Apperantly, I have a lot of work to do on myself.

I have decided I really am not overly fond of cyclops. As Talron said, talking to a rock may be easier.
But I’m doing what I always do and starting in the middle instead of from the beginning.
Fuck, so much happened I don’t even really know where to start.

Best memory, we first went up to Talron with our emissary’s plans as to a road and such. He backed us fully on our choice to allow the road and even found it a very good idea. He said it was better to keen an eye on who was coming and going, then have citadels assfucks surrounding us from behind. He has a point…..and while he had the idea of a toll, even, that never came to be.

The dryad in our woods, though, was none too happy. She was pissed off that things were happening in her woods without her say so, and while she bitchily gave us permission to make our road, she up and left us.

So Semie goes and makes sure the road is okay to build. She gets her ass politely chewed, and, oh look, Illoria the black bear! I resisted the urge to pet her. After all, that would be demeaning and rude- plus I had to wonder if I could even get close enough, bitch of a mood our Lady Dryad was in.

None the less, the dryad’s woods are now to the west, near our keep’s boarders there. No one is permited in or, I assume, near. Snobby little bitch, she is, but not a bad woman, I wouldn’t think. She has her reasons to be the way she is, and I’m not going to judge her for it.

After that, it was back to the keep to check on Simon. We found him outside of the keep, running a gambling game in one of the guard houses, several off duty- and a few on duty-guards causing a general mess inside there.


They shut up right the fuck fast when Ann and I entered. Ann, of course, had a real problem with it. I found the entire thing generally funny as all fuck, and not that big a deal.

Thus proceeded a big ass fucking argument. Ann was irritated, Simon being a peculate pain in the fucking ass. And I, of course, was no great help- I was mostly on Simon’s side. I saw no harm in a little less then fully acceptable behavior, so long as no one got hurt. After all, this place is as boring as hell, a white-washed bland place of work and ghosts.

Ann also didn’t like the idea of Whistles coming, mostly because his fucking name bugged at her. Now, I get it- I like Simon, in a weird way. He’s nuttier then a fucking bag full of acorns, has some damned nasty information in his past (We’ll get to that), he’s rude, he’s arrogant-

-the worst part is, the absolute bitch-kitty of it is, I can’t dislike him for it. In fact, the more I’m around him the more I like him.

I suppose that’s my problem- I don’t dislike many people. It’s just not in my nature to mistrust and second guess absolutely everyone I meet. And yes, there are people I don’t like and don’t trust.

That’s not to say I trust Simon. But rather, I think he is deserving of a chance to earn trust.

I highly doubt anyone has ever given him a chance to be anything other then what he is. I doubt anyone has ever given him a reason to be loyal to them.

And from the way things are going, with the way Ann and Talron think of him, it’s going to be the same here. We will give him nothing but money and then, when he stabs us in the back for a higher bidder, look him in the eye and call him traitor, even though he was never loyal to start with. Because he never gave him a fucking reason to be.

I don’t care how fucking innocent you claim to be, you’ve done something in your past you’re ashamed of. Everyone spends time telling me my past doesn’t matter, it’s who I am now that does- but fuck if they don’t refuse to treat him the same way.

Anyway, we’ll see what comes of this. If he backstabs us, we’ll find him and make him sorry, that’s for fucking sure. If he doesn’t, then we have one slightly nutty but generally tolerable companion.
Ann wound up storming out of that little argument. Honestly, it was two on one for the most of it, and I think Simon was rather amused from start to end, if his little gift of a gold coin to me and half laughing glances shot at me and then Ann were any indication. Didn’t seem especially upset.

We were assaulted by our emissary almost immediately again after we left Simon, and he was pleased to note that everything had gone so well with the building of the road, though a bit perturbed at the dryad’s actions and words.

The more we work with him, the more I decide I sorta like him. He’s fucking messy as all hell and talks so fucking fast it makes my head spin, but he’s patient and good natured, down to earth and seems fairly laid back. He does well with Ann, and he doesn’t irritate me the way most people with any power seem to be able to.

His next matters to discuss were considerably more serious then a road going through the citadel.


