Despised

[»Míríel«]

Neron knew that something was coming, he knew he had tripped one of her traps. Rising to his feet he braced himself for the pain that was about to come. Those green eyes of him were focused on Jaedon, fiercely glaring at her with pity deep within. Then it struck, on his shoulder. He was slightly surprised that she hadn't chosen his heart, probably because she wanted to torture him. “You asked for it, and now you get what you deserve, after all these years.” His eyes lost their glaring quality and turned pleasant, even as his hand was clutching the wound on his shoulder. The blood leaked through his fingers, running down like tears.

He sighed slightly and smirked. “Well how do I look with blood? Ravishing I'm sure.” Then a warmth came to his eyes. “Thanks for that touch Jaedon, I'm sure it was well thought out.” The warmth wasn't him trying to be nice or anything else, it was a warmth because he understood what she was going through. A slight smile came to his lips, peeking through the storm that surround him, “Well what will be your next target, my my head, my heart, or my soul.” He grinned, this time with a mischievous tinge. “I'm sure you could manage the latter with some of that blasted magic of yours.”

Neron senses that her will to fight was on the edge, she was being pulled between continuing and stopping. What was causing her to do this, he didn't know, nor did he really care at the moment. Right now he needed to keep her aggravated. Dropping his eyes to his hurt shoulder he let them slide down to his hand, which he had outstretched slightly. The movement caused the blood flow to grow stronger. “This is going to hurt....” He muttered, talking to himself. With a wince his fingers were snapped and fire leaped up at Jaedon's feet. They screamed and hissed at her and tried to claw and scratch her clothes and skin with their fiery nails.

[saerwen]

She was not really wanting to talk much more with him, his calm reactions that seemed to be friendly and smooth were getting on her nerves. Why wasn't he getting angry with her? Why wasn't he changing forms? Why was he acting like this? Was this the new and improved version of him that he had worked so long to make? It was weak and pitiful. Disgust welled within her soul and she felt the anger come also. All longing to stop the fight was pushed to the back of her mind.

Rather than verbally talking to him, she went through his mind and whispered silently what she wanted, trying to make him angry. She wanted to hurt him. "Who needs magic when I can just come into your soul and rip it apart by hand?"[/b] This was her normal voice, because it was the real her. The person that Neron was seeing and hearing verbally was not Jaedon...that was Jaedon's mask, the mask that she had used when she was an assassin to scare the living daylight out of them. Fear was a tool that Jaedon had used very well. "You know that your mind is the home of your soul, don't you? Without your mind, then you have no soul, no person. You become an empty shell."[/b] Jaedon began her mayhem within Neron. She started to rip his memories out, freely displaying all of the things that he had been fighting to kill. Memories were harder to manipulate now that Neron had changed, but she could still bring them into sight. This was not meant to hurt, as much as to distract.

The fire leaped up around Jaedon and her first reaction was to step back, but it had given her such a fright that she felt herself losing her skin. "Fine." she thought and let the change take way. Her black curls were traded for soft black fur. Her lack of meat was beginning to show in the color of her fur, which was lacking its normal gloss and luster. Her form was now much more agile, and able to move much faster. Her back left leg held the sign of her still slightly injured leg. She didn't like fire... Glaring at Neron, she tried back stepping from the fire. She was glad that she was close to the water with this pesky fire wielder. Escaping his flames could be as easy as jumping in.

[»Míríel«]

Neron sensed Jaedon in his mind as soon as she had set foot in it, but he didn't freak out or put up walls. “Yes, an empty shell. Jaedon” These were thoughts that passed through his mind. “You have done that to many people haven't you. I believe that I would be a harder subject to do such a thing to.” She began freely displaying all the things that had hurt him in the past. His last deeds of murder, of basic genocide, the torture he put his victims through. But these things didn't invoke the emotion she might have been expecting.

“You see Jaedon, I already was an empty shell, there was something inside of me within that shell at first, like an egg. That thing developed and grew without me knowing and when it started to hatch it caused me great pain. Then I thought I was a shell and that it was all I had. I never knew there was something inside of me, something that had a different life. But the second stage, the change of my life was happening and it was bursting through what had previously been there. Those cracks hurt, they almost killed me. But now that those memories are shattered on the ground of my mind they no longer bother me. I'm no longer an empty shell that only knows how to do one thing, kill. Instead I have come to realize that I am more then that, and I always was. I just go concerned about how things had always been and change had never been in my wildest dreams. You Jaedon, are the empty shell. You only have to realize it.” Yet even with this speech those memories that she brought up caused his mind to grow very sad, and angry at the injustice. But he was holding himself back, he had to. If he wanted Jaedon to get through this he had to show her that there was a different way of dealing with things, even if it was very hard for himself to do.

