[Chenoan]

Chenoan attempted to catch Dora's tear, but she caught it before he did. Chenoan smiled weakly as Dora relented and they pressed onwards, heading deeper into the dark forest. Dora's occasional stumble concerned Chenoan, but each time she caught herself and seemed to shake off any outside help. Finally Dora stopped and leaned against a tree. "This must be it." He thought as he saw Dora pleading with him visually.

"Dora, stay out here and wait for me. If I'm not back in a few minutes, or if you hear anything... leave, as fast as you can." Chenoan said as he stood in front of her, his body centimeters away from hers. Craning his neck downwards slightly he touched his lips to hers in a loving kiss. Breaking the lock a few moments late he moved his mouth so that it hovered next to her ear. "And whatever you do, don't look back." And with that Chenoan head off in the direction they were heading.

A few yards further into the forest Chenoan saw the slight flicker in the air that meant there was a portal. Around it the shattered and broken remains of trees and vines were scattered about, void of all life. Slowly walking around the air was dead with silence. Chenoan slowly unsheathed his sword and held it poised to strike at his side as he continued to walk, careful to avoid the portal.

Soon, Chenoan felt one of his feet slip slightly. Bending down, he reached his hand out and felt the sickening warmth of the sticky red liquid. "Blood" He thought. Looking around the pool he saw a trail of blood going off into the forest. It seemed as if Chenoan's wrong turn had kept Dora and himself from running into it.

As he realized what this meant Chenoan shoved his sword into the ground and rushed back to Dora. Not thinking he reached his hands out and grabbed her arm, smearing a small amount of blood on her. "Dora, get in the air, now. Don't ask just go. Get back to the portal and get more help. This thing's loose." The hardness in his face remained as he spoke in a commanding, but caring tone. Hopefully Dora would listen. Chenoan didn't want her hurt. He also didn't want her to see whatever happened next, whatever it may be.

Leaving Dora, Chenoan hoped she'd listen as he returned to his sword. Pulling it out he held it once again at his side, poised to attack, as he walked down the trickled path of blood.

[Nymphadora]

Nymphadora looked down at the ground silently when he ignored her plea. She felt so helpless as she relied on the tree to keep her up. She regretted ever agreeing to this quest, regretted ever allowing herself to be the pawn in whatever it was Max was doing. She hated how everything just... was falling apart. She didn't even know who she was let alone have the strength to help Elysia.

When Chenoan bent his head down to kiss her, she looked up, but didn't kiss him back as another tear plunged down her cheek. Squeezing her eyes tight as she heard his voice near her ear, Nymphadora shook her head, and reached out for his hand. By the time she got near it though, he'd turned and walked away.

Bringing her hands up to her eyes, she let loose the tears again as her legs weakened, making her sink to the floor, her numb wings scraping against the tree behind her. He wouldn't listen to her... and she was so weak, and tired. The built up emotions over the past several weeks finally coming out.

A moment later, Nymphadora looked up through blurred eyes as Chenoan grabbed her arm. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she shook her head, but words wouldn't come out. Reaching out for him again, again, he moved away from her. Dropping her hand to her knees, she looked to the ground, pulling her legs closer to her.

Nymphadora didn't have to try to fly to know she couldn't. She had been unable after Castalia, it was a miracle she even flew the short distance after Chenoan had let her down. There was no way she could get back into the air, and now she couldn't even tell Chenoan that. Tucking herself even tighter against the tree, she dropped her head into her arms, silent tears continuously rolling down her face.

[Nymphadora]

With her head tucked into her knees, Nymphadora tried to block out everything going on around her. All the sights, smells, sounds. Everything. Chenoan hadn't listened to her, and he'd left her without a chance to explain the state she was in. He was going to get hurt, and she was going to get caught.

Clamping her eyes tightly shut, she felt another hot tear plunge down her cheek. Lost within her thoughts, and within her will to shut out the world, Nymphadora didn't hear anything, accept feel the change in the wind. Looking up slightly, she breathed in, her cheeks tear stained, and looked around cautiously. Wind never just... changed like that. Then again, it was probably her own mind playing tricks on her. Drawing in a shaky breath, Nymphadora allowed her arms to slack a tad as she concluded it had all been in her mind.

