What's Your Seal?

[Animegurl5]

The young girl sat on the roof of her home, eyes gazing up at the blue sky that expanded before her. Her fair skin was soaking up the warmth of the sun's rays, something many in her family enjoyed. Today it was just her, however, and so she sat in the best place at the time. She wore very little to cover her body, a thin strapped shirt and bottoms that where quite short indeed. But no matter the outfit, you were sure to find the detached bell sleeves with dragons embroidered in gold on the fabric. The cloth had been dyed black in order to absorb more sunlight efficiently. Some always joked with her about being just like a lizard, how right they were. A bird soared over head, her eyes scanning it's small form. Then her eyes turned to slits and the color became twice as beautiful to look at. The creature that had seemed only just a speck seconds before now appeared as close as her own hand. She smiled as her eyes returned to normal and she lay back against the warm shingles. Her eyes drifted shut as she became quite lazy in the warm sun, and with an enormous yawn, she drifted into a short nap on the roof of her home.

[selfexiled]

The thermals are excellent today. Thought the great bird as he hovered high above the clouds, staring down to the lands below to a human's eye all that moved below were ants scurrying about thier short lives before its often abrupt end. To the bird, however, details could be made out, male, female; hair color, clothing color and the like. With a great lazy bank did the bord make his descent the wind licking at his feathers with a delightful tickle that caused such a euphoria he couldn't help but shiver a little in exctasy. About ten feet from the ground he threw his wings wide halting his drop to a near stop. The sunlight catching the brillient colours in his wings seeming to light the very air on fire with oranges and reds and golds. In this flash of light more happens... the bird is gone, replaced by a young man dropping to the ground with ease. He stands the sun's light reflecting off his wild hair of deep auburn and brighter orange and blonde highlights. Considered quite handsome by many his face was a fine chiseled example of his heritage, his eyes a complete opposite to his hair, a deep enveloping blueish green with a gold ring about the irises. He wore little, atleast for his status, a loose white tunic the laces at the neck hanging limp in the breeze. Aged hard leather bracers on each wrist, each engraved with a flying pheonix. A sturdy belt that seems to be more decoration than necessity, close fitting pants of a deep, deep indigo that some would consider black. His boots seemed the most expensive of the clothing, like the bracers they were hardened leather but with several gold buckles and small plates most with ornate engravings of plants and flowers. A large plate on the front is again engraved with a soaring pheonix surrounded by flame.
The boots make his place in the house as servants are not permitted to see the faces of the family without permission, footwear is how each family member is labeled for the servants. His boots name him hier to the master of the house, the next in line for the greatest power the house holds.
The place he landed was not by chance, he was here to check on the farmers as was his duty...

[selfexiled]

"Good day to you farmer." An aged man turns to the young lord with head lowered but after a moment of recognition he raises his head to look the young man in the eye, "Ah welcome young master how is your day treating you?" "It is good Nicoli, how about your own?" "Ah well you know my age is catching up to me but I can't really complain." "Good, how are the fields looking?" "Well the far south fields are a little dryer than the rest but still suitable for proper growth. Though if a natural rain doesn't come through soon you may need to help it along. Our lumber forests are thriving though, these eyes haven't seen such growth in a decade." "This is good, the Master will be pleased... hopefully he'll step down soon, and then I might be able to help you with your age." "Haha ooh boy you flatter me with such a statement. But I have no need to live beyond my natural years. There's something peaceful about knowing your end in coming and you've lived a good life." "Perhaps if I had lived a different life I might agree with you old man." "Ha get out of here before someone starts looking for you." "Fine then, be well Nicoli." With a gust of wind the young man leaves ground changing back into the great bird he pumps his wings until he disappears into the clouds.

[Animegurl5]

Skylar's eyes snapped open as she caught the scent of something rather delicious. "Roasting chicken, my favorite." Her eyes snapped to the sky, searching for the flaming bird, but she was not so lucky. The scent hit her again and it was seriously lacking in the smokey flavour she enjoyed so much. "Not the master then, but I might as well tease his son." She laughed as two tremendous wings unfolded from her back and she kicked off the roof heading straight for the clouds. She didn't bother with the full shift but she knew that she still only had the two elements under her control as if she hadn't shifted at all. She grumbled at her rotten luck, having been so close to being the prodigy child but only the ancient master of her house had the ability to shift with all the elements in command. "Practice makes perfect." She recited to herself as her grandmother's words whispered in the back of her mind. Reaching the prefered altitude, she paused and hovered for a moment, her wings flapping lightly to keep her in place. She spun around in a circle searching for the bird she knew to be around. "Come on, where are you?" She hissed raising her hands above her heads calling forth the element of water. She took control of the water molecules of the clouds that obstructed her view, sending them swirling to the ground like a fog. She smiled at her little trick but that smile was soon lost as the scent of her Pheonix prey hit her.

[selfexiled]

Lazily floating through the clouds, Igneus's thoughts wandered about to the many different tasks required of the Master of the family most of which he had taken over now. One of the first steps toward taking over the position, as with all of the family he wondered both when he would be granted the new position, and how it was to happen... his talents exceed most of his family part of the reason he was chosen, now he sensed a change in the moisture of the air nearby. Turning about he watched a few clouds disperse, on the other side of them at the edge of sight was a flying... girl. Webbed wings protruded from her back, an odd feature to be sure. She was the source of the cloud change, this was displeasing, his family could do the same but made an effort to not alter the natural order of things. This girl was arrogent of nature and that was wrong. More for flair than necessity he shifted back to human form holding his position in the air for a moment, smiling and then dropping from immediate sight disappearing into the other cloud he shifted back and worked his own gifts... the sky and clouds around the girl darkened and thickened, lightening bolts began to trace back and forth between the clouds, a wind will have picked up whipping her hair about her face. The wind brought rain, cold, hard and stinging. Igneus had placed a miniature thunderhead about this girl. We shall see how well she handles this, Igneus thought. The master would be displeased that he acted so but would see the purpose behind it.

[Animegurl5]

Everything was quite amusing until the clouds came back to attack her and this displeased her greatly. This was her fun and it was a bad idea to mess with her amusement. Then the thought occured to her that the one who was messing with her fun was also the one she had been searching for. "So, you finally show your face... Sort of." She hissed as the storm raged around her and her alone messing up her hair and giving her a chill. She wrapped her wings around her human body and completed her shift. As she gained the scales and the talons and the many sharp teeth, she could almost feel any control she might have had over the element of water slip away as a knew one was replaced. She snapped her wings out and let out a tremendous roar as her full dragon body emerged. Using her ability over air she called a protective tornado about her body as she cast the winds away from her and higher into the air. Her wings had grown larger than they had been when she was just partly shifted and these were twice as powerful. Her eyes flashed a brilliant blue as her red scales shimmered with power and her black scales seemed to pulse in a never ending void. "I do not appreciate you messing with my fun. It wasn't as if it were going to harm anybody." The voice sounded was deeper than that of her normal but it was quite recognizable and beautiful all the same though it did not come from her mouth. The dragon's spoke no single tongue and so they spoke with their minds in an automatic translator for all that heard her thoughts. "I came for roasted chicken but all I got was a flying rat. Begone with you." The sound had a hint of amusement but mostly annoyance. She flapped her wings once to turn in the way of bird.


