Air flew across his wings, the large leathery appendages spread out from his body caught up by the currents flowing around him. The muscles in his shoulders and back straining from the pressure of the currents under them. It was glorious. He wasn’t in his full draconic form. Only in the in-between form he inhabited. He was a being of many forms. This was his true birth form. His half-human-half-draconic inheritance clear in his very form. His skin was black as the midnight sky with glowing silver tattoos traveling from his right temple swirling in celtic runes down his right eyebrow over his right eye around the eye in intricate never ending knots down around his ear and then over his cheek and lips on the right side of his face to travel down his throat and onto his shoulder swirling down across his back and chest and traveling down and around his right arm until it finished around the palm of his hand if such thing can be said to finish as a true celtic knot does not ever end. Pulsing runes run throughout the knot-work tattoo causing the pure silver light to be suffused with blue. His eyes were pure silver the iris only discernible from the rest of his eye because the silver swirled around like a living being inside the constraint of his iris. The black of his pupils was slit diagonally downwards like that of a reptile or snake. His veins were faintly visible as they were silver with his blood standing out against the black skin. A single scar was barely visible on his breast bisecting where his heart would be on the left side of his chest. He wore nothing in this form preferring to feel the air rush over him. It had been four months since he had last been home and he was delighting in the recent events that had granted him this chance to fly across the starry skies from one ward keep to the other.

”We have a problem Aelaez!” a voice called out, it was Findabair one of the three Fates. Aelaez shivered as Toirdealbach took up the cry ”The way closes and the planes will lock, much death comes,” the second Fate announced. ”We weaken Aelaez, the power draws in close, free us!” Siobhan finished for the trio. Aelaez all but fell out the sky at their words piercing his skull like knives. His senses whirled and he was dizzied by their overflowing emotions. He hated the contact that could only happen in this plane. Images flew through him as he saw clearly what they were on about. His body tensed and he plummeted from the air.

A tall gorgeously beautiful, as in unearthly beautiful and yet clearly corrupt in all manners of the word stood on the parapet of a tall spiraling tower. Her long honey blond hair flowing around her in the wind. Her long black dress accenting her shapely figure. Her blood red eyes burning like the fires of the abyss as she chanted. The haunting beauty of her face darkened by the evil that surrounded her aura in black and violent reds. She wasn’t human anymore. She wasn’t anything he wanted to deal with, but as he saw laying at her feet a small black egg, he cringed. A great black fury dragon egg.

Anger shot through him as he saw her chanting and saw in his minds eye what she was doing. The storm that lashed the worlds in tendrils of black slicing through the planes cutting them off one from the other. The dragon’s pulsing lifeforce so strong within the egg began to ebb and darkness thicker then fog began to pour out of the scene coating the land in it’s wake.

And the force of his body slamming hard into the ground bellow broke the spell shattering his thoughts and probably a few bones. Some days it’s good to be immortal Aelaez mused as he pushed himself shakily to his feet his head pounding with the residual headache and his body screaming in protest. Except that immortality doesn’t kill nerve endings.

”Yo boss man, you know that **** hurts right?” the wry voice of Kaersah. Aelaez frowns and growled ”I hadn’t noticed” his voice wry and sarcastic something Kaersah had been teaching him over the centuries. Kaersah laughed in his head and Aelaez cursed him out in ancient Gaelic. Kaersah responded in kind and finally had Aelaez laughing too as his body healed itself of the injuries. ”Time to take to the planes Kae, so shut it, I need to concentrate.” No response came, but Aelaez didn’t expect one. Kaersah knew the risks of walking the planes while distracted. That **** hurt worse then landing flat on ones ass on the ground from the sky.

Aelaez closed his eyes and slowly drew a series of runes in a circle in the air around him before he took a step forwards. The jump was instantaneous, but it did not feel this way. The power burned through him like fire in his veins. His thoughts scattered and he felt as though he’d just been spun in a dryer for a good ninety minutes before he was spat unto the ground on another plane. One he did not know. He didn’t spare much time to look around. He knew his target. Morighan was up in the tower nearest the center spire of the castle to his right. It was why he’d dropped himself here. He paused only long enough to take on a human appearance and put clothing over his very naked self. His long silver hair took a more white look, so it would be more natural. His flesh took on a rose-pale white as marble look and the silver tattoos remained as they were. His feet remained bare, his claws remained, but looked more like long pointy finger nails and toes nails then they did actual claws. His teeth wouldn’t change. The sharp fangs never varied no mater what form he took. His eyes never changed either. He looked human, if strangely so. His body was now clad in a cotton plain shirt with leather draw strings that were loose around his throat displaying the chain that held his amulet. Black leather pants clung to his lower body and he did not bother with boots.