Not a moment later did a sound come from her left, causing her head to jerk in that direction. Out of the woods, the large beast from before was lunging at her. Without hesitation, Nymphadora's eyes clamped shut as she turned her head, holding up her hands as if to shield herself from the attack. As she did so, her concintration focused on whatever it could to stop this thing. As it was, the force she was unconciously using, focused on the air inside the beasts lungs and body, and began trying to suck it out. As long as Nymphadora's trance wasn't broken, she'd continue to do as such, until there was nothing left for her to pull from it.

[Chenoan]

Chenoan walked carefully through the forest following the blood trail. The further he went, the thinner he got, and soon it seemed like he'd started to come back to his starting position. "This is pointless. I should head back and make sure Dora's alright, and see what help she and Castalia got. Looks like it'll take more than one pair of eyes to search this forest." Chenoan thought absently.

Finding the trail Dora ha taken him on, at least he hoped that's what he'd found, Chenoan started to walk along it in an attempt to get out of the forest. "This is taking too long." Chenoan thought as he started to sprout his wings once again. Just then he heard something. It was like metal grating through stone, and it wasn't far away. Chenoan once again readied his sword and carefully ran after the noise.

Soon he saw the monster, and not too far away he saw Dora. Chenoan found himself enraged. "How could i leave her like that!?" Chenoan thought angrily. One thing was for sure, this beast was not going to take Dora's life. Pulling his sword to the side, Chenoan ran at the creature at his full speed, with his anger and fear of losing Dora fuling him, it was even faster than usual, even as an aide. As he got close enough he swung his sword upwards. It would hopefully hit the beast's stomach and slice straight through.

[Chenoan]

Chenoan winced at the gash in his back, but soon after the pain alleviated itself. "Neat trick." He thought quickly as he finished his attack. Watching it's body slump to the side Chenoan felt a slight nausea creeping into his system. "Blasted thing must've poisoned me. I can't let Dora know." He thought as he walked over to the beast, raised his sword, and decapitated it.

Dropping his sword, he turned and slowly walked towards Dora. Slumping to his knees, he moved to wrap his arms around her in a loose hug. "It's OK Dora... it's dead now." He said in a quiet whisper. "Let's head home, OK?" Chenoan half said, half asked his proposal. He'd been so commanding of Dora, and he'd ignored everything she'd tried to say. It was time to amend that, if it was possible to do that is.



{{gmod of khimaira's body w/ permish}}

[Nymphadora]

When Nymphadora pulled back into the deep mind of her sub concious, trying to escape from the death that was flinging itself at her, that emotional defense... that pur strive to survive kicked it, and would let up. The closer the thing got to her, the more her sub consious tried to kill it by depleating the air in its body.

So lost within herself, Nymphadora didn't hear the goings on around her. Yet she felt the presance. Squeezing her eyes tight, her hands no longer up in defence, Nymphadora sat there, willing herself to stay alive. When she felt something move so close to her, and come in to touch her, her eyes remained even more clamped shut, and she put up her defense to it full force.

Her mind telling her she was in real danger, Nymphadora's attack didn't relent, and her sub concious began sucking the air from the Aide's lungs will full force. Her body, in instinct, sinking away from him, her arms wrapping around her legs, and her wings enclosing her body to protect her.

[Chenoan]

Chenoan's attempt to hug Dora failed as she recoiled from him. "Do--" He tried to speak, but suddenly felt his chest begin to tighten as no air came through his body. Rasping and wheezing as he gasped for the little air he could get Chenoan tried to plead to Dora. "Dora... it's me" He said with a final wheeze.

Finally unable to breathe at all, Chenoan's mind raced at how to stop himself from dying. His first thought was to kill her, but he could never do that to Dora, even if it meant he died. "This can't be happening." Chenoan thought as his vision blurred from the lack of oxygen. Chenoan then remembered is ability to semi-shift any part of his body, and proceded to morph his lungs and all the surrounding muscles to that of a gryphon. As his new, stronger and larger muscles pumped against Dora's attack, Chenoan felt a trickle of air file through his body once again.