The first coupla things weren’t all that big. We had a threat of hill giants that might spring up- frightening, yes, scary as all hell, but not anything we had to panic over right away. Sides, there wasn’t a lot we could even do right off…..it would take planning and time before we knew how to handle something that bad. Hill giants, with the help of some orcs, took our castle once already, months ago.

They’ re nasty little fuckers, and from what I’ve seen, stupid as hell. But that being stupid makes ‘em all the harder to take down.

Well, that and we’re like, four fucking inches tall compared to them.


Matter number two was that there were going to be a fuck load of soldiers coming through our keep and it’s surrounding area, in order to take care of the orc threat and repair the bridge to the south of us, between us and Shoulwater.

And sure as fuck, that happened. First roughly one hundred and fifty, then more and more as they kept coming. Well over one thousand in roughly a month. People, of course, got real chatty about that real fast. Again, not a huge deal- they were a Good Thing, in a way, I guess. I mean, the more that happens the more I feel like we’re bein’ put on a leash, and the less I trust the citadel. But protection is protection, right?


Right?


What the fuck ever.


Matter the next was one of the most disturbing of all. The citadel insisted that we bring more soldiers into our keep- keeps- in order to protect those ‘pathways’ I wrote about earlier. The portals. Two hundred in Shoulwater and at least four hundred soldiers here. Not necessarily citadel ones, either, which made me feel better, anyway. But we were given the impression that if we didn’t get it done and fast, we wouldn’t have a choice.

So, we went back to speak with Talron again. We discussed the issues at hand with him, and got his full support once more in the actions we decided to take, such as bringing Ann’s father in off the council to be the one who inspected our portal.

And then Ann had to open her big mouth. There’s very little I don’t share with her- at least, not on a personal scale. She’s the only other woman around I really feel close to, hell, just about the only person in this place. She knows…..my thoughts on a lot of things.

And she’s taken it into her elven head that Talron and I are a couple of fucking stupid humans who are dancing around each other. And maybe we are- erm, stupid people dancing around each other, that is, ‘cause after some shit I found out I wouldn’t use the word human to describe him. I could be so freakin’ wrong about that, though.

So she goes and says ‘I think Semei has something of a more personal nature to speak with you about’ or some shit, and of course I can’t very well say ‘no I don’t’ when I’m the one that wanted to speak with him when he had more time, and went and blurted it out.

Sides, I guess it needed to be said.

All the same, for like, five fucking minutes all I could think was too soon, too soon, too soon, too soon- too FUCKING soon, and then he was just fucking watching me and I had to speak.

I had planned on having planned something to say, but I’d never gotten the chance. Between the emissary and everything else, I just never had a chance to think about it.

What came out, then, was a lot more elegant then I expected it to be.

I told him that my loyalty was to him, to people I care about here and now, this home, this future. The people that claimed I was one of them, I said, mean nothing to me until proven otherwise, and I owed them nothing unless it became apparent I did.

And I took off my necklace.

It was hard to do- I was surprised to find it was hard to do. I clutched it in my fist like it was beyond precious, and fuck if I wasn’t near tears.

But then, a choice is always hard to make, isn’t it? I said before I didn’t want to have to choose. But I’m glad now, that I know- we all know- which side I would choose, if it gets down to it. As hard as it was to pull off that necklace- to lay aside a life I may have had- I’d do it again if I had to.

He looked at that ring, in my hand, for a very long time. So did Ann- but I only mostly felt their looks. Couldn’t look up for anything, that was for sure. I may have just run from the room.

In reply, he asked me if it would make a difference if I knew. And with him, of all people, asking me, I couldn’t be anything less then fucking honest. I got no problem lying, but I just- couldn’t, not to him.

It’s stupid as all fuck, but I know, I know, I never could. Lie to him, I mean.

So I told him the truth- that I didn’t know. The look he gave me was typically undecipherable- typically Talron, I should say- and then he went to his desk and pulled out something.

He explained the parchment that he then put in front of us. He told me Damon’s last name-Delfott- and informed me that yes, he did have a wife roughly fitting my description, with a first name initial of S, up until two years ago.