((She looks like this:
))

[selfexiled]

As Igneus flew away from the thunderhead he heard a low rumble that certainly was not thunder. It carried on far longer than a thunder clap for one, and also held a small bit of malise to it. The girl then was a little irritated, that's fine. Suppose we'll have a little fun then. With a strong thrust from his wings and a "sudden" tailwind he soared up and out of sight to another dense cluster of clouds. High into the sky to the point of the air thinning and shortening breath Igneus stops and holds position, though he can't stay long the air is to thin. But there atop his thunderhead the girl or dragon now seems to be resting, looking for him. Soo she can shift too. She's from one of the great houses, Igneus's family didn't really focus on the other families much so he couldn't really recall which house it was. But it had to be nearly as old as his, which means they are likely just as strong. This could be a fun duel.
She seemed to still be searching for him, suppose he should introduce himself. He tucked his wings in and dropped aiming for the spot right between her shoulders...

[Animegurl5]

She heard the ruffle of feathers but much to late to prevent the pain that erupted from between her wings on her back. It sent her falling for a few seconds before she finally got control back and spun around to face the bird. "You are really starting to play at my nerves, boy." Her voice was followed with an unearthly screach. She pumped her wings once, jumping past the body of the bird but her tail whipped behind her in an attempt to either damage her foe's wing or to grab a hold of the creature. It had been quite a long time since she had dueled anyone, let alone someone who had taken her by surprise but despite her annoyance she found that she was enjoying herself.

[selfexiled]

He had lost himself in the drop and the adrenalin that duels always bring. He meant to pull up slightly at the last moment and latch on to her back but instead slammed into her like a boulder. The impact forced her down several feet and himself back up. "You're really starting to play at my nerves, boy." She said. "Ha, you know better than any those fish scales if yours saved most of your nerves from that hit." She thrust herself upward with a quick strong beat of her wings propelling her above his head. The whip of her tail nearly taking his wing had he not reflexively rolled away from her leap up. Using the roll to make a quick drop to gain momentum and then sweep up in a long arc to meet her head on talons out front with a great screech.

[Animegurl5]

"Fish scales? I ought to pluck every last feather from your scrawny body." She hissed though now at the higher ground, so to speak. She watched closely as he turned about and came towards her talons at the ready. "Back off!" She blew a cloud of fire before her with an equally terrifying roar. Pulling her back feet in front of her as she latched onto the bird's own talons and gripped tightly. "You forget that I have four legs rather than just two." She pounded her wings downward and back to send her up and forward at a fairly high speed. With her front two feet she attempted to scratch at the creature she now held in her grasp.

[selfexiled]

The burst of flame caught him off guard but his speed pushed him through it with little harm but a least a few feathers were singed. Talons met and locked in place neither were leaving now. "You forget I have four legs rather than two." she bellows, obviously irritated by the fish scale remark. No matter, striking out at the palm of the closest foreleg his beak draws a fair amount of blood. "Now you have only three! Care to make it even! Hahahaha! Your scales are not as tough on your feet child!" Igneus strikes out at the other foreleg...

[Animegurl5]

She bellowed out in pain pulling her other leg in close to her as she dove for the ground. Somewhere below she caught sight of a farm and decided to loose him there, falling straight down for her target. "I'm rather hungry, how about a snack?" The ground was coming closer and closer, it wouldn't be long until they reached it. The question was, could she stop?

[selfexiled]

Looking towards the ground and recognizing the field. "Sure, we can have a snack. But that field isn't ready yet, are you sure you don't want a different one?" Looking intently at the beast and at the concentration on her... face. He took a moment to check his feet, currently locked together... A shift will loose the grip and free him from her grasp. In a blink, he changed back to human form and kicked away from her then changed back to the bird and swooped away turning to the girl as she continued to drop, "You may want to pull up soon kid." Though that may be hard since the dragon's body is heavier than the bird....

[Animegurl5]

"Coward!" She hissed attempting to pull up but she was already going to fast and had no time. She spun her body around so that her back hit the ground and she slid for a few meters before she stopped and rested on her side. The large beast form disappeared and left behind the youth completely covered in dirt and filled with rage. "You are just an over grown chicken!" She yelled standing to her feet. Without taking her eyes off of the bird she drew the water from the surrounding plants which made a ring around her right wrist. "Get down here." She shot the water she had collected towards the foe and watched as it took a shape quite similar to her beast form. It hovered just below him before rocketing forward...

[selfexiled]

"Quite a hard landing little one." "You are just an overgrown chicken!" she screamed. She created an orb of water which changed shape to match her own dragon form which hovered for a moment then rocketed towards him. He attempted to roll away to dodge the blast but the "wings" of it stretched out further than he anticipated. Wing striking wing he spiralled to the ground landing hard. His natural instinct to shift back kicked in though he lost consciousness on impact. Waking and coughing in the dust "Well girl, at least you can hit." Stand he turned to face her while slowly flexing his arm to test it's damage. "Though now the gloves are off." The sky went black, rain began in sheets, heavy and hard and near frozen. Then the lightening started, erratic at first then it became more and more focused to their field of battle. He held out his hands and caught one bolt then threw it at the girl, "Catch!"

[Animegurl5]

She hardly had any time to react and was most deffinately caught in between awe and terror at the lighting her opponent now had possesion of. She dropped down with her palms on the earth, closing her eyes and praying silently. Just before the bolt hit her, a sheild of the surrounding plants and the earth itself came to her aid. "Thank you." She whispered standing straight once more. Placing her hand upon the sheild that protected her, it now shifted into a shape quite peculiar indeed. The mass of earth dropped through the ground in the form of a shark that sank below out of sight. "Hm, now we face quite a delema. When I set one of these out of my grasp, I'm not as in full control as one might think. I have no way to know where this will come up, but watch yourself for it will still feed on my energy and probably do as I wanted it to in the first place. Just thought I would warn you since you were so gracious for the heads up on the lightning bolt." Her smile was innocent but around her was the air of rage that was only satisfied with a victory.

[selfexiled]

"Oh the fish scales summoned a fish. One that you can't control and hope it comes after me instead of you, smart... Well suppose we should hurry this along then, wouldn't want you to have to say you lost because your plan backfired." Looking around Igneus realized that the downpour he caused was coming so fast the ground wasn't taking it in and it was pooling at their feet. No warning this time, raising his hands high lightening struck them both and anyone who noticed saw a small grimace as it happened. He then raked down his hands like claws leaving trails from fingertips, driving the lightening bolts into the ground and the pools of water they both stood in. The lightening was so concentrated as it dispersed across the pools it could be seen arcing fromti another and to the occasional rain drop. The bulk of the charge screaming towards the girl....

