, indeed, walk again.

Reaching his room, the only place he trusted, despite what happened the last time. "On one side we have the rebels, filled of orcs and other nasty beast fed up with how the now ruling powers are banishing them. And on the other, we have this corrupt power hungry ruling power governing. I'm afraid it's a lose-lose situation," Alvender sighed as he took a seat at his table.

"We have three days before Agatha comes back with a horde of orcs and goblins on her tail. She's obviously a major player in the rebellion as well. We have a three choices, as I see it. One: join Agatha and whoever else is on her side. Two: Continue to be used by this academy and the imperial forces. Three: Fight them all." Alvender said this all in a calm and very controlled manner, despite the odds.

"The only acceptable course I see is the third option," Alvender said, his voice cracking with worry and fear, despite the effort he used to keep his voice under control. He took a deep breathe and sighed heavily, wiping a hand over his face. "What do you suppose we do, milady?" Alvender asked, showing that he relied more on Skye's own judgement than his own or any others. Which was testament to the weapon Lucas wanted to bring out in Skye, but her iron will and principles would not let that happen. That was truly what Alvender loved about Skye.

 

[Skye]

Skye bit her lower lip, and looked away in deep thought. Yukiko rested upon her shoulders, offering support as best she could.

"I don't see a way out, even if we could get a following to fight both sides," Skye said dismally. She rested her chin in her hands, and let out a sigh. "Wherever there is power, there is corruption. There is no way to win. However..."

She looked up at Alvender, her indigo eyes bright with a forceful energy that only emerged when she was incredibly determined.

"I will not be used as a weapon, and I will not lend my aid to a trecherous villain like Agatha. My loyalties lie with myself and those I love," she folded her arms upon the table, looking at Alvender intently. "I would rather die fighting for what is right than do either of those things...a futile attempt perhaps...but if we could succeed..."

She trailed off, and looked away, looking thoughtful. Yukiko turned her eyes to Alvender instead. The little dragon felt the same way as her partner, and gave Alvender a confident nod.

"It is my only option as well..." Skye told him affirmatively, a slight quiver in her voice. She was absolutely petrified of the idea, and as soon as the adrenaline from making her decision left her, Alvender would see just how frightened she really was.

 

[Raichu Master]

Alvender grinned, he loved adventure wherever it lumed. "I've been wanting to kill Lucas for a long while," Alvender muttered happily to himself, trying not to let Skye hear him.

"We can't let our intentions be known. We have three days. Let's handle Agatha first, then we'll take on the academy. Since Agatha has been the only one on the rebels to show any interest in the academy. Then when we destroy both the academy and Agatha and her forces, we can move out," Alvender said, there was no grin, no smile, no amusement, just a grim set expression leaving his lust for adventure behind in the dust.

"I have Quasak spying on Lucas. Right now he's our threat. If he makes any wrong moves, then we'll have to take care of him first," Alvender said, trying to plan it out as he went along.

"We won't be alone, I'm sure of it. I know at least two more that will be willing to come in due time. We don't need an army to defeat them," Alvender said at length, remembering the legends of old that told of humans, elves, and dwarves a like, taking a stand and wiping out whole evils at a time, with only a small band of heroes. This, he believed, was their calling. This is what they were set on this world to do.

Alvender turned from his deep thoughts to Skye. He was not going to lose her, under no circumstances. "But for now..." Alvender sighed, letting his facade of calm and collection slip. Replacing his serious and calm set expression was one of stress, desperatly needing to be relieved. "We should relax. Enjoy what we can of the time we have left to share with each other. We may never get a chance after the fighting starts and the blood flows."

 

[Skye]

Skye winced as he mentioned blood. She was not fond of the voilence, of the hatred, of the death that would follow their coming adventure. Her worry, her fright, was growing steadily greater, more visible on her face, but Yukiko shouldered the load of her worry, allowing her to feel relaxed and comfortable with Alvender.

I do not wish to leave you where Lucas can find you alone... Yukiko said to Skye firmly but gently. Tell me when you are ready to leave, and wait for me to arrive. I leave you with Alvender....I trust him fully. You are safe.

The little furry dragon gave Alvender a final look, her deep blue eyes boring into his. She jumped off Skye's shoulder and scurried off, taking with her Skye's worry and doubt.

Skye looked over at Alvender, trying to smile, her heart beating very quickly with their conversation playing in her mind. She bit her lower lip.

"so..." she prompted. With the seriousness of their previous conversation, she could think of nothing significant to say.

***

Meanwhile, Yukiko's travels took her to the courtyards, where she spied Lucas. Knowing that Quasak was also watching, she stayed quiet in the shadows, in her ferret-sized form. Lucas appeared to be in some sort of meditation, and immediately, Yukiko began searching over the thoughts and memories he had managed to penetrate before Yukiko had stopped him before.