So I might be Semei Delfott. Kinda pretty.

He agrees with Ann and I that this entire thing might just be a very intricate plot. Everything I know might be a lie, he said. Talron’s idea was this; that I knew too much, before, and that it somehow interfered with what needed to be done. Or perhaps I picked the direction they didn’t want me to go in. So by erasing my memories, they fixed their mistake and started over from the beginning.


It makes a whole fucking lot of sense.

He asked me to put the necklace back on. He said those who knew I was supposed to be wearing it would know if I took it off. Even if they’d never seen it on me. I'll explain that later, too.

This topic lead right into that of the orb we took from that place with the giant vampire, and Talron’s past.
The orb we’d gotten from there apparently has control over the dead. And if Talron had used it to take down the Knight, it would have killed him.

He would, apperantly, have been willing to let it.

We discussed it more, but he wouldn't or couldn't give a lot of information. He said if I wanted to know more about why the cyclops were being targeted, that I should ask a cyclops, though talking to a rock may be easier.

We also discussed Simon. Talron and Ann, as stated before, do not trust or like him, and The brigalron would have had Simon arrested or maybe thrown out if not for us. Not only because his loyalty can, apperantly, be bought, but because he used to take women's-he took their breasts.

As much as that disgusts me, the words it's a part of my life I don't like to talk about ring clearly in my mind. He has no pride in it, and so I don't judge him by it.

Maybe that makes me a sick and disgusting person, maybe that makes me someone evil and awful, but I don't know his reasons behind his actions, and I refuse to hold even something so apperantly horrific against him.

And with that and a few other topics covered, our meeting should have been over.

Now, what happened next is a more typically Semei moment- open foot, insert entire fucking leg.

I told him I almost wished I wasn't married.

And then ran from the room like a spooked rabbit.

I don't know what the fuck convenced me to say that. But it's the truth, you know? Just is, and there's nothing I can do about it.

The next time I saw him was after I went to speak with that cyclops.

I swear, I understand why people would want those infuriating bat-shit insane ass whack jobs dead.

Yeah, okay, so I kinda like the big guy, I'm just being dramatic.

He took me litterally when I said I wanted to speak about Talron, and the next thing I know, I'm trying to get my point across to a cyclops who doesn't seem to understand a word I say, getting more and more fucking flustered by Mr I Will Stare Out The Window and Drink Wine In a Superior Manner Whilst Laughing My Fucking Ass Off At Semei Who Is Only Trying To Help, Damn It.

I hit him with a pillow. Screw not looking at him, he was fucking laughing at me.

What's worse, is there's this little part of me that's happy I made him laugh. I don't see him laugh often- hardly at all, I think.

Son of a bitch, I can't even get mad at him when he's fucking laughing at me. AllI can do is sulk and repeatedly bitch slap that little corner of myself until it falls down whimpering into a corner.

Bad Semei. Bad Semei!

Anyway. So I ended up getting no where....found out that this guy used to be a 'gaurdian' of some kind (and forbid you ask 'what', because you will be looked at oddly and told you have a shallow interpritation of, oh, I don't know, every fucking thing) and that he blamed cyclops for his 'undoing'. They don't know why.

And, apperantly, it happened three thousand years ago, at least, in their time.

Now, let me pose a question.

How in the fuck could Talron have been about three thousand years ago?

Wait, no, don't answer. I don't even want to know, though I'm just sure as hell my lucky little ass will eventually find out.

So I left Ann and the other two and went to spy on one of the five watching me in the keep. I got her name and description, and she, as far as I could tell, never knew I was there watching or had contact with any of the others there to protect me. Or, um, maybe protect me.

We also went to see Adremadies, (another name I know I just spelled so wrong he'd never recognize it if he saw it himself) and lo, who should be there but Simon? Well, he just scuttled out of our way like startled little mouse, and in we went. Well, after hours of waiting for him to be done and one ghostly apperance. Yeah, we still have some of them hanging about, though they don't seem to interact with anyone or anything. Seem to being the key words.

We asked him if my little necklace was enchancted, and the answer was a yes. It was, he said, made to disertain the wearer's health, and if they were alive or dead.