"Dora.... you need to stop... please" Chenoan pleaded as he fought against her abilities. If she continued, he'd have to leave her here untill she came to her senses. "I don't want to do that. I can't leave her again." He thought in despair.

In one final attempt to 'rouse his girlfriend, Chenoan Leaned in to place his hand on her shoulders. "Dora, please, it's Chen." He pleaded one last time.

[Nymphadora]

Squeezing her eyes even tighter as whatever it was tried to get at her pushed against her block. With her emotions running on high, Nymphadora lost herself conmpleatly within her new found power, unable to break it, let alone realized what she was really doing.

The cries of her boyfriend lost to her compleatly, Nymphadora pulled back even further with every attempt he made to calm her down. Her element consuming her thoughts, dreams, desires, fears, sub concious. It devoured her whole in that moment, threatening to never return her. She'd heard in the past of instances like this, where a Nymphs power could over take the Nymph herself, and use her body as a tool to do it bidding. She only ever thought of it as nothing more than a childs story, and even now as it was happening to her, he was so lost she did not realize it.

It wasn't until Chenoans finaly plea reached out to her as he touched her shoulders did Dora snap out of it. Lifting her head up harply, a gasp for breath, Nymphadora's subconcious broke its hold over the air within Chenoan's lungs, Nymphadora none the wiser of what she'd done.

Looking around her wildly, she searched for the beast which attacked her. Seeing Chenoan instead, Nymphadora flung her arms around his neck, burying her face in his neck. She'd almost died before because she wasn't ready, and now she almost died again because she was weakened. slowly her determiniation grew to an all time high, and her thoughts grabbed at her until she relented into deciding to focus more energy on gaining a warriors status..

[Chenoan]

Chenoan let his head drop in the fear that his plea wouldn't be heard yet again, only to have it forced upwards by Dora's arms around his neck. Chenoan was slightly stunned, but smiled as he felt his lungs pump normally at last. Shifting his muscles and lungs back to their normal, human state, Chenoan's chest shrinking in size back with them, he wrapped his arms around his beloved and held her tightly.

"The beasts dead Dora. There's nothing left to worry about." He said, happiness in his voice. Pulling out of the embrace he placed his hands on her shoulders and extended them out. Looking his girlfriend in the eyes he smiled "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you before. Let's go home." He said before standing up and holding out his hand for her to grab.

[Nymphadora]

Nymphadora nodded at the mention of the beast, and glanced over at its lifeless body. Wrinkling her nose at the decapitation, Nymphadora's stomach churned, causing her to look away before her lunch came up.

Taking Chenoan by the hand, all thoughts of the Nymph gate keeper from her mind, Nmphadora used Chenoan as a weight to pull herself up. Leaning on him heavily, her wings sore and limp, Nymphadora smiled up at her boyfriend. She hadn't realized what he'd actually said as her wandering eyes continued trying to look at the dead beast.

Wrapping her arms around Chenoan, Nymphadora looked up at him through soft eyes, he cheeks still stained with tears. I don't think I can walk all the way back. She said in a near whisper. In this moment, she just wanted Chenoan to take her and carry her home. She wanted to take a nice long hot bath, and forget the events of the entire day. Then, she'd train herself more, getting ready to set out on her quest alone.

[Chenoan]

Chenoan grimaced as Dora looked at the beast. She hadn't yet noticed the gash in his back yet though, so he was some what relieved at that. "Well, if you want, I could carry you." He said as his wings sprouted behind him. As Dora nodded to his offer, Chenoan smiled. Quickly remembering his sword, he walked over to it and sheathed it. Returning to Dora, Chenoan smiled as he reached down and scooped her up into his arms.

After making sure she was comfortable, Chenoan slowly began to walk away from the gruesome battle field. Chenoan craned his neck forward slightly and kissed Dora's lips softly as he was glad the ordeal was finally over.