[Animegurl5]

The male's comment about her summoned fish sounded distracted her somewhat and her thoughts wandered. "You know, now that you mention it, it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense!" At the word 'sense' she was jolted back to reality... literally. She made a move to jump out of the way but she ahd realized her mistake way too late. The charged particles hit her dead on and sent her back with a scream. She lay on the ground motionless for a moment, then suddenly she sprung to life. Very comical and quite enraged, she yelled at her opponent with an out of place energy. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE COMPLETLY INSANE!! DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME WITH THAT?! NOT TO MENTION YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY RUINED MY HAIR!" She began spazzing out in an attempt to fix her hair, which now was sticking out in a couple of places. She attempted to call forth water but every time she tried, she ended up zapping herself with the excess charge. "You are so lucky that I don't have enough energy to shift. I would take your head off!" She growled, placing her hands on her hips in defiance.

[selfexiled]

"Hahahahaha." Waving his hand the storm disapated. "Dismiss your ground shark and I'll help regain your composure." A light wind blew up ruffling clothes and hair. "Perhaps this will broke a littel good faith. A breeze to dry yourself."

[Animegurl5]

Rolling her eyes she sat on the ground with her legs crossed and placed her hands flat out on the ground before her with her eyes shut. You could almost just see a ripple in the earth, not unlike that when a droplet of water strikes the still waters of a pond. For a moment nothing happened but then there was a counter ripple and the large shark appeared before her, not in a happy mood at not getting a snack. It looked at her for a moment before she snapped her eyes open and extended her palm out to it's nose. With a loud, unearthly sound, the creature roared and disappeared. She let out a sigh as the slight tie with the creature was broken and the last of her energy dissipated with the large fish.

[selfexiled]

"Good, thank you." Walking to her and offering a hand out to help her off the ground, "Now then lets move to some drier ground where we can see to your pains and frustrations better. Then perhaps I shall give you a gift for being such a talented duelist."

[Animegurl5]

Accepting the extended hand, she pulled herself up off the ground with more difficulty than she had anticipated. "Great, gifts for getting my ass kicked and destroying a whole section of a feild. Whoes is this anyway?" She looked around her, unable to focus really on anything around her. Somewhere in the distance a loud thundering roar sounded above the clouds. "Oh crap, better not let him see you. Kind of over protective of family, especially his younger sister. I think we should hurry and get inside, before he finds out that I lost to a flying rat. Hey, for the sake of my head.... Can we call that one a draw?" She smirked, though more at self disappointment.  "The name is Skylar, by the way, but you can just call me Sky." She added, looking at him expectantly for his name.

[selfexiled]

The bellow was certainly not a friendly one and the fact that she knew it didn't help matters. "It is a pleasure to make your aquantience Lady Skylar. I am Igneus and you may call me whatever you wish, if I take exception I'll let you know. This is one of our fields but which one I'm not sure, my bearings are off at the moment. Let's move over to those trees and we'll talk more." As Igneus gestures with one hand the other reaches into a pocket to retrieve two small vials but says nothing about them yet.

[Animegurl5]

"Oh, sorry about that. I hope it recovers from this." She said, turning her steps in the direction of the trees. She noted the vials and pondered over the possibilities of their purpose. When they reached the cover of the trees, Skylar collapsed to the ground and leaned against the rough bark with a sigh. "I haven't had that much fun in ages, and I have you to thank for that Lord Igneus. Your fighting skills are definitely something to admire. If you don't mind me asking, are you the one to inherit the secrets of the Phoenix crest? It would be good to know that we have a good ally or a formidable opponent."

[selfexiled]

"It was fun. It's always the best when both are highly skilled. As to your question of who i
I am in line to inherit the final secrets of my house if the master chooses to relinquish his seat." Offering her one of the vials, "Here, take this you'll feel better." Taking the other vial, Igneus uncorks it and swallows the contents. With a long relieved breath/sigh he visibly looks better.

[Animegurl5]

"Interesting. Are you in line because of age or because of skill?" She took the vial with a murmered 'thanks' and uncorked it. In one swift movement she downed the contents of her vial and sighed. "Tastes funny." She pouted before returning to the inheritance talk. "You see in my family, one cannot just be in line to recieve the honor of being full master. Certain requirements in skill as well as other factors come into play. Not all of us have the abilities required to become the next head. My Grandmother is currently our head, and she alone hold the secrets to universal balance. I'm not in line for it but I am currently the most qualified. Can't say that everyone is so happy about it though." She laughed silghtly at the thought of her brother's many pouting sessions over the decision.

[selfexiled]

"Hmp, well it's certainly not a matter of age nor even direct bloodline. It's more a matter of skill both with our talents and the running of different operations of the home. I have shown the most competence in both so far. The only issue is that the final secrets grant a near immortality and the master of the house can decide when he passes on this secret. But he also will lose it's ability." After a moments pause and with a slight smirk, "I find it funny that you remark on the taste of the solution but yet you do not ask what it is."

[Animegurl5]

"I find the less questions I ask about strange drinks, the less I worry that you are going to poison me. But I guess, since you insist, I'll ask what it is. Sir Igneus... What is it that tastes so funny?" She smiled looking at the vial, now genuinely curious and hoping she hadn't made a foolish mistake.

[selfexiled]

"Hahaha, well rest assured it's not a poison. Simply a healing draught with the primary ingredient being phoenix tears. The master likes to ensure his hier is around when ever he decides to pass on. But I do thank you for humoring me and asking the question. Also you'll find your strength has returned."

[Animegurl5]

"I am fully aware of the healing properties of pheonix tears, that's still kind of gross though." She smiled and turned her gaze to the sky, her eyes following something that hung above the cloud line. Her expression changed from a grateful smile to a tense glare and she seemed to try and sink into the trunk of the tree. "If he comes down here, I'm going to be furious."

[selfexiled]

Following her stare but not making the effort to shift his sight, "Would this be your... brother you're talking about? For surely he sees the damaged field and likely smells us both or atleast traces of us. Though, if you would care to depart you certainly can wouldn't want to get you into any kind of trouble with your family."

[Animegurl5]

"No, it's fine. I won't get into any kind of trouble, I'm too skilled for anyone to go against me... Even my own brother has learned not to mess with me when I growl." She smiled in a boastful manner, her eyes never leaving the skyline. It was then that the clouds parted around the large form as it came rocketing towards the ground. He pulled up last minute, making a loud bellow as he touched down heavily. His eyes first scanned the farmers around him, then locked with his sister's. What are you doing with this filth? You should know better than to talk to the lower life forms. The voice was deep and threatening, his eyes never leaving hers. She stood up with a hiss, walking forward so that she was level with his large snout. "I can do what ever the hell I want, and there is nothing you can do about it. For your information, I was in a duel. Now I would like it if you would just leave me be." She growled, clenching her hands into tight fists.  He stared at her for a moment before replying. No. That was all he said before he took the back of her shirt in his mouth and lifted her from the ground. She flailed around, trying to hit him in the nose but he had a good grip on her. "Let me down you big lizard. I told you to leave me alone." She whined, looking back at Igneus. "I guess I will see you later." She called apologetically as her brother pushed off from the ground and took flight. She hung there limp with her arms crossed, yelling at her brother the entire flight home.