Blinking his eyes he focused his spiraling thoughts on the goal at hand. Drawing in his magic he whispered a single old Gaelic word drew a rune in the air before him and his shape shimmered. Blending into the background. He had drawn camouflage over him. It wasn’t invisibility which he could manage for short bursts, but it was literally camouflage. Simply the bending of light around him causing the eye to see what was behind him rather then perceive him. A simple trick, but one that would not fool the sorceress within only the mundanes and Fae she employed. He began his trek into the tower. Getting past he guards at the gate easily and so long as he did not touch anyone he was successfully able to navigate the halls and stairs up to the parapet from his vision.

His steps quick and his mind focused solely on his goal he went to the site of her spell. He did not see her and for once was glad as he knelt down and place his hand just outside the circle of glowing runes. He sensed the spell, but it was easily dismantled. The work was quick and though it left him feeling sick and tired he didn’t have any trouble undoing the binding and snatching the egg. A small part of him said this was all too easy.

He ran from the room. To the edge of the parapet. His body shifted back to his half-draconic form and he threw himself out the window launching into the sky. The egg cradled to his chest by his arms as took to the air. He few half a mile before slowing. He could feel something wasn’t quite right, but he didn’t know what it was. His head was still pounding from all the magic he’d been using, but he didn’t have time to rest. Drawing his strength in he closed his eyes drew the circle of runes around himself and dove forwards.

Darkness took him. Dimly aware of the sensation of falling. Dimly aware of pain lacing through every limb. Dimly aware of the sound of thunder lacing the air. Forcing his muscles to cooperate he drew around the egg a split moment before his body crashed into the threes. Ok that hurt. A lot! Branches snapped and he was dimly aware of the sound resonating with the clash of thunder overhead. The cool droplets of rain soaked his skin and he shifted back to human form with the last of his force of will. He landed on the hard forest floor and lay still clutching the egg to his chest. The damage had been done. It was already too late. The paths were closed. Morighan had blocked the planes and if it kept up it would be permanent and it would kill everyone who was trapped between world. His tired mind ached and he kept his eyes closed certain that his vision would only show him dim blackness.

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Planet Elarima
Nalhaevi, the Western Lands
Deep in Zetoss Forest

A lush, green forest where it was always rainy was hardly a place to fight a battle. But beggars could not be choosers, especially during war. It was a civil war to be precise, and one that the rebels, who were standing against the Queen of this kingdom, intended to win.

The remaining rebel soldiers had set up camp in the heart of the forest, hidden from the enemy’s main force. Many of the trees had evolved over the centuries, their leaves thick and wide like a shield, which provided enough cover, the rain was not that big of an issue. The Queen had sent her army to deal with them after they had tried to destroy the walls surrounding Isima castle by cannon fire. The soldiers had gone so far as to cease the cannons, and capture a few rebels. Thankfully the camp still had enough supplies to last them awhile.

Not only that, they had their secret weapon.

This secret weapon was an ice dragoness by the name of Taika. She was a very ruthless dragoness, known for her hatred toward humans, at that. They had come across her a few days after they had tried to storm the castle. Naturally, she had wanted to just kill the rebels. They were in her way, and persistent, so in her mind getting rid of them so they would not bother her was the best thing to do. But their leader, she found, was someone she had known.

The two had encountered one another three years ago. He had been with a dragon slaying group then, sent to hunt her down for taking two cows. Hey, it was something to eat. Taika scared the hell out of him then, and still did now. Only he had acquired a silver tongue, otherwise she would have scared him off. Her admiration was enough to get her to join them. Plus, they did share something in common: their dislike for the Queen. She was a right ****ing and Taika simply did not like her attitude.

She was standing in one of the tents, looking outside with her arms folded over chest, watching the rain fall. Her thoughts were far away from this war.

“Has it been too quiet lately or what?” One man spoke, probably bored. He seemed to have a lot of energy, though that energy faded when he saw the look in her eyes. “I wonder if it’s some kind of ill omen. Usually is, right?”

“You worry too much,” Taika replied, giving a nonchalant shrug, hoping to get rid of him. It was needless to say that she was not very happy about being disturbed. Why they insisted on talking to her was a mystery. Just because she agreed to tag along, doesn’t mean she wanted to be friends. But humans apparently saw it differently.

“Sorry…”

“And now you’re apologizing? Believe me when I tell you that we’re fine. Giving credit where it’s due, this camp is well hidden.”

