Tables Are Turned

[saerwen]

The look in Neron's eyes, thought tainted slightly by pain was nothing compared to the overwhelming affection. Jaedon scolded herself yet again for being so dense. She was usually very quick to pick up on when men were admiring her or loved her because she could use it against them. Perhaps the reason that she hadn't noticed was because she knew that she couldn't use something so trivial against Neron, or perhaps because her own heart was partial towards him. She couldn't really explain what it had been, but it was so painfully obvious to her now.

She had never really pictured herself ever finding someone that she would or could love. She had never pictured herself with any man, any partner, or any friend. She had always pictured herself as a single woman, continuing to make her way in the world with a steady job that she liked and would never die out. After all, all of the powerful people had enemies right? She had never thought about the possibility of having a family. However, everything was now turning around. It was almost the exact opposite. So much for all of her plans. They were no use. She now pictured herself with Neron, and in the very distant and unlikely future, with children. A shiver went down her spine at the very thought. She had never had a mother, so how could she know what to do for a child? Even worse, she had never seen what a coupe were supposed to act like. Seeing Damion and Miriel didn't count because they were beyond perfection. How was she supposed to be?

All of these were fears that she had about what would happen, but she also knew that she needed him. She didn't just want him to love her, she didn't just like the thought that someone liked her, she wasn't trying to conquer him, she needed him. She needed him as a sort of guide. She had come to lean upon him so heavily that she knew that she could never go back. It would be impossible to live without him. She hoped that he needed her just as much, because if he did, then they would never fall apart from each other.

After he said thank you and closed her eyes, Jaedon found that she had the strongest urge to hug him. She wanted a hug, but she knew that it would be impossible to get it. For now at least. He would jsut have to owe her one when he got better. That thought made her happy. However, as her green eyes watched his face a little bit longer she couldn't help but smile. She was glad to see him so calm. Out of sheer impulse, she leaned down and placed a light kiss on his cheek. After pulling away, she smiled and said,

"I guess that I should get you up soon. No matter how much I don't want to."

*****

Eventide had been watching the girl for a long time. She was the pretty little brunette that had been with the ice dragon. She was the one that was very susceptible to Eventide's magic. She didn't have anything against the girl, but she knew that if she were to escape the dragon she was going to have to manipulate that which was closest to him. She was a phoenix, something that he would be extremely weak against. All it would take would be one well placed hit against him and he would be dead. It was time to start her play.

It was obvious that her mind was very occupied with harsh thoughts, no doubt they were all about her love. It was cruel of Eventide to take so much advantage of her, but it was an opportune time. She waltzed right up to Miriel, as though coming from the opposite direction. When she was close enough, Eventide put on a charming smile and began to speak.

"Oh hello! I am sorry that i didn't get to introduce myself the other day. I am Eventide," she knew that the phoenix might have some preconceived thoughts about her since her boyfriend was quite set against her, but she would use her charming demeanor to dispel those thoughts, "Where are you off to on this side of town? It is pretty deserted over here." She kept the disarming smile plastered on her face as her confidence grew every minute. There was a small side of her that told her she shouldn't be doing this, but it was choked back by her need to be a good leader. She had to learn to be cunning and not have any regrets. She would think of this as practice.

[»Míríel«]

Neron felt something on his cheek, was that a...? His eyes flew open and he saw her pulling away. A slight shade of pink came to his pale cheeks, not out of embarrassment, but pleasure. His eyes ran over her face. He wanted to touch her soft skin, run his fingers through her lush black hair, but instead he had to lay here like a beached whale. To content the burning sensation within he squeezed her hand and brought it to his own lips. With a soft kiss he let linger slightly he let it fall back to his side. He didn't answer her at first when she mentioned inside. "I wish...I wish you would come by more often. Perhaps then I wouldn't be so ready to get out of that hole."

Even though Neron loved the darkness, and caves, Cecily's dwelling now was tainted with his memory of being sick, and dying. Indeed the whole place reeked of herbs and potions. HE was finding out that just as much as he loved the dark, he needed the light and the wind around him. Laying in a still didn't suit him at all.

With a sigh, then a wince he continued, "Whenever you are ready Jaedon." He spoke her name softly and there wasn't the hint of sarcasm that usually resided there.

-
Cecily glared at the entrance, waiting. To satisfy herself she plopped down on a stool, crossed her arms infront of her and glared. Her dress spread out over the chair and draped like some elegant flower as her amber eyes blazed through black lashed. The only sign of her impatience were her fingers tapping on her arm.