Now, here comes more confusion and doubts.

I wondered before, why would Damon give me that ring? Now here's our possible answer.

Which could remove some doubt, or not. I don't know- it only confused me more. But I agreed to get it also made so that I could sense the other ring that went with it, the one that allowed the person on the other end to 'feel' me.

And so weeks past. Whistles came, and turned out to be quiet the fascinatition, he did. A man who did not exist before now and told stories that weren't great, but decently good, who said hardly a word but entertained troops without flinching.

He's young- I'd say around my age, maybe a yearish younger- but with white hair. And shy as a wild animal- Simon's opposit. Speaking of, he left the very day Whistles came, wearing a bracelet he'd had Adremidies. Besides Lim, that man is the only one here that I know of capible of even doing so, thus why I'd gone to him for my necklace.

And so days went by uneventfully.

Until Talron gave me- us- my- our- surprise.

We were set upon one evening by sevearl ladies, who proceeded to preen and primp us without so much as a word. We were fussed and messed over, dressed, out hair done, our weapons and armour placed on us, and for the first time in memory I had make up lightly applied.

It felt weird and I'd never been more self conciouse then when we were lead out with gaurds on either side of us into the courtyard, and who else but Talron appered on the other side.

Now. I hold no illusions to my apperance- Ann is beautiful -Ivy is beautiful. The dryad was beautiful....Illoria- Illoria was beautiful. Particuarly to Lim Dul. To him, she was lovely.

I, however, am not. Cute, perhaps; boyishly cute. Men do not find short, black hair in constant dissary attractive, nor someone built as myself.

I had never even thought about it in the past; now I had reason to. Standing next to Ann, I felt like a clown, or a little girl who'd gotten into her mother's make up.

All thoughts of oh fuck I look so fucking stupid what the fuck is going on changed to simply what the fuck is going on when things got on a role, though.

We were lead to a pedistal, and Talron and gaurds and soilders came up out from beneath the keep with out cleric, Thandrel, carrying an item designed for telling the way home by the stars- by always knowing north, I think. I wasn't sure a lot about it. Everyone but a few gaurd and Talron moved back, leaving Ann and I rougly alone in that courtyard. Thandrel set up his odd little item, and suddanly-

-suddanly the entire world just flipped on it's ass. That thing began to spin, and glow, and then I didn't know right from left for what felt like hours.

It wasn't even a full breath. And when I let it out and got my bearings back, not for the first time in my life, I wasn't where I'd been.

And fuck. Fuck do I wish I had the words to describe this place better.

It must have been so beautiful, once. It still is, in a horrible sort of way.

I don't even know if I should be writing about it. We weren't supposed to be there, Ann and I.

Nabudel.

Na-bu-fucking-del.

It was nothing more- and yet so much more- then a ruins. A dying, dead city that must have been breathtaking in it's glory, and I can just see the alabastor stone and marble floors that must have made up it's grandest buildings. It was huge, in every way just so big, and what the hell could have so much power and be so fucking, fucking evil to destory this place?

Wait, I know, so yeah.

Talron told us he'd brought us here to get something left behind- something of the 'old kings'. He lead us down the streets, finding ways that were clear. There wasn't one single hint of wind, in this place. If I've ever been anywhere so perfectly, perfectly still I don't remember it. But buildings still groaned and collapsed around us. Almost as if they simply didn't have the strength to remain upright, even without help of wind to push them down.

I felt my heart wrench. More so when Talron spoke, when I heard his voice. He sounded so aching, so hurt. As if this had occured yesterday, not years ago.

I hated the man who had done this just because he put that tone into my friend's voice. Even if he'd not done the things he had, that evil man made people I cared for suffer, and that is un-for-fucking-givable, thank you very much.

And all useless little Semei could do was touch his arm. I couldn't even offer condolences- they would be meaningless, in the face of something like this.

We moved through this beautiful, ravaged city, quiet and somber, respectful and troubled. Talron lost himself in memories, in thought, speaking rarely and then as if dreaming. I think there were moments when he could have almost forgotten who we were.

