From the Ashes. . .

[Kor Jon]

"LADY DRAGON!" Jacob cried as he shouldered the door open the rest of the way and scooped the woman who had opened the door up into a bear hug that lifted her off the ground, "I thought you were dead when you got shot and then you fell down and I had to help my brother but now you're all better but smaller but I guess that's good since otherwise you wouldn't fit in the house but why'd you make me think you were dead that wasn't very nice." He set her down, "By the way, you're pretty like this but you're prettier as a big blue dragon lady...so what do I call you when you're like this?"

[Shard]

Shard gasped for air a moment, then pushed herself away from the lizard thing that talked faster then she could think.

"First of all, I'm not a dragon. Alright? Second, you can call me Shard. I know where the blue dragon lady is, and it's not me."

She swallowed.

"Can I ask you, how did you know the blue dragon's essence was here? And why she is possessing Pslyder? And who and what are you?"

She pointed up the stairs. "He's sleeping right now.... But maybe you can sit down and answer my questions. Would you like something to drink or eat?"

Shard hustled the lizard man into the kitchen, and made him sit down. She pulled the roasted lamb from the oven and set it on the stove, then started looking for drinks.

The sheep began to rustle in the background.

[Kor Jon]

"Oh I'm sorry Maam," Jacob said as he was hustled into the kitchen. "My name's Jacob and I'm a freelance freedom fighting edeino, I like the way that sounds but my brother doesn't. I followed the lady dragon's thoughts here. She called and I thought she was dead but now I know she's not so I came to see her because she's my friend. So when do you think she'll wake up, I hear dragons sleep a long time and I kinda have to make sure my brother is alright. He got hurt stopping the bad dragon who wasn't a bad dragon but was really a good dragon controlled by a bad person but he's all better now, the dragon not my brother, my brother is hurt, but my other brother is watching him while I come look for my friend so I guess I can wait till she wakes up as long as it's not too long. So you think she's awake yet? ...By the way, who is Pslyder?"

[PslyderFTA]

The elf, pondering coming down the stairs, heard the liquid banter of the lizardman, and spoke quietly.

"Pslyder, would be me."

Then he shook his head. . .dear spirits, it was like listening to a kender on crack. . .

[Shard]

Shard took a deep breath, processing the information she was just given.

"The Lady Dragon did die, my friend. But not completely. Her mind is in Pslyder's.... He's my....friend... He is currently asleep at the moment, but I don't know for how long."

Another breath, she eyed h im closely...

"So, you are going to have to wait. Or, you and I could go see about your brother, and I can see what I can do about it."

She started to slice the roast.

[Byzannce]

The elf stirred, and the sheep bleated in the back. Hunger rippled through her.

"I'm hungry" as he began moving down the stairs.

"JACOB !" The name ripped through the elf's thoughts. "That's my friend elf. You have to tell him what you think you can do about this situation."

The sheep baaaah'd again. Her attention snapped toward the sound.

[Kor Jon]

Jacob's head cocked, "I hear someone on the stairs." Before Shard could respond he was out of his chair and bounding up the stairs to meet Pslyder. He wrapped the man in a big hug almost knocking both of them down the stairs. "I'm so happy you're not dead." He stepped down a stair and looked at the man he had been hugging. "Damn you're ugly like this."

[PslyderFTA]

His hand gripped the railing so hard, cracking was heard as the knuckles went white.

Easing down the stairs, the elf cautiously made his way towards the kitchen and to the fridge, only to be bearhugged by th. . .by Jacob.

"Th' lady says Ah should tell ya whaht Ah'm figgerin's th' bes' idear t' clear up this heah mess."

Opening the fridge, the elf took a section of raw lamb out, slicing off and preparing it into jerky-sized strips, before snapping his fingers, causing electricity to play along the meat, warming it to blood-heat and killing the germs.

He then, with a slight grimace, proceeded to open his mouth, and slurp down the meat.

Plate consumed, he reached into the icebox for one last thing.

Beer.

By goodness, it was time to get good and plastered. She deserved it.

[Shard]

Shard leaned an elbow on the table, watching the bearhugging, and the meat shocking...

And the beer grabbing.

She heaved a sigh, and stretched, looking between Jacob, and Psly.

"So what's the plan?"

Thinking this would be a good time for notes, she rummaged around in one of her boxes, and found a notepad, and a couple of pencils. She started to sketch the lizardman, and Psly, trying to document some of the current changes in her beau.

Her hand only shook a little.

[PslyderFTA]

Psly pulled the tab on the beer, taking a deep swig before speaking.

"Ok, heah's th' sitch. Yer lady dragon type person. . .she's stuck in mah head. Only way Ah know t'get'er out is t'forceclone 'er a new body. Th' fact thaht she's stuck in mine is changin' me somethin' fierce, so th' new body's gotta be able t'change wit' 'er. Ah c'n get this goin', but it'll take 'bout a week b'fo' she c'n inhabit th' protoform, an' 'bout 'nothah three months b'fo' she c'n come out th' tank."

Another swig.

"Beyond thaht, An don' know how long it'll take b'fo' she completes th' change. Could be a month, could be yeahs."

Swig.

"So, whaddya think?"

[Byzannce]

"You know.... that's not nearly the same as what's in the back right now...."

The thoughts groused in the background.

The bleating sending a longing through her mind that she happily passed on to her host.


The beer sent a wave of nausea through her. "You're really going to drink that?"

[Kor Jon]

Jacob just stared at Pslyder for a moment, "Well I understood the part about getting the dragon lady a new body which would be good though I didn't understand a word about how you're planning on doing it." He glanced over at Shard, "Ohh, pretty sketch, I don't think the nose is quite right though." He turned back to Pslyder, "So, what do you need me to do?"

[Shard]

Shard glanced up from her sketch, and her eyes began to glow faintly. She nearly snapped the pencil in two, gritting her teeth.

Finally, in a low growl, she said, "And what if this doesn't work? Why don't we just hire an exorcist, and send the slitch back to hell?"

She laid her hands on the table, looking at Jacob, and Psly. Sometimes, her temper was more than her curiosity.


After all, this dragon had invaded on what she considered to be her territory. She knew Psly was hiding his true self from her, and with the dragon in the way, she'd never get to know him the way she wanted to.

[Byzannce]

A low growl echoed and reverberated in the elf's thoughts.

"How about we rip out her throat and feed her entrails to one of Saltera's kin?"

The image of that lashing dragon tail shimmering in the elf's mind.

"Or maybe we could drop her into a pool of piranha? Slowly? Feet first?"

[PslyderFTA]

The elf paused mid-drink, directing his thoughts to the dragon in earnest.

Because that's the one who'd be deciding whether or not you learn about the male perspective in sexual relations first hand. And if you'd care to peruse. . .carefully. . .into some of the more recent memories, you'd see that she holds a very special place in my life. . .

So, in short, zip it, lightning-bolt. I'll deal with her reaction personally. Again, think of the long term picture here.

It's either that or I take a temporary paralysis drug and don't let you go out and play with your food. Scan?

Finishing off the beer and reaching for another, again pausing, but this time to belch softly and speak.

"M'deah, thaht jus'. . .wouldn't be th'right thang t'do. B'sides, Ah ain' so sure exorcism would work anymore. She ain' no demon."

Just thinks like one. . .