If they didn't come in soon she would break them apart and interrupt their little bonding experience. A smirk came to her face. She would give them a minute or two. five passed and her eyes narrowed to slits. If they didn't get in here at the count of three..."One...Two"
-

Miriel was at first shocked to see the girl before her. It seemed like she had walked out of her memories and landed in the present. Miriel blinked rapidly for a moment and then looked the girl over. Damion had such revulsion for this girl, but why?She seemed harmless enough, and seemed polite. Yet Damion must have reasons, he had to. She loved the man, thus she was going to be on his side unless he was proven guilty. It was hard though, especially with all the past things that had happened, the rage, the anger, the darkness.

Miriel also wasn't going to judge the girl until she knew more about her. She, as usual, would think the best of people. "Hello Eventide, I'm Miriel, in case you didn't pick up that last time. " She let out a little smile. "I am just heading to Cecily's house to check on a friend she has in her care." The smile Eventide had on her face was so disarming, so gentle, Miriel couldn't help but smile back. "I hope that this meeting won't be as icy as the last."

[saerwen]

Jaedon blushed a violent red as he kissed her hand. Her smile grew slightly larger, and her head bowed for a moment in order to hide the brilliant rouge of her cheeks. She hadn't really been expecting it. It was easier to suppress the hues on her cheeks if she was aware of what was going to happen, which is why she hadn't blushed when she had kissed Neron, but when she couldn't predict what he was going to do, it was impossible for her to hide her rather delighted surprise and the slight embarrassment that assailed her.

"Well, I came by pretty often after it first happened, but you were out every time, or else I was shooed away before I could even step inside the door. I guess I just got discouraged and stopped coming as often. But I'll come as often as you like now that you are actually able to stay awake for a little while," she felt like she was rambling but she soon reasoned with herself that it was okay.

Jaedon looked up to the door of Cecily's hut and saw that the girl was fidgeting around the door. She wanted them inside. It was probably best. She hated the idea of leaving Neron again, and she wished that she could just stay with Neron the whole time, but it was not going to happen. She looked back to Neron with a rather dissatisfied look on her face that might have been considered comical. Her brows were slightly scrunched together and her lips were pursed like a little kids after eating something really sour. Her eyes were really big and she soon let out a sigh.

"Very well then," she rose to her knees, "let's go before Cecily forbids me from coming back ever again," she then made a face that showed her thoughts on Cecily's rather strange habits. She then placed one hand under Neron's shoulder and the other as a support for his arm. She knew that this was going to hurt. She just hoped that he had cauterized his wound enough to keep it from bleeding again.

***********************

"Well, so long as neither of us have ice powers, we should be safe from the ice!" Eventide said in a spunky manner. She knew that she would have to find something that Miriel truly hated, and she just had a wild guess that it was either water or something along those lines. But she would start with the boyfriend first.

"Really, Damion is the only one that I know has ice magic. How did you guys end up together? I mean, aren't fire and ice supposed to be the biggest enemies in the world? At least, that is what I have heard from other dragons. I mean, are the rules different for phoenix's? But then again, there are also ice phoenix's...So many elemental considerations, eh?" She knew that she had just thrown a lot at the poor girl, but hopefully the phoenix would be able to sort it all out, "So how did you guys meet?"

[»Míríel«]

Neron loved seeing Jaedon's face turn a brilliant shade of red. It made her eyes gleam and sparkle in such a way that nothing else could. He was embarrassed that Jaedon had come by often yet he hadn't noticed or realized it. That must have been hard for her, waiting for him to wake up yet for him to remain in the realm darkness. "Yes, that would be nice." Neron had no idea how tired he was and it was slowly starting to dawn on him. His body needed rest, a lot of it.

Even when Jaedon puckered her face up he could only manage to pull out a smile and a little chuckle. Yet just as he did this she placed one hand under his shoulder and the other as a support and started lifting. Neron tried his best to help, for his legs were mostly ok, mainly just bruised. But the change from laying to standing was an excruciating one. Some how he made it up and unconsciously leaned against her heavily. He had never realized how the bandaging had supported his ribs and helped with the pain. Instead, until now, he had only thought of them as a hindrance.