It's odd. Since the moment I met him, Talron has always seemed so big, so powerful and collected and calm and rational and able to handle anything.

Here, ironically enough, in a place where he should have seemed the same way- big and powerful- for the first time he felt....human. Small and fragile like any of us, vulnerable and open. Real.

I think it finnally hit me that he is just a person. Failable, able to be frightened, hurt, sad, confused, just as any of us.

We walked for a long time, crossing a bridge made of two buildings that had collapsed- fucking depressing, that was- and finnally up and up huge ass stairs into a manor of sorts high above our heads.

Once up there, we realized we could see the entirety of this place. It was easily bigger then our own citadel, and probably once far more lovely. It was a citadel, once. It must have been.

We walked through hallways with Talron's ocassional narration, and he spoke as though he'd just been there. He described the council room to us, where everyone stood- the meetings that sometimes took months or years, and his longing to hear even that fussing and yelling once again. We saw, in the same room, the collapsed torsoe of a something that had been destoryed. Everyone was very careful to go around it, and Talron told us it's name- his name- had been- was- Valor. He'd once been one of their other gaurdians, but our bad guy had taken control of him, and caused him to attack this place.

Through more hallways, past something that damn well growled at us, over a broken and crummbling floor, and up even more stairs.

We were taken then, into the only part of the building that seemed strangly untouched by everything that had happened. We approched a circular door we had seen something like once before, with a symbol of a tree of it. There were five other symbols around that tree, and two were broken- cracked, like they'd been hit by someone with a fuck of a temper.


The men who'd been with us this whole time formed a 'wall' on either side of us, and Talron just strode right up to that door. Someone said something about 'three of the wards still standing', or some such, and Talron did not seem especally shocked. He lifted a hand to the door, and something glowed for a moment before the tree on the door did, too. Then it slid out of the way and peice by peice a tunnel almost litterally fell into place. When the world stopped shaking and my ears stopped ringing, Talron headed with a few men down that hallway. Most of his men did not follow, but crowded Ann andmyself in. Only one had a prostest- that we were not of this city- but he waved it off.

He stepped into a room at the end of the hall, and knelt. Ann told me later he was whispering prayers for the dead. When he finnally rose, he spoke more louder, and his voice just boomed in an almost scary way. Can't remember exactly what it was he said, but when he said it- and introduced himself as being 'from the house of Talron', the entire floor started to move like a fuckin' puzzle. All around him, it shifted and lurched and moved and weaved, and the collums rose up around him. Each had a chest on it.

There was a long, tense moment as he approched on and closed his eyes, concentrating, his hand on it. Everyone held their breath, was tense and nervouse, and flinched and fell back a bit when he opened it. That seemed to both annoy and amuse him all at the same time as he reached in and pulled out three or four little items. He approches us once more, and handed each to one of the men with him....

...and then he handed one little case to me.

I don't need to be told what a big deal that is. I could see it in the faces around us- on his face. I tucked it safly away, dispit some upset amoung his men, and we headed out.

Right into the others waiting outside, who all instantly, instantly knelt.

"My King." They said, and, again, not for the first time, my mind just went wait what the fuck did I just fucking miss?!

And then he pulled out a crown, from one of those little things he'd taken from that chest, and the moment it was settled on his head they did it again.

He rose, and started to speak- but before he could finish, we had a surprise guest.

The Man In Black started to laugh.

It was a full sensory crash for little Semei.

I'm not afraid of many people. Fuck it, when it comes right down to it, I'm not scared of our ex sire, I'm not scared of anyone in the citadel, from Helix Mandrell to Nadir, (an asshole with an attitude) I'm not scared of King or Ivy, I'm not even scared of people in the worse parts of town that would kill you without much thought, I'm not scared of Simon.

This man, though- he petrifies me. I couldn't think to do anything, just cower back behind Talron and hope we didn't die too painfully.

Now, Talron knew who this man is- I told him about the man in black before we came here. Some, anyway. And so it both scared the fuck out of me and impressed me when he stepped right up and told him to get the fuck gone, like now.

The Man In Black, though, was not inclined to listen. It took just a wave of his hand to send all the men that had come with us back to the main gates of this place, and only we and Talron remained.

