No matter how small

["Cosmos"]

"my father was a loving parent, it was custom of my people," she said, then listened to him. crossing her legs and folding her wings close to her back, she listened intently. thinking back to how exile happened with her people, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. listening to his happy memory, Akrina could help but give Kai a smile. opening her mouth slightly to speak, she suddenly perked her head up when she heard the faintest of sounds. noticing that the sound was out of place, she tilted her head slightly to hear it better.

[kai]

Rolling over now sensing a change he looked into the darkness. Taking a fore claw to pull the goggles off his eyes he looked into the darkness with his faintly glowing turquoise eyes. "We are being watched" He said lowly. "Temple brats by the smell of it. I don't think they will bother us, but still"

"Thoughts?" Kai asked his new friend.

["Cosmos"]

standing up slowly, Akrina held up a finger for him to give her a minute. jumping up into the treetop, she crawled across the mushroom top until she was hanging off the side. looking towards the sound, she saw the small dragon younglings playing outside the walls of the large temple. suddenly, she saw the stalking large dragon-like being and a beast that looked like it was demonic-tainted. feeling a weird feeling creep into her, she jumped off the treetop towards them. landing with a snarling growl, she summoned a large warhammer and slammed it into the ground.

"run!" she growled at the younglings, as the runes pulsed rapidly with her heart.

after twenty minutes, Akrina limped back to where Kai was, dragging the two creatures behind her. throwing them against the tree, she growled in pain as she sat roughly on her butt, a bleeding wound on her leg painting her leg red. "there is my thoughts," she said, her voice carrying a touch of exhaustion as her arm began to twitch.

[kai]

He did not argue and rolled back over into the mud pool. By the time she came back he was practically asleep. Cracking open one of his faintly glowing eyes he smiled at her remark. "That it?" He replied seeing the creatures. "I was wondering what was taking you so long.

Smelling blood he turned his head. Keeping a blank expression he stood up wordlessly out of the mud pool and shook his body like a dog. "I will be back shortly." As in shortly he walked a few feet back in the direction she brought him and started to pull free some plants growing out a rotting log. Washing his fore claws free of mud in water Kai shoved the herbs in his mouth and started to chew.

Returning to Akrina he wordlessly placed a fore claw on her chest and pushed her to the ground none to gently. Grabbing the injured leg in what he thought gentle manner Kai exposed the injury. With his other free fore claw he took the contents out of his mouth and started to rub the inside of her thigh with it. "Its not much, but it will stop infection from setting in. A little trick I picked up while traveling with a daughter of the velderfel witches coven.

"So what's the story with the freaks?" Kai said as he turned his head to look at the creatures.

["Cosmos"]

watching him walk a few feet back towards where they had come, Akirna saw him place a some into his mouth and chew them as he walked back. being pushed onto her back, she watched Kai grab her leg and place the paste of the plants onto the wound. clenching her teeth as her leg hurt when the paste touched the wound, she turned her attention to the creatures when he asked.

"these 'freaks' are like me, filled with the same energy that i have, but too much of it. they seemed to have succumb to the corruption that is still trying to worm its way into my soul," she said, letting out a sigh. "the death that i delivered was a mercy from their madness," she added, closing her eyes as the runes that permeated her body pulsed with her heartbeat.

[kai]

"Somehow I doubt that" he mumbled in thought as she said the creatures are like here. After listening some more he got a better idea what she meant. Moving away he sat down. "What I have learned in my travels is that everyone has a monster inside of them. And it is we who decide to let it out. I suppose that is a decision you will have to make as well one day.

Laying down now Kai crossed his fore claws across each other. "But enough speak of inner darkness and monsters. I do not wish to give fuel to nightmares. Sleep" he said in a gruff voice. Kai's sleep that night was a pleasant one. Of glory, feasting, and song. And lots and lots of swooning females.

Waking up with a smile he cracked open a eye and grimaced with a hiss. "Wretched orb of light. Be you damned to fade away and die giving way to the everlasting night" Getting up with squinted eyes he wandered with his fore claws feeling around for his eye protection.

["Cosmos"]

remaining quiet, Akrina listened to Kai. watching him fall asleep, she let out a sigh, wishing he was right. turning her gaze to the night sky, she laid there unmoving as she let her thoughts wander for many hours. with her thoughts wondering so far away, the night sky soon began to brighten, which drew her from her thoughts.

once the sun was high enough to illuminate the sky, she heard the male dragon stir from his sleep. listening to him hiss at the sun, she smiled as she pushed herself up. finding his goggles first, she picked them up and placed them into his claw. "here you go. might want to keep better track of them if the sun hurts you so," Akrina said, stretching her arms until her joints popped.

[kai]

"Þakka þér kærlega fyrir" Kai said as he received the goggles. "Its not so much as it hurts. I can see you fine enough up close as a blur. But small things I cant make out so well. Small things like this anyway.

With the eyewear secured Kai looked at the temple in the distance. "I always wondered about that temple. You hear lots of things. But I would rather check it out myself. Maybe I can persuade them to give me some new armor. So what is your game plan from here?" He asked.

["Cosmos"]

looking at the temple, she turned towards the deceased creatures. "i never really had any plans. i just went where the winds took my wings, or whatever took my fancy," she said, as she twisted her neck until a pop sounded. placing her hand onto her wounded leg, she shrugged her shoulders. "if your heading to that temple, then lets help each other. my leg is still weak, and you look like your still weak. so, you can help me get there, and i can keep you defended," Akrina said, smiling as she summoned a weird staff, using it to stand up as she looked at Kai.