(((I know we have notes in our sigs, but gmod of Dora with permission)))

[Chenoan]

Chenoan's head shot around at the sound of a yowl. He looked just in time to see the two beasts headed at him and, with a strong beat of his wings, shot up into the tree.

Setting Dora on a sturdy branch he grimaced as he looked down at the beasts. The were mirror images of the first one, only it seemed they were a bit smaller. "Stay here. The first one was easy enough to get rid of." He said as he subconsciously avoided the word kill.

Perching himself on the rather large branch he was on, he unleashed his sword and aimed himself before lunging off the branch, sword poised to pierce one of the two monsters that were attempting to attack.

If Chenoan had looked to where the first Khimaira's body was, he'd see nothing. If he did look, he might have figured out what was happening with the creatures. As it stood, however, Chenoan took no time to analyze the area and assumed that these two had come with the first one.

[Nymphadora]

Nymphadora looked wide-eyed when Chenoan set her down. Reaching out for his arm, she tried to stop him, but twas to weak, and too slow. Chenoan, no! She cried out as he unsheathed his sword. Dropping her head, angry with herself for being so weak, her attention snapped up. Peering down at his back as he lunged for the creatures, she saw the large gash right across it. She remembered how easily that thing had cut through the other Nymph's vines, it was obvious how Chenoan had gotten injured.

Wincing slightly, Nymphadora closed her eyes tight. The storm she'd made appear earlier was still hanging around, although it was nothing more than a few clouds spread throughout the sky. Concentrating with every ounce of brain power she had, the clouds began to move over the sky, reversing the direction they were floating. Growing into a thick gray as they collided with each other, small sparks of lighting, along with rolling thunder began appearing in the distance. Within a matter of seconds, the sky above them became a nasty dark gray, near black.

Opening her eyes, Nymphadora gazed almost trance like at the spot where Chenoan was about to attack. A rather large bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, striking his path. Nymphadora meant it as a barrier between him and the monster, but with how weak she was, compiled with her emotions, she couldn't be sure if it would hit the beast or Chenoan. She only wanted it to strike the ground, but weather can be unpredictable. And only controlled so much by Nymphs.

[Chenoan]

The lightning dashed from the sky, and with Chenoan's speeed and he fact he was pointing a metal blade in the same direction, it hit him. Stunned from the electric jolt Chenoan released his sword and started to fall the short distance remaining to the ground. The sword, however, continued it's course unobstructed, apart from the slight electrical current still coursing through it.

As Chenoan hit the ground with a slight thud, the electricity was still enough to arc towards the closest being to his unmoving body.

[Nymphadora]

The second the lightening hit Chenoan, Nymphadora cried out, another streak of lightening flashing across the sky. Extending her wings, she held them up as much as she could and used the wind to help cushion her landing. Even with that, she landed hard on her knees, wincing from the pain.

Moving as quickly as she could... more so than she thought she could, Nymphadora rushed to Chenoans side, only stopping to glance at the dead monster. Sure it was in fact dead, Nymphadora turned her back to it and knelt before Chenoan, only a few feet away. Reaching out to touch him, a small spark shocked her hand enough to make it pull away. More tears streaming down her face, Nymphadora leaned forward and turned the Aide over.

Hooking her hands under his arms, she pulled him into her lap, holding her close to him, shielding him from the raging wind around them. Her emotions were so wild, nothing around her was under control. As she held Chenoan, willing him to breathe and wake up, Nymphadora's eyes closed tight as another tear fell to its death onto Chenoans cheek.

[Chenoan]

The tears splashed on Chenoan's face like raindrops, urging him to revive. With a sudden gasp of air he did just that, pushing himself up a little as he did so. "What happened!? He said suddenly. Looking around him, still Dazed, his eyes locked with Dora's. Dora, are you OK? The last thing i remember was lunging at...." Suddenly Chenoan's eyes darted around to find the dead bodies of the 2 monsters. One simmered as if it'd been caught in a fire, and the other was pierced by Chenoan's sword.