[selfexiled]

Well if it was any other than family carting her away Igneus felt he should come to her aid. But given that it was a family issue and he knew she was more than capable of handling herself.
Suppose I should return to my own house and inform the master what's going on incase this encounter turns afoul, Igneus thought. After assessing the damage to the field and mentally going over figures for loss of profit and recovery time. Igneus shifted and flew back home.

[Animegurl5]

Skylar landed on the ground with a grunt as Sebastian dropped her from a few feet off the ground. He circled back around and landed gently on the ground before his home and his sister who was already recovering. He shifted back to his humanoid form, though he was sure to keep his wings and tail. Crossing his arms he looked at his sister who was silent in her rage. "I turn my back for five minutes and you find the need to run off with some stranger? What was going through your mind?" He said, concern filling his voice but he was still quite angry with her. Placing her hands on her hips she hissed at her older brother. "I am perfectly fine on my own. The last time I checked, I was quite capable of a simple duel. And he isn't a stranger, he is our neighbor and he has a name. Igneus is a perfect gentleman." She pouted, hating it when her brother interfered with her matters. "I don't care if he is the supreme ruler of the world, he is nothing to me and should be nothing to you. Sky, you are of noble decent.... A dragon for crying out loud. He is nothing but a roasting chicken, and will be treated as such, do you understand me?" "Yeah, I understand you perfectly..." She noted her brother's muscles relax as she said this but she wasn't finished her sentence. "But, I will not take orders from you. If this is truly an issue that you need solved than take it up with Grandmother. Otherwise just leave me to my own decisions." And with that she turned around and stormed into her house, heading straight for her room.

[selfexiled]

The thermals allowed Igneus to simply glide home which gave him plenty of time to think about what all happened today and how to explain it when asked. But with his mind else where he didn't notice the other until they hit him. They came from below and instantly locked talons and screeched in his face... the master. "WHAT IS WRONG YOU!?!?!" "My lord what are you talking about?" "You know the rules you do not cause a storm where ever and whenever you like! You have ruined that field for weeks!" "I was in a duel! Did you want me to lay down and take it?!" There was a pause that seemed to stretch on forever the wind howling as the two bodies dropped. "Did you win?" "HA! Yes, now let me go before we end up picking our feathers out of the dirt." The master released his hold and both broke away only clearing the ground by some six feet. They came back together and landed, shifting back to human form they came together and started walking towards the house. "So who was it with?" "I'm sorry?" "The duel you feather-head." "OH! A dragoness named Skylar. She's good, if I had had to have gone on anymore I would've had to pop a vial to keep going." "Hmm, she's likely to be their heir then." "That's what she said. Then her older brother came and carried her off like a bitch carries her pups." "Not surprising, the lot of them think they're so great that everyone else should bow to them... they are not immortal."

[Animegurl5]

"Um, excuse me. Are you Igneus?" The voice belonged to a young girl, only about the age of eight but you could already tell she was to grow up a beauty. Her long dark hair matched perfectly with her pale green eyes, her skin a perfect glow of complexion. She tilted her head slightly to the side as she looked at the backs of the two men before her. She spoke again, this time a little louder. "Are you Igneus the great flaming chicken?" She asked, her voice full of innocence... She didn't really understand what it was that she was saying... Just repeating what she had been told.

[selfexiled]

The first remark went unheard as Igneus and the master were still in conversation but the remark about a flaming chicken rang out loud and clear. Both froze after a momentary pause of the insult sinking in both spun around the master bursting into flame in anger,"WHAT DID YOU CALL HIM?!?!" Igneus a half second behind him realized the nature of the being who uttered such words. "Wait!" Placing his hand on the master's shoulder to restrain him the flames seeming to be nothing more than light on his hand but yet was scorching the grass beneath their feet. "She is just a messenger. And an innocent one at that she knows not what she speaks of. CALM DOWN! You're scaring her." Igneus had never raised his voice to the master before no one had it just wasn't done. The master paused and stared at him in disbelief. The flames slowly died away his anger dwindling. In a huff the master turned away, "We will speak later in my chambers." Taking a few steps he shifted and flew away with a shriek.

Turning to the young girl, "Now that that is over," kneeling down to her level to ease her fears, "What is your message for me young one?"

[Animegurl5]

She had taken a step back from the fury of the master, her eyes never leaving the scorched ground. When Igneus knelt down to her level she met his gaze and pointed to the patch of dead grass. "I can fix that." She said, not looking at where she pointed but holding his gaze. "My sister is the one that you dueled with, are you not? She said that you both messed up the ground and that it needed help. So I came to help fix it." Her eyes shimmered with a type of sadness, as if she were about to cry over the dead grass. In reality, she was by far the best with her ability over earth in the entire family. It was also her only ability so she had time to perfect it despite her age. Just to show him what she meant, the small girl walked over to the patch of dead earth and knelt down to reach it. Placing her finger tips to the ground she breathed life into the patch and watched as it grew green and perfectly healthy once more... Even better than it had been before being burned. "See. I can fix your plants." She beamed brightly, proud of her work.

[selfexiled]

"My that's quite the talent you have there, and to answer your first question yes indeed myself and your... sister did duel earlier." Pausing for a moments thought, "Yes we certainly did ruin a field, it's quite some distance from here, however. If you like," shifting into his other form, "you can sit on my shoulders while we fly to it." He lowered his head to allow her more ease to climb on if she so chose.

[Animegurl5]

The small girl squealed with delight as she clambered up onto Igneus' back. "Yay! Chicken back ride!" She beamed brighter than the sun as she clung gently to his feathers. "Healing the earth that breathed life into us is something I take great pride in... In return for me healing her, she also protects me from danger. So don't try anything funny, ok?" She added a pout to her words, as if she really were expecting the guy to be a total perv.

[selfexiled]

"Ha ha ha, well while I'm not fond of being called a chicken little one I certainly have no need to cause you any distress. Hold on." With that Igneus pushed off the ground flapped his great wings and took the two if them high into the air and headed towards the damaged fields. "So I'm guessing that you are not able change like your sister. I bet this is an amazing experience for you to feel the wind on face in this manner."

[Animegurl5]

"No I can't shift like my brother and sister... but I'm not the only one." She closed her eyes and smiled as the wind lifted her hair and whipped it around her head. "This is so cool! Is it like this all the time?" She lowered her body so that she could lift her arms to immitate Igneus' wing movements.

[selfexiled]

"Yes I would have to say it's like this most if not all the time. Some days the weather is not as nice to me but it generally feels like this." It was fun to introduce someone to flight especially one so young and innocent. Pure joy could be heard in her laughs and squeals. He stayed up far longer than needed but the sun was beginning its descent so he had to go to ground so she could complete her task and get home before dark. He started a wide slow banking spiral towards the ground. Mindful of his passenger he kept quite level through it all until they touched down.