Yet even though this things above was true, a mischievous feeling came through his brain. He knew that being calm and wise would tick Jaedon off way more than exploding would. Neron wasn't acting in his normal manner, he was unpredictable right now. Certainly Jaedon was sensing this and it was driving her mad. “So what is it like dealing with someone that you can't control like a puppet? It must be dreadfully taxing.” Somehow he managed to do this was a stoic face. Even though he had changed for the better, he still loved getting one peoples nerves, his was his nature.

The fire had done its work and a smile crawled on his face. “That was just a little payback.” Fire erupted from his fingers and cauterized the wound in his shoulder. HE studied her now beast figure, so much had changed since last time. Her fur had lost it's gloss, her form had grown more slim. The flames around her died slightly and his hand lowered down. “Great, now I have a giant cat on my hands. Lovely. What would the big fur ball like, some more pretty fire?” He said all of this in a teasing tone, but with Neron, if you weren't paying attention you could take his teasing as fighting words.

[saerwen]

"Why should it be any harder with you than some other helpless, dying victim?"[/b] Her hostile thoughts ran back through his mind, opening a small door into her own. No one ever knew it, but every time she used her abilities to communicate with someone, then she became vulnerable to magic in her own mind. Granted, it was a lot easier for her to push it out than it was for most people, but she still left part of her open. "Is it because you are stronger? have more knowledge? or is it because you finally feel like you have something to live for?"[/b] She was mocking him in her own mind because she knew that she had killed a great many people with all of those attributes. The only thing that Neron had that gave him defense against her was his wit. For that she often despised him.

She felt his soul sadden through the waves in his mind. It wasn't a great reaction, and she had known that the reaction would be small, but as long as it kept him diverted she would continue. he was serene now...Jaedon hated him for it. As he spoke she felt the hate pour through her body until it reached from her head to her toes. She now hated Neron more than she had ever thought possible simply because he had learned how to truly defeat Jaedon. He was killing her slowly with kindness and it tore her soul in two again. Part of her longed to just stop, to ask him for help, and admit that she was weak. But the other part worked hard to kill its ego and Neron as well, suggesting that if Neron was gone then the words that he spoke would prove him wrong and weak. She listened to the devil on her shoulder again in spite. Her response was verbal and internal, "I am not a weak shell as you describe. I have been there before, and I will never go back. I am alive, free, and fixing to be very happy."[/b]

Her eyes narrowed at his smart mouthed words. "Who said that I ever wanted to control you? Controlling you would be too easy, I want a challenge. I just want to kill you." This was spoken straight out in Jaedon's normal voice, because in her original form, that voice left. Her tail flicked this way and that, showing that she was getting ticked off faster and faster.

Jaedon choked back a growl at his mention of more fire. If he had heard that then he could probably deduce the fact that Jaedon really didn't like fire. She unconsciously got lower to the ground and picked up one paw and then the other slightly to get a feel for the ground beneath her, like she was fixing to pounce. "I resent that remark, you over-grown lizard."[/b] she was hinting towards the comment about her being an oversized cat and a fluff ball.

[»Míríel«]

“Well it could be a tad harder considering I'm neither helpless or dying.” His green eyes blazed with amusement. “I would have thought that you, of all people, would have noticed that.” He didn't like her in his mind, she was trespassing on his secret thoughts. The sooner he got her out the sooner he could feel safe. He didn't want her rummaging around to much. But how? Last time he had gotten her out by the terrible memories, but those no longer held power over her, surely. What else could? She was trained against mental barriers and other things, how on earth could he get her out? If he forced her, it would be counter productive, but if she stayed, it could be worse then the previous problem. He would have to think about this little thorn in his side, hopefully it wouldn't be to late. “I don't have something to live for. I have someone.” He blinked for a moment, uncomfortable. “Myself.”