Neron suddenly realized that he was leaning on Jaedon and he pulled back to stand more on his own to feet. He didn't want to be a deadweight to her, or make it harder on her than it already was. In reality Neron had lost a lot of weight in the past couple days, and wasn't much heavier than Jaedon probably was, if not a bit lighter. Looking down to gather himself and try to clear his head from the exertion he saw what the bandages had hidden from him. It was grotesque, ugly. She had seen him, seen his scars, the new wounds, the discoloration. Neron had not been aware of how bad it was. His hand flung up and gripped onto the wall to steady himself as his head reeled. "Where is my shirt?" The world spun for a moment as he tried to breathe deeply to calm himself, but this only brought more pain.

-
Three." Cecily leaped up from the chair but remained frozen for a moment or two more, giving them a grace period. Yet they did not show. Scurrying towards the door she popped her head out sending a blazing glare towards them. Seeing them up the glare melted into a satisfied gaze. They were just taking it slow. Good. Perhaps Jaedon wasn't as possessive as she had thought. In the beginning she had frequented the area often, getting in the way of Cecily. So Cecily had shooed her out. One because she hadn't wanted Jaedon to see wounds below at their worst. When NEron had first been brought they had been fresh, along with the bruising. Over time, the poison had set in and Neron's torso had become a fearsome sight. Two she didn't want Jaedon around in case something critical happened or if she had lost Neron. There had been times even Cecily couldn't judge if he would pull through. So she had spent sleepless nights by him, waiting, listening, holding a blade over his mouth to make sure he was truly breathing. Of course no one would know of this, not even Neron. When he woke up she hid her relief by bantering with him and teasing him. Her thinking behind this was that she didn't want him alarmed by how long he had been asleep, nor did she want him to know how serious his condition was, or still is.

When she noticed how he was leaning on the wall, an expression of despair on his face, head turned away from Jaedon, asking for his shirt, she realized what had happened. He had seen his wounds for the first time. She had never shown it to him, merely vaguely described it to him, leaving out the true horror beneath. So he had known it would be bad, but he never could have dreamed this bad. There was something unnatural about the poison markings, something sicking as they looked like worms wriggling through his skin. So he had seen it and realized that Jaedon had too. Her eyes softened as she rushed forward to help and grabbed the shirt. "He has a strange connection towards this shirt. There is something about it that her cares about. Perhaps a memory, or perhaps it hides the memory his skin reveals. " She spoke lowly to Jaedon. When Neron tried to reach for it she yanked it away and then helped catch him for the sudden movement had caused pain to fall upon him.

"Give it to me Cecily." His head was bowed, keeping his eyes in shadows and his voice was a deep rumble.

"What give this to you?" She had stepped back and waved it before him, yet far enough away that he couldn't reach it. He wouldn't after all, after that past movement he was to tired to and she knew it. "No. I will not. Do you know how hard it would bee to dress up your mess if you had this on? Not only that but the pain you would go through to get it on?" She waved it under his nose again before holding it beside her with two fingers like it was a dead animal. "Plus it has blood on it." Even though her voice was harsh and her movements cruelly teasing there was a softness in her face, a worry and an understanding. She looked at Jaedon. "Come on, let's move this dragon inside." By the let's she meant Jaedon. She merely walked in front with the shirt held out from her, still stubbornly refusing to help Neron beyond what was absolutely needed.
-

Miriel nodded at the ice part. "Yes. that is true." She wasn't ready for the flurry of questions afterward, and that's exactly what they were. They were so random and rapid that it slightly reminded her of Neron. Though his questions weren't random at all. "We just met, became friends, and then lovers." SHe was being vague, not wanted to open herself up totally to this Eventide." I'm not sure when all the changes started but they just come, slowly and steadily. Fire and ice are enemies." She shuddered at this statement. Damion and her were enemies by element and they could only be together in human form, never in their true form. At the word Ice phoenix her eyes shifted angrily toward Eventide and grew slightly dark. "Yes, there are ice pheonix's. There is no difference. Perhaps Damion and I are together because we can see past the elemental boundaries. Also being different races we don't view each other as enemies as much. I could never fall in love with an ice phoenix." Her voice turned cold at the word, colder than anyone else had ever heard it. Indeed if Jaedon or Damion had been close by they would have been shocked that she could have gotten so icy. Miriel almost missed Eventides the last question and instead answered it in a absent-minded way. "We met near a lake after I had done a powerful Fire spell with Jaedon."

[saerwen]

When Neron asked for his shirt, Jaedon gave him a look. That was the second time that he had asked for his shirt. What did he want it for so badly? Jaedon just now realized that this was the first time that she had ever sen him without a shirt. It was a rather strange thing to think about but she didn't know why. She cleared her head of the thought and turned it to figuring out why he wanted it back so badly. It was like he wanted to hide something. What was it that he wanted to hide? She thought for a moment about everything that shirt could possibly hide, and it wasn't hard to come to the obvious conclusion that he wanted to hide his scars. She wanted to tell him to stop worrying about them because she had already seen them. It wasn't like hiding them now would make a difference, but then she realized that it would make him feel better. She would rather have him feeling better and not being discomforted than anything.