Now, I don't think that was supposed to happen- Talron not dissapering, like that. Apperantly it had something to do with touching that orb, because that's what our bad guy muttered before he tried again. And damned if it almost didn't work this time, either. Talron fought, activly fought it, and seemed as though he'd stay with us just because of the wanting to. If I hadn't been so fucking scared, I may have done something- as it remained, I just stood and tried not to breathe loudly.

Talron lost the battle to remain, and got slipped off to where his men were. Not hurt, we were assured, just returned to the starting point, and we had until sunrise to get back there ourselves.

Apperantly, he was not allowed to interfere in our lives- but interfereing in theirs was differant. And apperantly, this did not count as interferring with us.

He taunted us a bit, and then swished away. Leaving us alone in near-blackness with his little gift to us growling in the shadows.

A creature with three heads and six legs, a bad attitude and a willingness to fight rushed us out of the darkness.

A quick battle later, we realized something. Terrifying it may be, but this was just an animal, little smarter then any other beast, fighting only because it had been told to or it was defending something, and we had just slaughtered it.

By the end of the fight, this magnificent creature that had been so marvelously impressive was reduced to a pain wracked mask of itself on the floor, it's one conciouse head roaring at us in pain and defiance that seemed pitable and just fucking pathetic as all hell now that it couldn't even get up.

There was a moment in which I thought Ann was going to let it live, even though she'd made an oath on that damned bow of hers and we'd seen what happened if she didn't kill her target after doing that.

If she'd been too soft hearted, I would have killed it, though it broke my heart as well. We acted without thought, just as when we'd done what we had to Illoria, and again we paied for it by ending a life that did not need to end.

We had no choice, by the end of it, and while I'm sorry it happened the way it did, I can't say I'm near half as heart broken as Ann. Fuck, she was damn near to bawling over that thing, and while she took bits from it to sell, she was as sober and quiet as if she'd just murdered a child.

Didn't help my mood none.

And so we left.

It took us nearly twenty fucking minutes to find our way back over that damned broken floor leading into this room- oh so mysteriously the path laied out by Talron's men was gone- but after a bit ann hooked up a harness and pully, and got us across. Then back outside, making our way as fast as wefucking could.

Apperantly, there was something under that rubble bridge. I can't tell you what the fuck grabbed me as we crossed it, or how the fuck I got loose, but we were damned lucky with that one. Tenticals, that's all I know. The thing had fucking tenticals.

Ann crossed at a seperate point. I kept half expecting the damn thing to just reach up and pluck her in, rope and all, but she got across more safely then I did.

But that wasn't the bitch-kitty part. Oh, no, that part was just fun compared to what happened next.

Walking along with Ann scouting ahead, all I felt was a hand on my shoulder and something try to grab ahold of me. I don't know what he'd have done if he'd gotten control over me, but I shook him of, and pulled my dagger on the one person that scared me beyond anything I can remember. And for just that moment, I didn't feel afraid.

I just felt pissed off.

Especally when he called me 'little girl'.

We bantered. I hate to say it, but we did. And then he threatened the woman the one I knew about, who was at our keep watching me. I warned him to stay away- he just about laughed in my face. There was fuck all I could do to him, and he knew it.

He pretended like he knew me, before.

I hope like fuck he pretended like he knew me before.

And then he said the 'chimera' wasn't the danger he'd spoken of ealier.

No sooner did he glid off again then I heard Ann scream.

Were.

And fuck me, it wasn't my fucking King, neither.

I took off in that direction in time to find Ann trying to talk her way out of being lunch, and once she got behind me, I yanked out my silver dagger. I warned the big ass fucker to back off, but he ignored me like I wasn't even there.

Apperantly, this were was in the vision Ann and the other had, with me in it. Pointing. at them. With this big guy by my side. To kill, apperantly, or maim at the very fucking least.

I swear, I didn't exsist at that moment. Every scratch I made on him. even with the silver dagger, healed, and he tossed me aside like nothing.