[Animegurl5]

"Fun fun!" The young girl shouted with glee, until her eyes rested upon the ground below them. "You two are so clumsy." She said with disapproval, sliding off of the bird's back the moment they had touched down. The moment her feet touched the ground, it seemed that all the plants still alive gained an aura matching that of the young child's. Stepping out into the center of the disaster, she spread her arms out wide and took a deep breath. When she released it, what came out was the most beautiful note to ever reach one's ears. The earth around her seemed to drink it up, growing stronger and a little more healthy with every passing moment. The one note turned into sevral, and from there a full song that carried on the wind to surrounding plants and people alike. The words were of unknown language to the youngster but it felt natural and so she didn't fight it. The crops beneath her feet began to spring to life, some even spurting up through the earth for they hadn't the strength to before. They were a vibrant green and a healthy appearance to each. By the time the song had ended, the area that had been ruined indeffinately seemed more alive than it ever had been before. Unfortuneatly the same could not be said for the young girl. As powerful as she was, the level of power that took was more than even her sister was capable at her current position in time. She collapsed to the ground, panting and sweating. Despite her exhaustion, she still smiled and said, "The name is Melody, by the way."

[selfexiled]

"Well Melody," kneeling down beside her. "It's nice to make your aquaintance. I must say you have the most beautiful of gifts, and I thank you for being so willing to share and help my lands. I would like to offer you a ride home as it is late in the day and you seem much drained from your acts."

[Animegurl5]

"Thank you." She panted, looking up at him with disapproving eyes. "You should be more careful, the earth is not very happy with you right now." Her eyes lit up, however, at the mention of a ride home. "We get to fly again?" She was quite excited and it was very noticeable the change in her aura.

[selfexiled]

"Yes, we get to fly again." grabbing Melody under her arms and lifting her I've his head Igneus placed her on his shoulders then shifted and took off high into the sky. "I will say this, sunsets will never look the same once you've seen them from the air and flown through those purple and orange clouds." With that he swooped and dived amongst the clouds painted by the sunset.

[Animegurl5]

"Wow, so pretty." Melody managed through a yawn. Despite her wishes to stare at the beautiful scene for longer, her eyes were fighting to close. She lay her head down in the feathers, a content smile sliding over her face. "Fun..." Her breathing deepened as she fell into a light slumber, the wind blowing her hair behind her like a banner. Somewhere far below, Skylar stood out front of the property that was her home. The gate towered behind her, the crest reflecting the light of the setting sun. If you looked closely, it seemed to shine better off of the symbol for fire and the fire of the dragon itself. Sky had a smile on her face, her eyes closed as she felt her kin coming ever closer.

[selfexiled]

Noticing the slow steady breathing of his charge Igneus began his decent to her home. As he broke through the remaining clouds he spotted Skylar waiting by the gate. He slowed his decent to the landing as possible so as not to wake Melody. Touching down with light hops then to a walk he made his way up to Skylar then bowed presenting his passenger. "She is a pure soul this one. Do make an effort to keep her that way if you can."

[Animegurl5]

"I wonder if she will be next in line to me for the head of the house. She has always had the kind of spirit in which she will help anybody out. Even though it's her only ability, I do believe she would have what it takes to keep this family running in the case of both Grandmother and me.... well I leave that one to the imagination in the case that my words might reach her dreams." Sky smiled sheepishly before taking a step forward and claiming her sister. "For a pack of lizards, we ain't too bad now are we?" She smirked, the friendly rivalry shining brightly in her eyes.

[selfexiled]

"If lizard you think you be. I find rather that the tales of 'dragons' being celestial beings more fitting for you and the young one here. Come to earth as a falling star to remind the masses of the beauty that lies in the heavens. Be it of face." Igneus' wingtip strokes Skylar's cheek, "or of soul." Lightly the tip caresses where Melody's heart would be.

[Animegurl5]

"For the most part, however, the great Dragons of old were murdered in their homes for they were thought of as evil. But we shall never really know, shall we?" She shrugged, and despite her words, she was quite happy with what he had said about them. "Perhaps I misjudged you. Not a chicken, but a hawk. Fierce in battle and strong willed. It's easy to confuse the two... both are very delicious when dumped in soup." She allowed a short spurt of quiet laughter before her stomach growled loudly. "Perfectly timed, as always. All this talk of food has me hungry for dinner. Care to join us?"

[selfexiled]

"Many a thing has been claimed evil and destroyed simply out of ignorance. As to dinner after all your jests how can I be sure I won't be the main course, hmm." After a small chuckle of his own, "I wonder though how your family will accept me as a dinner guest."

[Animegurl5]

"Oh, they won't like it one bit to be honest with you. However, we honor debts with the highest regards and I have quite a big one to repay." She smiled and shrugged again, turning her back and walking through the gate. Over her shoulder she called, "And you needn't worry about a thing... You aren't mature enough for me to enjoy quite yet. And way too scrawny." Her laughter echoed off of the objects about her, filling the air with an electricity.

[selfexiled]

Shifting to human form and falling in behind her. "I don't recall anything about you owing me something. Plus I'm not quite sure how to take that last comment, my family ages well and I think my physique is considered fit in the eyes of most people."

[Animegurl5]

"It was the best fight I have had in a long while, how can I not repay you for that? Plus the liquid thingy you gave me after the battle, remember that? It's a belief of mine that if I don't repay a favor properly, something bad will happen to me. Karma I believe the term is." She walked the rest of the way to the door in silence, turning to him briefly once when they reached the door. "Just follow my lead, and don't pick a fight." She then pushed the door open and walked inside, immediately being greeted by a large figure... Very tall and quite muscular, towering above her like a troll.

[selfexiled]

"Didn't pick you for someone that believed in karma." Nodding at her request to be civil when the giant appeared at the door he remained quiet until Skylar made introductions and defused any immediate irritations.

[Animegurl5]

She didn't even blink twice at the guy before handing him Melody. "Hey Dug. Didn't realize you were here... Sneak in while I was away this morning?" He nodded before looking behind her and spotting Igneus. "Who is he?" Sky looked at him warningly and stated simply, "Igneus came for dinner." Then she walked past him and motioned for Igneus to follow. "That was my cousin Dug... He's not much for words so I wouldn't bother with an introduction. I'll point out certain people as we go along... and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask."

[selfexiled]

"So I shouldn't bother to strike up an indepth conversation with him then?" Looking around at the home, "I wonder if you could describe the decore here since my own home looks nothing like this. What are the inspirations? How old are some of these paintings, vases, statues?"

(Just grasping there, but would like a description of the house.)