Warmth flooded his mind as she spoke of not being an empty shell. “Then you are closer to the breaking point then you think.” He sighed, “Just look at yourself.” The warmth left his heart, he disliked how easy it was to get warm with Jaedon and the best thing to do was stifle it. Though he had started noticing her getting rather uncomfortable with his kindness. “You're pitiful” He let a little scoff come through his thoughts.

Control... that word triggered something off in his mind. Jaedon had always used something to control people, or controlled people to use something. What was it? His mind went back to the first time they had met. The vision of Miriel's arm wreathed in flames, something he had seen in the darkness that had surrounded them. Magic. If she used that to control people perhaps he could use it to get her our of his little head. “Well I hate to tell you, but it might not be so hard for you to kill me. Perhaps you are to scared to try and control me.” He immediately sent a spell wreathing through his mind, heading Jaedon's way. It was something that burned with a passion but left no mark. Hopefully it would singe her enough to get her out of her out of his space. “Though I could be wrong...”

“Well I'm glad to know that my goal was reached. You weren't supposed to like it you mangy mutt.” An evil grin came to his face. Yes, he had just called her a flea infested dog, that should do the trick.

[saerwen]

When Neron gave his explanation and then slight pause, for a moment she almost thought that he was going to say someone else. Then she laughed inwardly. Neron might have changed, but he was still Neron, there was no one that he would love better than himself. "Yes, but so did half of the others that I have killed. They might have even had more. They might have had a family to live for, a wife, a friend." [/b] She heard him say that she was pitiful and smirked. "Yeah, maybe from where you are standing. For me, I am just starting to feel normal again. I am starting to feel like my old self again." She felt him struggling to find a way to get her out of his mind, but he was having tough luck with it. She knew that he was too smart to try and physically push ehr out, because if he did that, she would use the opportunity as a distraction, which was all entering his mind was ever supposed to be. Why fight for a distraction when you could let the diversion fall and win the war. But he was trying to think of something else, something better. It was running circles around his thoughts, but getting nowhere.

She was angered by his little speech and pulled her focus enough away to try and send little present to Neron, but before her goal was completed, Neron's own spell did its job very well. Jaedon was out faster than if someone had kicked her out the door. She was practically running out because of the fire...which she detested even more now. Then he started playing the name game again. "Mangy mutt" Jaedon lost it. She simply lost it. She had been growing more and more angry this whole conversation and now, she had fallen to piece, every ounce of her sanity left for a moment. She had been this way once before in front of Neron, when they had been in the garden, and had gotten angry at each other. Damion had been there to stop her last time and warn Neron away from her tricks, but not this time. She let out a low growl and then sent raw black energy, the stuff she used to make her little spells, hurling towards Neron. It was aimed about chest level and if it made contact would probably leave it numb and depending on the point of impact, would tear through till it found bone. Right after this, Jaedon let a grin play on her face as she used her power to create the one of her favorite tricks. A strange sort of olive colored fog sped towards Neron, reaching its target soon enough.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Damion had decided that today was going to be a good day for a walk along the beach. He loved beaches. He loved sand. He loved water. He couldn't help but come. Inhaling the deep scent of salt that wafted on the air, he smiled and listened to the sea gulls sing their happy little songs as the little sandpipers scurried in front and behind him, stopping every now and then to poke their beaks into the sand. His bare feet tread along the hardened, wet sand, getting soaked as the surf pulled in. He was rounding a curve when he caught sight of two people around the bend, or perhaps you could say two beings. He recognized both dark forms immediately. Oh great, what troubles are those two causing each other now? He sped up slightly to see if he could try and mediate the situation.

He was getting closer when he saw Jaedon spit out some of her magic at Neron, and then, it came. He knew that it was going to happen sooner or later, lest Jaedon change her personality. Why did she always have to use that spell? Damion was now running down the beach full speed hoping in vain that he could get there before the spell reached Neron, but Jaedon was angry, so it moved fast. Damion was only two or three yards away when the spell came to its destination. "Neron!" Damion shouted, knowing that what followed was not going to be good. Jaedon heard him, and looking at him gave a quick command that forced Damion to halt. He watched the rest of the scene it utter horror.

[»Míríel«]

Neron smiled at her reaction to his little fire. He would keep that little trick in the back of his mind incase she decided to trespass anymore in his mind. Now that she was out he let his mind wander. If only she knew that he hadn't wanted to say himself, he had wanted to say her. He had wanted to blurt it out but instead he had said himself, that's what he expected. "Well it looks like you have a lover now. So perhaps you could answer a question for me, is it really something better to live for? Or is it just added trouble." He grinned. "I'm thinking the latter."