And all I could think was, I'm tired of seeing my friends die. I'm tired of getting people hurt. I don't want this. I don't want it. Fuck it, I'm done. I give. If it means more people I care about die, why should I fucking fight it? Fucking why even bother?

And I told the one person that haunted my dreams that I would give him whatever he wanted if he called this monster off.

Ann just about had a fit.

Hell, it didn't matter anyway. He still bit her, and apperantly it was all a test- one we, or I, failed. I had only a moment to watch one of the strongest women I know break down into tears. Silent, none the less, which made them all the worse to witness- I've seen her cry maybe once before, and I barely knew her then. Now, seeing someone that had my respect and friendship so much break down into helpless, silent tears was heartwrenching.

The beast took off, and moments later one of Talron's scout's appered. A moment of shock, and then he was happily shouting that he'd found us.

Talron looked as bad as I felt. He didn't say shit to me, but 'do you still have it', and yes, I still fucking had it, I was exhausted and near to tears and hurting and scared but yes, I have your fucking box, King Talron, fuck you and your damned mother fucking box.



I nodded and wordlessly handed it to him.

Oh, come on, here. I didn't meant that little rant for shit, I just- needed to get it out of my system.

Of course I still had it. It was important to him, so I wouldn't loose it. It was my responsibilty, and he'd put his trust in me to take care of it. I wouldn't let him down, not as I had already too many times.

Even if it pissed me right the hell off to hear that question first thing, I understand why he asked it. It was just- I was on edge. Am still.

He took the stupid box, and we went home.

Back home, I didn't get any answers, just more damned questions. I appologized for what had happened, and it was if I hadn't spoken. But with everything that had just happened, I wasn't surprised. Nerves were raw and I think everything tetered pretty fucking dangerously on the edge.

But he told me he didn't think that person was in my head at all. Rather, that he was spying on me, and making me think he was. All part of the plot. I hope like hell that's true.

After we had discussed things to a point, and discovered Talron could likely be three fucking thousand years old, like the place we'd just been, we headed to our respective areas. On my way up to my room, I was- litterally- dragged into our little portal room by Dagon, and like a little boy, he demanded to know if I had really gone to Nabudel. He was excited and animated when I explained yes, we had gone to Nabudel, and described it for him, and we talked about it for a bit. He told me some of it's background, and then, after conversation about it pettered out, mentioned that yes. he'd seen the same man that I so hated watching me watch that lady. I got his promise he would come and get me if he saw that man threatening her, or that man threating any of the others.

I also got some very dragonly (?) advice at to what to do about my little situation. That is, advice no sane person would take.

I plan to see Talron again, as soon as possible. I'm- I want to make sure he's alright. And then I suppose things will carry on as normal here. Simon, I hope, will return soon with information, and I'll keep an eye out for our man, lurking about. I also plan to speak more with Dagon, I hope. He's really quite adorable when he's excited. It lifted my spirits, talking with him- like talking to a younger sibling, as odd as it seems, as he's probably much older then me. But there's a quaint blutness to him that makes him seem younger.

Well. For now, things are settling down, and there's nothing more to be done until there's a free moment. So.

Oh! And, I forgot to mention, we've gotten out soilders. More men from Talron's home, men that are his friends and allies- I'm honored and a little intemidated to have them among us.

Soilders are at our other keep, too, uninvited Citadel guards.....I'm avoiding that side of our life, for this moment. I don't want fuck all to do with them, and I'm quiet content on this par of our two keeps.

Ann has been trying to find a way to move the statue that activated the mini-keep in both keeps at once, and has recruted our cleric's help-he thinks he's figure out a way to get the statue in both keeps, but Ann may be unable to do it. But then, maybe she can. She's full of surprises, and never once fails to make me a bit edgy around her. In kind of a good way. But ther wer people- deformed, infirmed people- that are going to come to our keep for thart statue alone, looking for acceptance and shelter, so I hope she manages it. For their sakes, if nothing else. People shun them for their apperance, and that? Just pisses me off.

I'm both frightened and excited to see what's going to happen next.

I have a feeling this is about to be something like being stuck in a run away cart. You can control it to a point, but in the end you just hang on and hope you don't break yourself when you hit something.