[kai]

"Me? Weak?" With that he let out a barking laugh. "You cant break a rock. Kai said with confidence. Stretching his body in a regal manner he looked back at his new female companion. "Just admit your only coming along because your obsessed with me. Its ok. I have that effect on females. "I'm just that awesome"

At this point it was difficult to tell if he was playing around or just that proud and arrogant. Probably both. "Just hop on my back and we will get there. Just don't kick my flanks and yell Ya beast

["Cosmos"]

letting out a hearty laugh, Akrina smiled at Kai. "i've went toe-to-toe with ten foot beings of pure nightmarish power, and have survived many battles. i have killed monsters that would make you cry like a child, so when i said i can kick your butt across this swamp, i meant it," she said, turning towards the temple. spreading her wings wide, she jumped up with the help of the staff and clung to the underside of the mushroom treetop. "and so you know, if i was obsessed with you, you would be running, since i hunt my favored prey. plus, your not my type, rocky" she said teasingly, grinning as the light showed her sharp teeth. "now, lets get to the temple, before something decides to take us as their prey."

[kai]

Listening to her his cheerful smile started to fade to a thoughtful face in remembrance. "You haven't seen anything yet" He mumbled. The rest of the trip he was silent. Kai came out of his thought as a voice called out. A warrior by the looks of them at the temple entrance. "A little help" Kai called out as he limped to the guards in armor that looked more ceremonial that practical. "My friend and I ran afoul of shadow seeker mercenaries in the swamp.

Kai allowed one of them to help support him. "Damn mercenaries have been a problem of late. Honor less, soulless wretches" Kai had to suppress as a smile at the temple guards stereotyping. "I know right?" Kai replied. Calling over to Akrina he added. "I'll catch up with you later when I'm patched up.

Some time later Kai was laying in a room of the temple with a female healer. "Your lucky to be alive" The white lithe beauty said with a voice smooth as honey and deep with kindness. "I have never seen any dragon with so much damage to there body and still be walking around much less conscious.

"Lady death is my lover. She would never claim me" Kai said confidently and gave the passing female a sharp smack to the rump. He was lucky this healer was use to treating warriors. Such behavior was expected among there kind. Of course this still did not help his cause as he had told everyone he was just a humble traveler.

"Where did you get that amulet with the crest" The healer as from the other side of the room. "The one I saw on your chest" Kai took hold of the metal circle with a stone center held to his neck with a chain. "This thing? Meh, got it from some old dragon I met in my travels. He called it a earth guardians amulet and claimed to have come from this temple. Some retired teacher or something. I was told to give it to someone here. And that they would know what it meant"

"So when are the healers done with my friend in the next room.?'

["Cosmos"]

after seeing Kai be taken to the healers of the temple, another guard had escorted the Dragonborn to a room right next to his. only taking several minutes, Akrina had used a more archaic technique, and had sewn shut the wound. using her own poison-infused saliva to medicate the wound of bacteria, she had refused the many times the healers had tried to get her to let them.having snapped the handles of three of her staves already while sewing the wound shut, she stood up and tested the leg, with the support of one of the healers who had given up on trying to heal her. finding her leg good enough to move around on, she summoned another staff to be on the safe side.

leaving the room only after an hour and a half, she made her way to a balcony she had seen when she was escorted. stepping out onto the open ledge and looking out over the temple grounds, she spread her wings and leapt up, flying her way up to the very top of the temple. landing lightly, she sat down and closed her eyes, smelling the salty air coming with the breeze form the ocean.

[kai]

"Wow" Kai said as he walked through the stone halls. "This place is happening" With that some youths on the bring of adulthood like him ran by. "I could learn to like it here" Before he had thought the temple was a place full of book readers. But the temple seemed so much more now he was inside. Being around others his age definitely was a change of pace.

Better yet. He was surrounded by rock. It almost fealt like home. Almost. Unlike the cities nobody here was judging. They smiled and waved as they passed. They did not look on him with judging eyes. Coming into a room now he stopped dead in his tracks. He heard of this place. The pool of visions. Being what he was Kai was cautions. At the moment the pool was surrounded by dragons in robes. Students by the looks of them. "Welcome Kai. Care to join your eyes with ours?" A student asked. Taking a talon to raise the goggles off his eyes he let them fall back in place. "uh, no thanks. How did you"

The student cut him off. "Know you were coming? We have seen it. Though prophecy says what could be, not what should be. We expected you yesterday. Yet here you are"

"Rigggght" Kai said in a drawn out way. "I think I will be going now" He was suddenly reminded why he feared the temple to begin with. Kai feared being like one of those dragons sitting around the pool all day. He made a mental note to avoid this room. A hard task as he felt drawn to it.

Now outside in the courtyard he stopped to watch students of the warrior arts practicing against each other.

["Cosmos"]

as the Dragonborn sat still and quietly breathing in the salty sea air, the scent of Kai reach her senses. being brought from her mind, she looked out into the practice yard where the warriors were training. seeing the earthen dragon walk into the courtyard, she saw a large dragon with dark green scales walk out onto the rampart-like wall that separated the courtyard and the next yard over. using her staff to help herself to her feet, Akrina spread her wings and jumped. flapping her wings to give herself a boost, she nearly rocketed into the courtyard.

landing nearly beside Kai, she surprisingly landed lightly in a crouch, with her wounded leg kept straight. standing up straight with the help of her staff, she turned to Kai with a smile. "looks like your looking better," she said, resisting the urge to smack his arm. turning her gaze back up to the wall, she looked upon the large dragon, who looked like he was connected with the earth.