This seemed to do the trick. The man went off.

Taika sighed with relief. She didn’t care for the humans much. As far as she was concerned, they could beat each other up all they wanted. It would save her the trouble of getting rid of them herself. Oh, but having this entire continent to herself would be rather boring, would it not? At the very least, humans did provide her with entertainment. She would hate to see that gone. Not to mention humans were part of the food chain, and many of the creatures who ate them would die off.

That was her reasoning. It was all for her personal entertainment; these people were her pawns. Some, the smart ones, were aware of this. Others, like that man who thought he could try to hold a conversation with her, well, so help them. It was still a mystery to her why they came to her whenever they were faced with a problem. Had that failure from a few weeks ago shaken them so badly, they need her? She was sure they were using her as much as she was using them.

She didn’t care to think of it much longer.

In fact, even if she wanted to linger on the thought, something else caught her attention. It had been faint but she had sensed something. Leaving the tent and looking out to the forest path, her eyes narrowed and she focused on the sounds of the forest. Someone nearby was using a lot of magic, causing a disruption in the flow around this area. It made her skin crawl. There weren’t too many creatures that could use magic like that, and the first thing that came to mind was another dragon.

If there was another dragon around, she might have to take care of it. The humans would come crawling to her anyway so she might as well. Just to get it done and over with, she thought. Maybe it wouldn’t be hostile… Things would go a lot smoother that way.

Before anyone could say anything to her (she was aware people were staring) she darted off into the forest to see what was going on.

Taika was in her full dragon form, keeping low to the forest ground as she moved. It was quicker to navigate this way. Her human body always seemed to slow her down, cursed human limitation. The cold rain rolled off her scales instead of clinging to her bare human skin. She felt wet, but just barely. To be honest it was rather soothing. She was a dragon aligned with the element of ice after all; of course she would find the cold to be soothing.

The burst of magic had been so brief, she wasn’t sure if she would find the cause of the disturbance right away. She might not even find it at all. It could have been just a freak thing, and she was getting worried over nothing. ‘Worried’. For the lack of a better word. But at least she was away from that camp, and those humans. That was what made this little investigation that much more worth it.

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Aelaez blinked slowly as if waking from a sluggish dream. He didn't know how much time had passed or really where he was. His memories were fuzzy and the pain shooting through his body all but blinded him. He felt something pressing hard into the skin of his stomach. His left arm had gone to sleep from its weight. He shifted so that he could see what was cradled against him. The large egg lay in his arms. Fine darker black lines began at the apex of the egg and ran down like veins all over the surface. He ran his hand over the dragon egg allowing his mind to seek out the creature within. He felt it. It lived yet, but it was slowly weakening as its life was siphoned away from it into the spell that held him bound here. He blinked free. The creatures thoughts were not organized. They flashed and spun and left Aelaez feeling dizzy and disorientated. Which wasn't unusual given the circumstances of his fall.

He was lying on his side on the hard-packed forest floor. Leaves and branches lay strewn all around him, evidence of his fall through the trees. The rain pummeled his flesh making him shiver with cold. His clothing was soaked and clung to every curve of his body. He shifted until he sat up and looked around him. He was in a dense forest and from the faintest sounds he could hear someone was coming his way. He briefly wondered if he should shift into one of his other forms. He was after all in his human form. Though his silver eyes remained slit like that of any dragon, his skin and hair looked relatively human. He could feel the trickle of blood that was descending his cheek from a small gash and taste the metallic tang of it in his mouth. He passed his hand over his lips and they came away sticky with the silver substance. Well that alone would mark him as not human.

He didn't have much energy left and certain not enough to shift and remain conscious afterward. So he simply sat in the mud cradling the egg in his lap and waited for the approaching being to come into view. He really hope they were friendly whoever they were for if they were not he seriously feared that he wouldn't leave these woods for a good long while. Although he was immortal he could still 'die'. He just didn't stay dead for long. To actually kill him and have him remain dead dead would take a lot of work and effort. It wasn't simply taking away his mortal existence, or skin, but also capturing his magic and his spirit. Shaking his head to clear it of these morbid thoughts he ran his hand over the dragon's egg. Pressing his other hand into soil he felt the life of the forest beneath him pulsing and calling to him. He drew on its strength which caused a faint green glow to emanate from the tattoos that covered his body. At least he could recharge and heal while he waited to meet the one coming towards him quickly.

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Several feet away, the dragoness watched the stranger closely.