[Animegurl5]

"You like? We took inspiration from the older Japanese culture and bits and pieces from the English. A weird combination but I think it works out just fine. The house is a couple of floors and continues to grow but it expands far behind, as you should have noticed from the sky. The majority of art pieces you find in this house are from members of my family. Dating back all the way to the first pack of us. It's a way to help us practice, both in groups, pairs or even in solitude. And it's rather pretty." She lead him around to the open courtyard, filled with beautiful vegetation. Sitting out in the middle of it was a man meditating. Stepping down and following the foot path she walked up to the man. "Hey Dan, is dinner almost set?" She asked, and for a moment he didn't reply. "Yeah, I think so." He opened his eyes and saw Igneus, his eyebrow raising in question. "Dan, this is Igneus a friend of mine. I dueled with him earlier, and I have to say I think you would have enjoyed a fight like that." She smiled then turned to Igneus. "Igneus, this is my Uncle Dan... He's like 20 and most deffinately the type of guy you could get along with. Unlike Dug, this is who you have your deep conversations with. He loves strategies and mysteries and well talking in general. Dan, go wash up. You're all covered in dirt..." She growled at him, rolling her eyes. "He also has the maturity of a todler." She added. Dan grunted. "I can hear you, I hope you know that." He sighed then began walking off. "I look forward to talking over dinner." He called over his shoulder at Ignues.

((Lols, completely forgot about the house. XP I have a picture I drew inspiration from:

[selfexiled]

((Very nice house))

"I look forward to the conversations with new people." Waving to Dan as he left, "Well Sky seems that other than your brother everyone I've met in your family appears decent enough." Taking a moment to look up to the sky, I've always been fond of the stars you know and this open courtyard has just the right ambiance to amplify the beauty of the moment."

[Animegurl5]

((I know right?! I wish my house looked like that.  :o ))

"Wait until the drinks start pouring." Sky sighed, as if dreading the meal to come. "You are a lucky individual to be invited to this dinner. It's the reason some of my family returned home early from personal training. Tomorrow is the start of our family tournament, a set of games and tasks set up to test our skills against our brothers and sisters. It's so much fun, but they made it a tradition to have a huge feast the night before just so they can get drunk. Quite pathetic... but if you have ever seen a drunk dragon, well you might as well end your life. Absolutely nothing is more amusing that that." She smiled and laughed, remembering her memory of the previous year's tournament."What about you? Does your family ever do anything like this?" She then asked, looking up at the sky. She knew exactly what he was talking about. The courtyard had always been the dreamers' spot, a quiet corner to read and study. The right conditions to train in relaxation. It was the reason it was created and well protected.

[selfexiled]

"Well, not really. Some of us have tried on our land but it got cut short because of what it does to the fields." After thinking for a moment and then smiling, "But being able to fly opens up the chance to find abandoned valleys and what not so some of us still get together every so often. As far as feasts, we try to adhere to most of the standard feasts and celebrations of the common people so as to include our workers." Looking back on memories past, "Though we do have a couple of feasts exclusively for the family. Once one of the young ones come of age and shift for the first time, and when the head of house changes. Oh and the anniversary of our first father's establishment of the house."

[Animegurl5]

"Include the workers, huh? Why not just invite them to feasts anyway? Here we value the work that we accomplish on our own but here and there you might find a servant in charge of caring for the very young and the very old. All work on crops, art pieces and the upkeep on the grounds are all done by us as a part of our training. So we don't have many servants, but the ones we do have are invited to just about everything. Just not to the celebration we hold for the shift in power, when our current head hands off the power to their successor." Sky talked with pride at her family's customs. Her smile faded though as the sound of footsteps came down the hall. They were the distinct sound of Sebastian's pace, the very last person she was interested in seeing. He rounded the corner and stopped dead, a glare immediately painting across his features. He took a threatening step forward but Skylar had already anticipated his reaction. Her eyes shifted to the menacing glare that her dragon form possesed and her teeth elongated in some places. The growl that came forth was not in the bit human, the partial shift giving her hiss a deeper and more threatening sound than it would have been had she stayed in her complete human form. Sebastian paused, his eyes not leaving Igneus' form. "Why is he here?" He hissed, obviously displeased. Turning towards Ignues, Sky gave him a 'told you so' look and then returned her gaze to her older brother. "Oh him? I hope you don't mind that I brought a friend to dinner. Melody will be skipping out on tonight's festivities so you can sit at her spot at the table, because Igneus here will be taking your seat across from me." She said deffinitively. "We will see about that." Was all he said before stomping off. "Don't worry about him. He has trust issues. The more you ignore him, the better off you will be. Now, I smell dinner! Let's go and meet the rest of the family. She lead her guest into the room where a long table was set. It was low to the ground and had pillows wet out at each place. The food was already being set out along the table, the auroma filling the room to the point where you could almost eat the food through the air. "What do you think?"

[selfexiled]

"Well, keeping the servants out of a couple of the feasts is not really a welcome policy but as it is. Really the idea behind the family being the only ones present for the young ones first shift is that not everyone gets it right the time around. So we keep them with people that have raised them and they feel most comfortable with. We raise our own, and the servants generally work the fields. We have about forty families that work for us. So it gets a little difficult with that many people."
Busy talking Igneus barely noticed the man approach. The curt arguement between the two reminded Igneus of some of the fights he'd seen in his own home, though he had no direct siblings of his own many of his kin looked to him as a brother.
"Well this IS quite the spread. And it smells wonderful."

[Animegurl5]

"Makes sense." She nodded her head as he explained a few of the feast customs. Then she sniffed the air with a smile. "Mum's cooking. You can tell because she always uses a special method when cooking and it turns out better than anything else. She won't share it with anyone for the moment, but she said that she was in the process of writing it down. I guess that she plans to share it when she takes her trip to the grave. Until then, I'll be content with not knowing." Sky laughed and pointed to a specific seat. "That right there is my brother's seat. You can sit there while I go see if Mother needs anything."

[selfexiled]

"Well I would think half the fun is trying to guess how she did it as you eat it." Looking to the seat, "All right... though I feel a bit odd seating myself then having my hostess leave but I'll be alright." As she leaves Igneus sits and looks around the room, seeing a table already full of many platters of food but there are obvious gaps for more to come, surely this was a feast. The decor was masterful, she said each was done by a member of the house at one point in thier history. Surely they are great artists. Many of the sculptures seemed ready to step off thier pedestals they were so life like.

[Animegurl5]

"You have no idea." Sky smiled, dissapearing around the corner. Back in the hallway in which the two had entered stood three young children, two boys and one girl, all staring curiously at the dinner guest. They giggled quietly to themselves, pointing at the strange man and wondering about him. Sky returned with multiple platters in which she placed expertly at different parts of the table, her eyes turning to the spying kids. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked sternly at them. "Go wash up, dinner will start soon. Off with you now, shoo." She watched with amusement as they scattered, laughing all the way out. Rolling her eyes she looked at Igneus. "Kids." Behind her, Dug dragged a large block of ice into the room sitting it on the center of the long table. "Yours." He said simply, turning and leaving again. "Honestly, I did the last one! You have got to be kidding me." She sighed, placing a bare hand on the freezing ice. "Want to see how we decorate the place?" Closing her eyes, she breathed out slowly. Her breath showed frosty white, despite the warm room, as if she had become part of the ice itself. The large block began to move, to take a shape. It appeared as a thin dragon wrapped around a crystal like structure. It unfolded its wings as it looked at her, a sound erupting from its mouth. It rang like crystal bells throughout the room, holding an empowering chill to the tone. Skylar smiled as she removed her hand from the icy dragon, the sculpture immediately falling still. "What do you think? Cool huh? We don't just control the elements, we breath life into them. We become one with that in which we seek help with. If one suffers, so does the other. We keep the balance between humans and spirits. Most find it hard to understand, but it's something that our family leaders must learn. I admit, it took me a while but the longer I thought about it the harder it got. It's not something that can be taught, you have to feel it. And I have to say, it feels wonderful."