"Cecily is right you know, it will be harder for her to do anything if you have a short on, but if you want I will bring you one later. I sort of had to tear this one," Jaedon spoke as she slowly guided Neron back inside the hut. She saw where Cecily had kept a clear spot for Neron and she headed straight for it. She was slightly angry at Cecily for refusing to help, but then again, she was glad that she was being of use to Neron. She would always be there for him, for as long as hse lived.

Gentleness was her key desire for how to set Neron down, and she knew that would put mre strain on her, but that was okay. She was the strong one after all. Using the arm that was supporting his shoulder to help him onto the table she didn't really give him a choice as to staying up or sitting down. When he was definitely set, she turned to look at Cecily for a moment and then back at Neron. She gave him another smile before passing him a thought:

"I am debating on how long it is going to take before she kicks me out. She is so pushy. Sometimes I think that she is just trying to get rid of everybody that isn't sick or willing to swallow a poison as soon as possible," she then gave a smile and rolled her eyes. Her face then returned to being stoic.
**************************
"So horrible when the enemy is so appealing, eh? I love how there is always a Romeo and Juliet case between feuding sides. It is like it is inevtiably going to happen," Eventide gave another charming smile. She wouldn't ever let Miriel know that she was one of the msot appealing bd guys in the world. Then Eventide raised and eyebrow. Ding ding ding, she had found a harsh cord in this friendly little phoenix. She hated the icy ones of her kind. This was going to be easier than Eventide had thought.

"Never? Well, I bet that you never imagined falling in love with an ice dragon either, but then again, I guess that the different races do matter," she dropped off as though she were thinking, but it was all an act, "speaking of differences, I really want to settle this whole thing with your boyfriend. I never really meant for it to turn out like this, I mean, to involve you in our quarrel. I want to get you out of this, and maybe even settle our own differences. I happened to find out from one of his other friends that he would be at the snowy mountains, oh what are they called...I can't remember, but how can you miss the huge, snow covered mountains, eh? So would you consider going there and meeting me and him so that all three of us could figure this thing out?" She put on a pleading look that was quite cute.

[»Míríel«]

Neron muttered some curses at the pain as they moved toward the hut and then within. The sun's warmth no longer soothed him, but merely laughed at him from outside. He was ashamed of his appearance and of being so weak. Those scars were something that he didn't show, they were representations of the past. A past that he didn't want to remember. He had been wild at heart there, a true black dragon, and it had consumed him, body and soul. Even now he was fighting against it, trying to change. So far it had gone well, but that didn't change the battle within. He nodded at her in acceptance of her offer. "Just make it black." Yes black, his color, it hid things, it protected things and it was the color of mourning.

When she started to help him to the table he couldn't help but grasp her arm out of pain at the movement. He was also surprised by her gentleness at it. What she had done wouldn't have been easy, yet she had done it for him. As soon as he was well he was going to pay her back, somehow, someway.

When her words glided over his mind he smiled. "She is caring...in a strange way..."

Cecily bustled over and came between the two. Her gaze was at Jaedon. "Well you managed to get him in here, I'm obliged to you. If it were just me I would have left him out there to rot." In truth she was grateful for Jaedon and impressed by the care she had given Neron.

"Neron raised an eyebrow at Jaedon, as if taking back his past thought. "No, you wouldn't, then you would have had to smell me rot in the sun."

Cecily wrinkled her nose in distaste before turning sharply and gathering her instruments. "Well then I would be rid of you." She turned toward him with a finger point at him accusingly. "You are a very, very bad patient. Getting up, of all things!"

"I plan to be better. Well I'll try to be."

Cecily let out a little short laugh. "When pigs fly." She muttered as she gathered a bandage. She opened the bottle to some salve, it's pungent oder filled the room. Just when she was about to apply it Neron put his hand on hers.

"How long will it take?"

Cecily blinked and looked at him with a tilted head. "What?"

"How long will it take for the poison to leave and me to start actually getting better?"

"Well the poison will slow things down a great deal, first your body will need to rid itself of that before it begins -"

"How long."

Cecily blinked again. "Weeks, maybe a month."