Taika kept low to the ground and her wings folded as close to her body as she could get them. The rain, still falling steadily, continued to roll off her scales like water from a duck’s back. She was very silent but had a feeling, if his senses were sharp, he could sense her presence and maybe even pick up that she was a dragon. For the moment, Taika was no threat to the stranger. She was merely an observer. Watching. Waiting. Wondering.

Something was definitely odd about this stranger.

She was very curious about who he was or how he got here. But more importantly, she was curious about that egg he had. It looked to be a dragon’s egg; she could sense a dragon’s energy from within. Was this stranger a thief? This would be where anyone else might think about heading back and warning the others, but not her. Leaving this stranger here would not be wise. There were too many risks involved, and she was not one to take chances.

Taika emerged from the bushes, drawing herself up to height, “Who are you?” It was simple, straightforward question diving right into business. “I don’t see many venturing into these parts unannounced. State your business here.” There was no need to be intimidating, but she wasn’t going to be a push-over either. Well, as long as this stranger would play nice anyway.

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Aelaez was startled by the sudden appearance of the dragoness. He knew instantly upon looking at her and seeing her aura that she was indeed a dragoness. So she was at least partially like him. This measured him greatly. He struggled to rise to his feet feeling rather disturbed at being on the ground while she towered over him. He managed to half rise into a kneeling position before he shivered from exhaustion. Damn, I need to sleep to get my strength back, He thought to himself and was almost startled into falling over by Kaersah’s voice in his mind.

”We got a bigger problem then sleep Aelaez. The Ward Keeps are failing, the pathways between the planes are beginning to dwindle. You don’t have much time. A few days at best, maybe a week, before it’s too late,” Kaersah said in irritation inside Aelaez’s mind. Causing Aelaez to draw in a breath quickly. His eyes grew wide.

He shook his head trying to dispel the dark and forbidding thoughts that came with the words Kaersah spoke. He blinked a couple of times at the dragoness as she spoke. His mind was slowly beginning to make sense of everything that had taken place, but it was still fuzzy and uncertain. Blurred even. He pressed one hand to his forehead as he listened to her words, rubbing the faint tattoo that glowed just beneath his skin a bright silver.

He drew in a ragged breath and spoke softly, his voice taking on the melodic note it always did whenever he spoke in his human form. Soft and sensual. Barely above a whisper. “I am Aelaez, dragonborn Guardian of Avalon,” he said and took another deep breath to continue, “I came here to rescue the dragon egg and prevent the destruction of the planes by the sorceress who’s name I shall not speak as I do not wish to draw her gaze here. However, I was too late. The spell is already destroying the planes and is trapping me here.” he finished his words rather dull and tired.

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“Dragonborn Guardian of Avalon,” Taika repeated in a low voice. She tilted her head, eyes examining the man before her.

The stranger’s words left her intrigued. She couldn’t say she has heard of this ‘Avalon’, which was unusual. She was very well-travelled and knew of many things and it was rare for her not to know something. The planes, however, were something she was a little more familiar with. There were stories of beings that had the power to manipulate them, said to be only legends. To think she would run into someone was indeed rather shocking. She was well-travelled, but not all-knowing and usually paid little attention to human legends.

“A sorceress? Well, at least you didn’t bring something like that around here,” Taika went on. “These lands see enough troubles.” The last thing she needed was to deal with an outsider’s problems… But on the other hand, she was curious. “I am willing to hear you out, if only to satisfy my own curiosity. We need to head somewhere… a little more inconspicuous. Follow me.”

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Aelaez pushed himself up from his knees unsteadily cradling the large black egg against his chest and swaying slightly he put his hand out against a tree to steady himself. He closed his eyes until the world stopped spinning and he was able to stand without issue. He was tired, but he'd been in worse situation and if Kaersah was right they didn't have long. Sleep may no longer be an option. Fear spiked inside him at these thoughts.

"I am not of this plane, I'm of a different world. A world that is dying because of this spell that traps me here. If I cannot return to the planes, not only will countless beings die, but so will Avalon," he said softly and stopped speaking for a moment as the true depth and realization of his predicament flashed through his mind bringing with it complete understanding, "and so will I," he said by way of expressing that sad realization. His voice was hollow, soft, scared. If Avalon died so would he. His very life was tied into the Ward Keeps. Now he understood why he felt so very tired. Drained. His life was ebbing away as the Keeps themselves disintegrated.

His magic.

His life.

His family.

All of them would die. With the death of his world.

Swallowing he nodded. "I will tell you all that I know, please let us be gone from here," He agreed and waited for her to lead the way. He did not know this plane, this world. He wouldn't even know which way to head unless it was through flight. He wondered if he'd be able to fly again.