[selfexiled]

Igneus couldn't help but smile at the unbridled curiousity of the children, that was one thing you could count was children being honest about how they felt about someone. Sky returned with several plates moaving about an placing them like they were attached to her cause they didn't move at all until she set them down.

Dug dragged in an enormous block of ice and set it before Sky indicating she was to do something with it. Which she immedieately complained about, it was kinda funny to watch the sibling banter. She then reached out and caused it to change.

"I am quite impressed with your talents. I would've created a vortex around the ice and let the wind shape it but asking it change shape itself is quite unique. And I think I do have some idea of what you speak of, while it's fun to control the weather there are limits to what you can do before you upset the balance that nature has made. Even though we don't ever wish it sometimes droughts are needed along with forest fires, and tornados. While we have the power to stop them, we can't always do it. Without some death there can be no life."

[Animegurl5]

"Exactly. Without a drought, the plants can't adapt to grow stronger. Without forest fires, the trees would sufficate and nothing could grow anew. And even tornadoes and heavy rains, floods and slides included are necessary so that we may learn to build better and stronger. Nothing can exist without a price, and every price is worth it for a newer and better life. That is the natural way of things. I believe I heard somewhere that chaos is the law of nature and order is the dream of man. We can't control what isn't ours, but we may guide it." She smiled, reciting the words she herself thought of the world. Behind her a light clapping emerged. She didn't have to turn to know that it was Dan from earlier. "Very well spoken, I couldn't have said it better if I tried." Attached to his sides were the three younger children from before, their hands still dripping from washing them for dinner. Skylar sat across the table from Igneus, Dan sitting beside her. "The rest of us should be arriving shortly, the smell of this food has just about soaked into every inch of this house." Dan said with a shrug, eyeing the food hungrily.

[selfexiled]

Seeing Dan Igneus stood and bowed slightly. "It is good to see you again philosopher." As Dan sat so did Igneus. "As to the nature of chaos being the way of nature, I think that in the grand 'chaos' that is the way of nature there is an order to it, but it is so far reaching that we will never live to see it. Could it not be true that many eons ago what was once a desert received a flood and is now a small ocean full of life. But lets say that said flood could not have happened if there was not a great fire that destroyed a forest, which removed that lands ability to hold its seasonal rains which led to the flood. Now several generations later the forest has recovered, however, in a slightly diminished form but yet its first demise was used to create a whole new world and then itself was restored. These may seem as chaos since it was likely to have happened over several hundred generations, but it was all planned in the great scheme of things."

[Animegurl5]

Dan listened intently to Igneus' words, nodding when he had finished. "Precisely. I think it helps to imagine life as a painting though. Each brush stroke adds on and to the finished product, but until you see the full painting it is impossible to tell what it is supposed to become. The only exception is those who ask the painter themselves what the picture is meant to represent. In our world that is what death has become. Those who have lived out their lives, watching as their brush stroke comes to end. Those who seek enlightenment and move on in order to see what will come to those they left behind. Whether they laugh of they weep at what they see, the painting is still beautiful either way."

[selfexiled]

Igneus also nods to Dan's remark even considered clapping to it, "Agreed, there is a haunting beauty to the finality of life's end. Though so many are focused on thier little portion of the picture and making it look better than everyone else's that they do not see what they are adding to the greater whole and when it comes time for thier part to end they are upset because they didn't get what they precieved to be the best colors or patterns on thier little nook." These thoughts caused Igneus to stop short and reflect on many of the previous masters of his house, he had just described at least half a dozen of them but several more were the exact opposite and saw the immortality of the master of the house as a way to reach out to others and help beautify thier portions of the painting as well as their own. He hoped one day he would be considered one of those that reached out instead of withheld.

[Animegurl5]

"I agree but this is where he and I differ in our op pinions. While Dan here believes that it is impossible to know how ones stroke will flare and what pattern it could be I take a different approach. I strongly believe that we witness many possible versions of the painting when we close our eyes and dream. There is a reason that some dreams fade the moment you wake up, and it is because what you saw isn't meant to be shared. On the other hand, some are lucky to remember even just the slightest bit. Those are the people that create whole worlds that only they can see. Like children. We call it make believe but what if they are truly windows looking upon what could be? What if great artists gather inspiration, whether it be painting or singing or writing, from these rare glimpses into the future?" Skylar proposed, immediately getting a look from Dan.

"We call their games pretend for a reason. What they are looking at and experiencing is nothing more than them learning about their surroundings." He countered, earning a scowl from Skylar.

"See what I mean Igneus? He refuses to admit the slightest possibility of predictability. But early societies prophesied the comings of great creatures like us before our families had even gained the enlightenment required to shift. Don't you see, Dan. People thought of us before we existed. It was a plan already set in motion and somebody caught a look at what was to come later down the road." She sniffed as Dan rolled his eyes.

[selfexiled]

"Ha ha ha ha, well it is true that what children consider to be real and possible adults call make-believe and fairytale. I would like to think that both are true. While yes stories children dream to pass the time or play with friends may well be pure fantasy there is still a possibility that every so often what they dram may come true. For most of us mortals the dream of immortality is unreal, but then some of us," gesturing in a circle. "Know that that is not entirely true. Have you considered ever going to the moon? You know it is to far because the air becomes to thin and you can no longer fly but what if you had strength enough to create a bubble of air around yourself that could sustain you for the entire trip? It's no a fantasy is it? Just extremely difficult."

[Animegurl5]

"I like this guy... Where ever did you find him, Sky?" Dan smiled with approval as he stretched out his arms.

"I went after him because he smelled like the Master of their house. I wanted to mess with him a little so I started messing with the weather, but mini master here wasn't too pleased. "I maintain that he attacked me first." She smiled mischeiviously as she answered Dan's question.

"Does he have a twin sister?" He poked, earning a menacing look from Skylar.

"Ew, you are so weird." She shoved his arm, causing him to topple over in a fit of laughter. She broke then, laughing until her sides were threatening to tear.

"The sculpture looks lovely dear, like usual." Came a melodic voice from behind the laughing pair, each falling silent as they turned to gaze at the tall woman who carried multiple platters of food. Skylar moved immediately and took the platters from her, setting them down where she thought they looked best.

"Hello Mother. I brought over a friend for dinner. This is..." She was cut off by her mother raising a hand to silence her.