Skye's entire childhood, her father's death, nothing terribly significant....until...there it was. The feeling that neither Yukiko or Skye could put into words: the essence of their connection. If Lucas knew that....if he understood fully what it meant and how it felt...it was possible for him to find a way to break their bond. Disturbed and angered, both of which were very uncommon for Yukiko to feel, the little dragon made her way quietly through the shadows, looking desperately for Quasak.

 

[Raichu Master]

OOC: And then comes the sad part...*retrieves box of tissues*

Then Alvender broke. All that he had said, with such a rush of glee, was now doing a tail spin. It felt like his insides were being ripped out of him, not because of the sense of death, but the images of what Agatha did to him the night before, and what he was to face now that their path was set drove him on the very edge of breaking to pieces.

Alvender got up off his chair, and walked over to Skye. Alvender knew something had to be done right now, when they were to only ones in the same room, where he didn't have to be the brave hero, where he didn't have to pretend to be strong. Alvender crashed on his knees, and looked up to Skye, tears brimming his eyes, threatening to fall. "I'm...scared..." Alvender said softly, feeling weak and insignificant. He had never cried, or at least never cried since coming to the academy, Agatha had hardened him, and he thought he would never be able to cry. The tears started flowing then. "I'm scared..." Alvender repeated as his shoulders slumped and he sunk further to the ground.

 

[Skye]

Skye knelt down next to him on the floor, taking his shoulders firmly in her hands. She bit her lower lip, feeling every bit as scared as he, perhaps because of her ability to feel others' pain, or perhaps because she shared in it. Not really knowing what else she should do, she gathered him in her arms, the sleeves of her robes falling about his back like a blanket.

She cradled his head against her shoulder, kissed his cheek, smoothed his hair. Something welled up inside her, a burst of strength.

"It'll be alright," she assured him, holding him close. "I'm scared too...but we're in this together til the end, no matter what that is."

She released him enough to hold him just a bit closer than arms' length, her indigo eyes bright and yet so unbelievably defenseless and innocent that they could have belonged to a five year old.

"And I know that..." she told him, an odd boldness to her voice. "...is enough to get me through anything."

 

[Raichu Master]

OCC: *cries into tissue* I'm such a sucker for this kind stuff! This is as bad as the sadest soap opera! *continues to cry*

IC: Alvender shook his head, and fell willingly into her embrace and listened to her. Tried to be soothed by her words, tried to find strength in what she was saying. She didn't understand. It wasn't the threat off fighting hordes upon hordes of orcs.

Alvender shook his head again, as she held him out at arms length. "I'm scared of Agatha..." Alvender said fighting back the tears as much as possible, which seemed to make them only flow faster. "I don't want to hurt anymore...not...like...that...not...anymore..." Alvender sobbed, his words broken between sobs as his mind swam through all the violating images in his head. He seemed to be stuck, absorbed in those images for he tried to curl in fear, muttering the same words over and over again.

It was truly a pathetic site. To see a strong, calm, and collected elf be torn apart by memories of the past, even if they just happened a few short hours ago. He didn't want to break down like this in front of her, wanted to show her he was strong, wanted to snarl in the face of his fears. But there was just something there that wouldn't let him do it.

After a few seconds, Alvender gathered enough strength to calm his nervous and push the memories away. His face returned to the solid expressionless face that was there when he first came to the academy. His mind was protecting him from any further harm, too painful were the memories, and in order to gain some sort of sanity his mind subconsiously blocked all his emotions.

Alvender got to his feet, the blank void returning to his eyes as he walked over to the couch, and sat down on the soft cushions. He then proceeded to stare out into space.

***

Quasak caught Yukiko out of the corner of his eye and couched lower, preparing to strike Lucas if anything out of the ordinary happened.

Quasak then fell out of the tree with a great thud as he hit the ground. Something similar to a train running at full speed hit his mind. He, in fact, had linked his mind just incase something happened to him. And with the sudden disconnection, it rendered the dragon temperarily paralyzed.

 

[Skye]

Yukiko let out something between a squeak and a growl, and half sprinted half floated through the air towards Lucas. Growing in size, the dragon hurried, reaching Lucas before he got out of his trance, before he could see Quasak, whom Yukiko conveniently hid behind her long, strong tail.

Dragon and wizzard regarded each other coldly, Yukiko staring him down.

"You watch yourself, dragon," Lucas said in a very threatening tone. He got to his feet. "I know much, much more than you think I do, and I will succeed, you can be sure of that."

He stalked off, leaving a very relieved Yukiko in his wake. When he was gone, she turned to Quasak, rolling him onto his back with one of her massive, clawed feet. Sensing his paralysis, she nudged his mind with her own, hopefully enough to jump start his conciousness.

***

Skye watched Alvender leave her side and stare idly into space. Without warning, her temper flared once again. After the comfort she had offered, after her sworn alligance to their cause...and he still pushed her away.