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Something wasn’t quite… right… Taika thought to herself. Oh yes! She was still in her dragon form.

“Hold on…” She said suddenly, halting her stride. Taking in a deep breath, the dragoness closed her eyes and concentrated. There was suddenly a slight shift in the wind, but it was difficult to notice. Moments later, what seemed to be in the blink of an eye, she was a tall woman with platinum blond hair standing before the stranger. “Much better,” she added as she ran her fingers through her hair and continued on.

She said nothing to her company. She trusted that he would follow her to their destination without any issue.

The forest path leading up to Taika’s favorite hideout, a place hidden away in the mountains nearby, was quite the hike. Even those who had great stamina had trouble reaching them. The path was steep and mostly overgrown. Sometimes, the ground was muddy from all of the rainfall. She liked the sense of seclusion they brought her; it was great for thinking among other things. Here, they would be safe from anyone who might be lurking about.

Taika stood against a large rock that looked like it had been carried to the cave, “Alright, stranger, you have my attention. Let’s talk.” Her voice was soft in spite of their safety, ever cautious. It was unlikely that they had been followed, considering how smoothly the trip had gone. But the people of this land were in the middle of a conflict. One should be prepared for anything.

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That she shifted before his eyes from a dragon to a female didn't affect Aelaez in the least since he was after a being of magic himself and could change between multiple forms at will. The fact he was stuck in his base form which was not his birth form was strange in and off itself. He gave her a genuine smile and fell into step with her cradling the egg more firmly against himself. Glad he wasn't naked at least. He took better inventory on his injuries noting that most were superficial at the very least. Thank the gods he wasn't more badly injured from the fall. The knock to his head and busted lip being the biggest of the two to worry about. The first one making his head pound as he walked. Well that would just have to be how things were. So far they didn't have much they could do about it and he didn't have much time to dwell on that anyways. He had more important things to worry about. Like the fact he was slowly dying... Yah that was definitely something for him to worry about and it was something that was eating up a lot of his thoughts as the silence stretched between them.

The walk to the hideout wasn't long, but it was strenuous especially in his weakened state. On a normal day he would have loved the place. Right now he was exhausted and aching and had stumbled quite a few time relying on trees to catch him so he didn't fall. The stumbling however did leave him bruised and aching. So he was forced to move slower. Meaning that by the time they reached their destination his heart was pounding. Sweat coated his body making his clothing cling to him and making him tankful for the sun. His breath laboured he had to focus to hear her words. Blinking slowly to clear his foggy thoughts and to better ready his words.

Silently in his mind he spoke to Kaersah "I will need your help. You are spared the worst of my bodies failures, help me gather the words to speak and remind me of what I forget," he requested of his twin souled being. At Kaersah's silent accent to the request he began to answer her as best he could. Already his injuries were slowly healing. A lot slower then would normally have been the case. He couldn't help the sigh that escaped at those thoughts as he began his tale.

"I received word that a spell was being drawn around a baby dragon that would destroy the planes between worlds. If that happened then countless would die and soon the worlds would begin to fade away. The planes are integral to linking the living worlds together. The very fabrics of reality would fray apart. Thus knowing that I came here to rescue the dragon. My kin. I could neither allow it's suffering anymore then I could allow the planes to close. Unfortunately I am to late the planes are already closed to me. And soon will no doubt be closed to everyone. Those trapped are already dead or dying. Soon more will die. Those who sleep will never wake. Those who wake will never sleep. At least in the lands that have the walkers of sleep." Aelaez began. Though he stopped uncertain if his words would make sense to the stranger before him. They were of different worlds. Different magics. Different laws. Would they really understand each other? He had to wonder.

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Taika ran her hand through her hair while she listened to him speak. “What an interesting predicament, I must say.” It would have been a lot to take in, hell it was a lot to take in all at once for anyone. She had heard stories about the planes from the other dragons that inhabit this world. Different worlds that were connected to each other in some way or shape. Her knowledge of the planes was limited, but she could still offer help, no matter how small.

“Well, if there’s anyone on this planet who can help you, it might as well be me. I don’t think any human would ever be able to understand how serious this situation is,” she went on matter-of-factly. Many humans, seers, sorcerers, witches, claimed to be able to see into the other planes, had vast knowledge. But… “I, too, am a dragon. It isn’t in my best interest to allow suffering to come to my kind.” Dragons affairs were meant to be dealt with by other dragons. No matter how huge the threat, this was not a human matter.

“My name is Taika, stranger,” she said, bowing her head. “Now, do you happen to know where we begin fixing this problem?”

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