"I am perfectly aware of our guest, Skylar." She stated, looking over at Igneus with a warm smile. "Hello, Igneus dear. My you sure have grown. The last time I spoke with your father was when you were still learning to shift. You are welcome any time dear." She said as she took her seat farther up the table, near the head. The expression Skylar wore on her face was priceless and sent Dan into another fit of laughter. "My goodness, Daniel. Will you grow up, please?" She rolled her eyes, a smile still firmly held in place of the beautiful woman's face. Everything about her was beauty but there was an underlying sensation that the woman was more than she appeared.

"Mother is fire incarnated into a physical form. She can be so kind and so forgiving, warm and inviting. However, if you mess with fire, you are sure to get burned. She can be as crazy as fire as well but the entire time she maintains a beauty that is equally powerful as the element that she connects with. She is truly amazing, and I'm guess that's why she knows you. I'm sure your father would have atleast been slightly impressed." She said, as she took her seat and shrugged.

[selfexiled]

Taken back by the thought that he was already known in the house Igneus forgot his manners for a moment. Suddenly remembering them, he jumped up from his seat and bowed before Sky's mother. "It is a pleasure to meet you m'lady, but please forgive me as I do not remember you and am sincerely puzzled as to how you and 'father' know one another."

[Animegurl5]

"It's alright child, be at ease." The woman said with an amused smile. "As I said, you were quite young at the time so I wouldn't expect you to remember me. When I realized the type of personality my children had developed, I thought it wise to pay your father a visit. As a warning of sorts, I told him that my kids were trouble makers and were always wandering off. So that if anything went missing or if he found any of them on his property he could be at ease that it would be replaced or taken care of." She continued, looking down the table at Skylar who rolled her eyes and made a face back at her mother.

"Careful Sky, your face might freeze like that if you make that face for too long." Dan warned jokingly. He only ended up getting shoved over again by a very angry Skylar.

It wasn't long after that people appeared out of thin air and took their seats, the entire table filling up except for the one on the end of the table. Moments later an elderly woman walked into the room, holding an air of power and wisdom. All the members of the family grew silent as she entered, heads bowing in respect as she took her seat at the head of the entire family. Looking down the row, she immediately spotted the young guest. "Welcome child. I hope you are enjoying yourself so far." Her voice was unusually strong for a woman who had aged as much as she. "Everyone eat and be merry, for we have an exciting day approaching." As if those were the words that everyone was waiting for, each person moved immediately to fill their plates. Laughter arose from every corner, the occasional playful shove knocking down people in a domino-like effect.

"Ok, so I may have lied a bit... Only my brother is unhappy about your arrival." She smiled, and laughed with the group that had just knocked into her. She shoved into Dan sending the momentum back in the direction in which it had come.

[selfexiled]

"Well I'm glad you gave him warning, however, I'm not sure he remembered it. He was in a foul temper this afternoon." Others were arriving ending the conversation. An ancient entered her eyes were like the depths of time for as frail as she appeared there was a palpable power there. Everyone stopped in silence when she had appeared at the table waiting for her permission to continue. Once granted the table erupted with talk and laughter and kind hearted shoves and elbows.

A little bewildered at the sudden activity Igneus took a moment to try and grab food but quickly fell into the rythem of it all. In response to Skylar he said, "Well it's always nice to be welcomed at a table. Should we try to save some for Melody?"

[Animegurl5]

"Trust me when I tell you there will be left overs. Nobody ever finished the whole thing on such occasions." Sky replied, shoveling a bunch of food onto and empty plate. She groaned with satisfaction as she took a bite, her eyes shut and her mouth formed into a smile. "This. is. so. GOOOD!" She took only enough time to chew for proper digestion and to breath, nothing else mattered. Skylar's plate was completely cleared in no time and so she shoveled even more food onto the platter. Dan looked at her challengingly, both staring at each other for a full moment before Skylar spoke. "Oh it is on pretty boy." She smirked before the two began inhaling their food. From down the table, Skylar's mom shook her head.

"Mother, what are we to do with that one? She is simply out of control." She asked, looking beside her to the elder.

"I remember you being the exact same way when you were her age, and I'm sure my own mother would have said the same about me. Let her be a child as long as she can, for growing up comes with a lot of responsibilities I'm not sure she could handle quite yet." The woman replied with an amused smile. "Be at ease my dear Jade, and just enjoy the night's festivities."

"Yes Mother." Jade sighed, returning her attention to the food before her.

[selfexiled]

Igneus couldn't help but laugh at Sky's assault on the food and then the challenge between her and Dan. It had been a while since he'd laughed that much, The Master insisting he take over more and more of the responsibilities of the house. He'd not seen his younger siblings as much as he used to. It was nice to be so free once again.

Overhearing the two women speak about Sky, "I agree with you. One should never be forced to grow up faster than they need too." Suddenly feeling like he'd butted into a private conversation he started staring at his plate and eating the food in mock earnest.

[Animegurl5]

Upon hearing Igneus' voice, Sky looked up and around before shrugging and continuing her competition with Dan. She slid the last of her food into her mouth before stealing Dan's and eating his. "I win." She smirked, a large triumphant smile on her face.

"Not fair, you cheated." He pouted, retrieving his plate from his cousin's hands.

"I did not. I finished my plate first before I took yours. It's not my fault you can't keep up with me." She crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head. The two cracked up laughing, leaning against the other for support. Skylar's grandmother smiled again, looking over at the youngster.

"No need to be so up tight around us. Unlike in your household, here we value the bonds between us more than anything. If we can't be open with our oppinions then we have no business being in this house." She said, pausing to take a bite of her meal. "Though from your statement, I think you need to take a break and hang out with us. Please will you stay for our tornament tomorrow?" As the words left her mouth, those around her fell silent, the silence spreading across the table as eyes turned to the guest. They waited for his reply, the feelings of excitement palpable in the room.

[selfexiled]

Looking around the room at all the smiling faces, Igneus couldn't help but smile as well. "It would appear that I have little choice in the matter."
Turning to grandmother, "I would be honoured to view your tournament." This seemed to please everyone as there were a few cheers and claps but mostly just bigger smiles and returning to thier plates.

[Animegurl5]

((Sorry I haven't been here for a while... I see that you are marked as 'on hiatus'. I wonder if you'll be coming back soon. On the off chance that you are, I will post any way. :) ))

You could just about pluck the excitement from the air as Igneus agreed to join them for the games. Plenty shouted and clapped, laughter filling the room to the breaking point.

"Oh this should be loads of fun." Skylar smiled, taking another bite of a plate that was yet again full. Dan beside her nodded in agreement.

"Yes, my dear cousin. Yes it shall. I don't think we have ever had an outsider before, you lucky bird."

"Maybe she will even go so far as to let him join in on the games, wouldn't that be delightful?" She laughed, eyes immediately snapping to a relative who had withdrawn an instrument from his belongings. His whole family had brought something out to play, beginning in unison and not bothering with the still noisy crowd. Music, the one thing other than flying that spoke to Skylar. The melody soon had her on her feet dancing with the children. All of the adults laughed and a couple of them even joined in for as long as they were willing to leave their plates.