Neron gritted his teeth. He could be in here that long, he couldn't. HE would go mad, perhaps even madder than Cecily. Jaedon would come and visit, he was sure she would, but Cecily would always be around, watching. No he needed to be free. "There had to be another way..."

There was a pause and Cecily bowed her head slightly, in thought. Her voice was quiet when she finally spoke. "There is one.... but"

"Do it."

Her head snapped up and she looked at him with narrowed eyes, "You don't understand what it would be like, you would -"

"Do it!"

Cecily frowned and stood up, indignant. He was ordering her to do something, something he knew nothing about. She would do it, she had planned to do it soon, but not this soon. Fine, if he wanted pain, she would give it to him. A smirk came to her face though as she thought about the process. Setting the bandages and salve to the side she grabbed a near by flask and gave some to him. "You may need this." Then rising she turned to JAedon. Her eyes were hard and fiery. "You may," She smiled darkly, "want to leave. "

-

Miriel listened to Eventide quietly. Letting everything seep in. The girl showed no signs of trickery. Perhaps she really did want to repair things, set her name straight. Neron had turned around so why couldn't Eventide? Miriel nodded in consent. "Yes, let's do that." Perhaps if Damion could just see that the girl wanted to change he would be back to normal. Miriel would do anything for that, anything."I know of the place you speak of and I will meet you there." Miriel flashed her a smile and nodded. Then she turned and walked away, back the way she had come. She had decided to let Neron stay in the capable hands he was in. Miriel needed to think on what to say to Damion, she needed to plan.

[saerwen]

As Jaedon listened to Cecily and Neron banter back and forth she realized that these two probably got along fairly well, although it was probably a strain at some points. She could only imagine what kind of arguments they found to get into, but knowing Neron, it was probably something frivolous. He always managed to argue about things that really made no difference in life whatsoever. However, the latter part of the conversation worried her. Neron was desperate to get out, and she knew it, but at what cost would his freedom come. Pain was something that they both knew well, and as much as Jaedon wanted to have Neron up and moving around, she didn't want it to come at the cost of excruciating pain.

After he insisted the second time, she turned to him with a worried look on her face, about ready to tell him to think again and she even thought about telling Cecily not to do it, no matter what he said, but then she realized that this is really what Neron wanted. He wanted to be free of the constraints of sickness. It was hard to cope with the idea that he was about to undergo something tantamount to torture in order to be well again, but then she realized that one usually did have to become worse or go through something worse in order to get any better. She knew that trying to persuade Neron would be of no use and eventually he would bug Cecily to death. There was no stopping it, so she might as well just let it happen.

As much as she wanted to stay, she knew that Cecily would require her room to work and also that she wouldn't be able to watch Neron go through that much pain. She also knew that if she didn't go Cecily would kick her out. She passed a final thought to Neron as she turned to leave:

"Very strange I dare say. However, my guess was about right...almost three minutes. I guessed 5. Not bad eh? I'll come back tomorrow. Hopefully whatever she does to you today won't be too bad. However, just remember that you asked for it!"
********************************
Eventide was so glad that it was this easy. She hadn't even had to use anything suggestive other than a few lies and some prying talk of ice. It was like trapping a mouse. Use enough cheese and comforting surroundings and the stupid little things with come right away. Speaking of which, she was hungry. It was time to end this little conversation and go get something to eat.

"Oh good! Well, if you will excuse me I have to go and find me something for supper. I will see you tomorrow around noon! Goodbye!" With that she continued to prance down the lane. Her graceful figure disappearing into the distance very quickly. She was grinning with a sheer, evil pleasure. Her plan was working perfectly. Soon that ice dragon would be out of the way, she would be everyone's friend, and she would have a new home. What more could a girl dream of?

[»Míríel«]

Neron let the liquid trickle down his throat, it was burning his throat, yet after the burn there was a numbness that pervaded his senses, dulled everything. Jaedon's words came to him. "A record... we shall see how long you stay next time." His thoughts grew slightly more jumbled and then faded. He wasn't asleep he just cut off the link between them. She would be far away before long, no doubt.

-
Cecily turned to Neron as soon as Jaedon was gone. "Well, the potion you were given will numb some of the pain... though not all." She shook her head, "You are very foolish, very foolish." She then went around again and gathered other tools. This would be a painful process. "Well here goes nothing." Wielding a knife, hot poker, herbs, and a bucket she started at her work. One cry was heard echoing from her little abode, it was a pain filled one, yet she showed no mercy and kept at her job. He had ordered and she was going to deliver.

THE END