Fraying around the edges (of sanity)

Artizza

"You didn't hear everything about that, did you?" I say softly, finding my patience (already on edge) is running even thinner now.

"You say that you hate this dire situation?" I continue, speaking softly as I ask the question. "Hate having to chose between risking the destruction of the world or the destruction of your people?"

....

What is this? What? Does she think that if the world is destroyed that her people will still be safe?!

Checker's mind is more of an open book than it had been before the transformation, now. Before, from years of practice she (I suspect) had gotten the knack adults have at being able to hide certain things and feelings from showing upon the expressions. Oh, she'll regain that ability soon enough if he (and that IS a male body so it is "he" instead of "she") stays in that form, but right now there is a disconnect. Her feelings show through as if she was a child, so open her face is right now.

Can't say I care for what I read, really. Speaks of something...insular and prejudicial. Elitist even. Maybe she's changing for the better, overcoming ingrained preconceptions brought on by enculturation, but she's not their yet by far.

Elfin lass or not, I can at least say I...

Ah, blast it! I don't have time for soul searching right now!!

"Now, listen carefully and LOOK AT ME when I explain!" I say, putting in a jolt of Pressence (an innate ability/power all Terra Prime like elves have in that makes them be able to be taken more seriously than perhaps the child like height may convey).

Almost against his will, Checker's head turns and focuses on my face instead of a point somewhere behind me and her eyes stay LOCKED (as I will it.....she has much to learn about being a Dark Elf, proto or otherwise through this Changling business). Apparently that innate racial skill hasn't filtered down yet.

I basically again tell her the whole details (and not just the stuff she homed in on, ignoring all else). Emphasizing that this perhaps was the only way to SAVE her people (and not glossing over the fact that being that Glider land IS part of this world and thus was at MUCH greater risk in any other way she went at it).

And with a look of utter HATE that I should have made him look at me, he grinds out that....he'll do it.

Fine, let him hate me! I'm tired of this!

I want my husband back (and this Changling out in a form that she doesn't deserve).

.....

Oh, did I fail to mention that her face had been an open book and her attitudes about us strangers (almost as if she felt we weren't people but thinking animals)? I guess I did except the last.

Very open face and very insular attitudes, these Gliders seem to have if Checkers is any sample!

Peace, I hear in the back of my mind.

It is the tengu we used to call Fred, speaking to both of us. Softly and slowly he speaks to both of us, using wisdom and calm whenever either I or Checkers start screaming in argument in this theatre of the mind and....

Well, while I shall be a long time in ever calling Checkers a friend, I must admit that the male tengu has some very valid points. Checkers, he'd seen, had been growing out of her prejudices (something he can see as a tengu). Checkers, meanwhile, is now looking at the male tengu....

"Fred?" she says softly, having seen glimpses of the old within the new shell the soul of the companion she'd shared an adventure with.... Strange, I get a distinct feeling that she....thought that with the tengu transformation that the "Fred" part of the tengu's soul was null and void.

"Yes, I still am here." the male tengu says softly.

"But will you....return?" she asks softly.

Return to being the human knight known as Fred, she means. That I can read in her face. Return to the way things had been before.

.....

Don't know much about Checkers, but I feel that whatever or however he landed this quest to kill a dragon...it had meant a LOT of loneliness and homesickness. Maybe she'd found a friend and companion within Fred (now tengu).

Well, that is.....something.

"I never stopped in one way," he says softly, sadly, touching Checker's cheek fondly, "I still am....a friend. But as for the other....I cannot. A destiny awaits me and my mate, after....this."

Oh, but I feel like a boot is about to fall. Hasn't fallen yet and won't until when (and IF) we defeat the dragon mage. But the male tengu formerly known as Fred goes on and says that we all have a part to play in the stage play of life....

"...and I know what mine is now," Checkers whispers, a strange look coming to her eyes with some kind of inner realization.

I....don't want to know. Too personal.

Thus with detailed but swift instructions (supplied via Jenny through yet another Sending session), Checkers knows what must be done.

Thus, looking almost silly in the next rather solemn....ceremony?....the Champions and tengu all (after finding a big enough spot for this next part) turn our backs upon Checkers, and then Jarlath turns back....

....and Checkers suddenly screams in surprise as she finds herself (yes, the form is female) morphing into an Oriental dragoness.

Oriental dragoness?

Lessens any possible future problems....just in case she should wish to stay, Jarlath sighs, conceding one danger of Checker's becoming one of the draconian race. As a Western Dragon, she'd be almost attacked without thought or feared instantly. Oriental? Well, at least it was different enough in looks to not INSTANTLY warrent attack. Concern and caution, but not the instant hatred hundreds of years of Western Dragon deviltry had garnered in these lands, I wont.

That and I, through what the tengu (through their racial knowledge garner about their adopted Eastern homeland), know that Checkers as a fellow Oriental Dragon would be more welcome in other lands (if she goes out there) than as a Western Dragon.

Western and Eastern Dragons don't get along, shall we say. Total collapse of relations centuries ago and all that.

Long story for another time, maybe. Not right now, though.

Checkers shivers, craining her long neck around as if looking for something. She has an alien, hungry look to her that.....

Oh, didn't you know? Dragon Treasure Hoard needs for Dragons (capitalized by convention of Terra Prime here, by the way) is akin to an addictive drug....

Oh, I and the others had WARNED her about that (can't be faulted at holding back important info), but she hadn't believed that totally from us. Cultural bias again? Perhaps still thinking in her heart that this is still something of a dream or some other such thing? Until now, anyway.

"Where?" she whispers to herself, shivering in need.

Blinking in a reptilian manner, she then makes the gestures and ritual chantings over a book that had come from Belboz's library (and Hoard, I wont). Those rituals that we'd provided her....and then her face takes on a mixture of both.....pain and pleasure....orgasmic in both extremes in unique ways....

"Hur....ry," she groans, "I...don't know......how long......I can.....do this....and remain Glider...."

Let go and let it happen, I know is whispering through her mind. Oh God. She's stuck here right now, thrashing about with her tail and wings as the pulls on one end of a Hoard....and Belboz/Minestus (very shocked at sudden turn of events) struggles to keep ahold of what he feels is his!!

And all desperate attempts by spell to locate the exact source fail, due to Jarlath and friends magic necklaces. Momma didn't raise no fools in the D'Honaire line, I see.

I am only guess the later, but it's a nice thought for my heart!

And in the meantime, a binding like a collar is beginning to form around Checker's form in the misty realm of magic, beginning to bind her body and soul to her homeland. And the feelings she'd felt before begin to grow stronger and stronger....too much of this for too long...and she'll NEVER want to return to that....

Puny and small form....

Sometimes elfin intuition can be so....unsettling for me to glimpse into the aether like this and.....

Screaming in joy, a gout of flame rushes out of her mouth and sears the top of the roof of the cave.....

Must hurry. Had promised her that....

Almost hate to have Jarlath and Jenny put down those spell wards to try to keep Checkers safe from prying eyes (or any intrusive henchmen or wanderers within the caves here). Oh, we need to do something (and these are only stopgap measures) and probably the best thing (but not practical) would to be leaving somebody (or several sombodies) behind to guard our Glider turned dragoness. Can't though. Don't have the manpower.

Sigh.

The magic users look magic side, seeing the opposite end of the tug of war, getting a fix.....

And away we hunt!! And where Belboz is, I know by elfin intuition, my love is also so I am GOING there!!

1. But we quickly find that (to be expected), it's a maze work trying to get to the lair of Belboz...and might take longer than just a few minutes... Maddening!!

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