She looked away from him, tears forming in her eyes. She did not understand, and knew that she could also not fully comprehend Alvender's internal demons, but these thoughts did not soothe her rising anger. If anything, the awful, helpless feeling they caused only fueled her frustration.

Her mind battled between leaving the room, staying put and giving him a piece of her mind, or staying put and keeping silent.

He needs you. Stop being so selfish! Yukiko snapped at her, which only made Skye feel worse.

I'M selfish?! Skye snorted.

You've admitted to yourself that you do not understand fully what he went through. How can you understand his actions because of it then?

I can feel his pain you know...just because it's not controlling my life anymore doesn't mean it's not there... Skye said defensively.

But even so...you cannot fully comprehend. You can only be his companion, and you're going to have to settle for that, Yukiko said simply.

Skye looked over at Alvender. Regardless of his sudden mood change, she knew his thoughts still plagued him.

"Alvender," she started, getting to her feet, feeling oddly drained and tired. She sat next to him on the couch. "You don't have to be like her...you don't have to do what she's done. You aren't her. Your intentions are different. You are capable of things she is not, because you are capable of love."

She bit her lower lip, wondering with fleeting bitterness if any of this was reaching him.

"I can't fully understand what happened to you," she continued. "But I can help you overcome it if you let me."

She looked at him intently, her mouth set in a grim line, her eyes focused.

OOC: Oy...so dramatic, RM! Hehe.

 

[Raichu Master]

OOC: I know...*continues to sob*

IC: 'I'm fine...just alittle shocked is all,' Quasak said to the dragon, transforming to his own rightful form, too weak to sustain himself in his human transformation. 'Alvender is wounded badly. I blocked his emotions. He is not ready to fully battle the demons locked inside of him.'

'I know it's building tension, but I'm hoping by the time my defenses wear on his mind, that he's strong enough to handle it,' Quasak said, but before he could get any further, he realized just how foolish he sounded. He nodded and said, 'I shall link Skye's mind to Alvender's before I let him go, so she can fully comprehend his pain.'

***
Alvender's mind exploded into Skye's own mind, showing her the tortures of being magically forced to be her bed slave, of the loss of his innocence he suffered. The beatings for disobeying and trying to fight back, the chains that closed around Alvender wrist linking him to the bed frame, or the wagon in this case. The pleased expression on Agatha's face as she continued the forced actions, and Alvender's pain and fighting trying not to let any of it happen.

The scene switched to right before that happened, Agatha had killed Alvender, or brought him close to it, only to revive him and nearly kill him again. All because he escaped her vile wraith.

Alvender's mind then became his, and he immediately withdrew from the human's mind when he realized what was happening. "I'm sorry you had to witness all of that, milady," Alvender said grimly, he successfully cast his demons away for now, knowing they would pop up again if Agatha got a hold of him.

 

[Skye]

Yukiko hastily braced herself and Skye for the onslaught of images. The dragon shouldered as much of the weight as she could, while still allowing Skye to witness everything fully. It brought even Yukiko to a whimper, her large form sinking into the grass. She looked over at Quasak, unable to say anything.

***

Skye was immediately hit with images so real, she could have sworn she was there witnessing it. With only a brief warning from Yukiko, Skye found herself falling back agains the couch, her eyes shut tight, her arms hugging herself tightly.

"NO!" she screamed in the midst of it all, forcing her eyes open and looking at Alvender.

As the seconds passed, her eyes grew from angry to compassionate, filling steadily with tears that she forced not to fall. She reached out to Alvender's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," she told him, unable to express completely what she felt. "But that is what we are fighting against...to prevent it from happening ever....no one should have to endure that....no one deserves that."

She had no idea what she should do next, so she sat back and looked at him.

"Turn it into strength, Alvender," she told him. "Use it against her. Turn her brutality into your power...and use it to vanquish her."

 

[Raichu Master]

"That's easier said than done, I'm afraid. Though you may have felt you were there. You'd have to be in my place to fully comprehend the damage," Alvender countered. There words weren't bitter, but grim, full of fact. He continued, "It left me feeling naked...it still does. She's taken something from me I'll never be able to get back. It leaves you feeling cold, and hardens you if meditated on for too long." Alvender had indeed tried that the last time, had successfully warded her off, came close to killing her, but her minions kept him at bay and she came back even more furious than before.

Alvender drew Skye into his own embrace, his tears had dried at the recognization of what he was doing to himself and to the ones he loved. "I love you," Alvender said honestly, as he kissed her forehead softly and tenderly. Letting his words, the depth to which he spoke them, sink into Skye. It meant a lot that he could still speak those words, and mean then with every ounce of passion, after opening so many old wounds and deepen ones still left open.

* * *​

Quasak just laid there, letting the images sink into Yukiko's mind. He didn't interrupt Yukiko's thoughts. Just merely sat there while she observed what had happened to Alvender.