His little name calling had really sent Jaedon off the edge. "Beautiful." His green eyes flashed with delight. He had wanted some action, and though he had gotten a taste, he had wanted some real action. He dodged the black energy slightly, though it hit him square on the shoulder. IT was his bad shoulder. As soon as it hit, where the bone was it left the whole arm numb, but around that, it felt like a million needles tearing at it. Before he had time to think to much about the pain the green smoke was upon him. Last time he had held his breath. "Well missy, if you want me to breath this stuff so bad. I guess I will oblige you." Neron took a deep breath of the smoke, then another, he didn't feel anything. He was growing tired of it, surely it did something.

A breeze blew from the cove and started clearing the smoke. It faded away, it's fingers clutching onto Neron. But when you saw his face, his arm hanging by his side, a smirk on his face, and his green eyes alight with pleasure. His form suddenly seemed to fade into darkness, then morphed and grew until it was the shape of a dragon, black scales glowing like polished ebony. His wings outstretched, revealing silver veining decorating the membrane like sunlight breaking through a stormy sky. Snaking his head close to the panther figure of Jaedon his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Was that supposed to do something my feline friend?"

[saerwen]

"What is precious to someone is all a point of view. I hold no sway over what other people hold as dear to them. And in answer to your question, I don't even know who it is, so they can't be any of my concern. Why should I worry about it if they feel it is better to conceal their identity. Some love, eh?" she smirked. "Then again, they are probably wise, because they wouldn't have much luck with me anyway. If I don't know who it is then they can continue to send me love letters and I can't really stop them. They receive satisfaction from gaining romantic output and I gain pleasure by tearing their notes to pieces."

Damion sat there, staring at Neron for a moment and watched as the idiot inhaled it more than once, and then gave this funny look. It was amusement. Was there a different reaction for every person? Damion remembered what he had done when he had inhaled that stuff without knowing what it was. He had practically fallen over. It had made him dizzy, weak, and loopy, like the feelings you get when you are too drunk to stand up. He had fallen down and just stared at Jaedon, whose panther form had become intoxicating to the eyes. Her suggestive, seductive powers worked like a gem and he had been, well...he had never escaped them.

Counter to his own experience, Neron just stodd there, no wobble in sight. Then he changed into his true form. Damion just stood there in wonder as a "What the heck?" escaped his lips.

Jaedon was as surprised as Damion when Neron changed forms just like normal, and was able to stand fine. Damion's reaction had been a little different from any of those that she had had in teh past and she knew that everyones was a little different, and there was no way that her spell could have failed. She just hoped that Neron hadn't realized it yet. She looked at him with a vehement rage and pulled her face back from him. She was going to quiet her fears by enacting her power. Using all of the persuasive abilities that she had, she gave a simply command, "Back off." She was expecting utter obedience because that is what she had gotten from everyone else. Damion held his breath.

[»Míríel«]

Neron looked over the waves with an indifferent gaze. "True, perhaps he's just shy." He smirked and turned back to her. "Funny, imagining you with some shy guy. That picture will continue to amuse me for the rest of the day."

When Jaedon issued the Command Neron blinked. There was a ghost of a feeling o do as she commanded, but he just shoved it aside. Snaking his had down by her his large eyes stared at her unblinkingly. "What if I don't want to? Just because you are some sort of assassin doesn't mean that everyone is going to bow down at your feet and beg for mercy. It's time you learn that. " He let smoke wreath out of his nostrils. "You know, You're cute when you're angry." Even in his dragon form you could see that wicked smirk come across his mouth and he lifted his lead to it's full height and fluttering his wing sand began to fly at Jaedon due to the force.

[saerwen]

For a tiny split second Jaedon actually thought that Neron was going to obey her, she had a moments hope, but then...as usual, he defied her wishes. She just stared at him with disbelief and confusion. What was going on? Why hadn't it worked? That spell was an instant kill on anyone and everyone, not just guys. It fed her power to prey on their minds, making it harder for them to fight back. It was much more effective with men because they were easily seduced by women, but for women she could still do the same. It was impossible that Neron wasn't affected by it, it just wasn't Jaedon shook her head as though to wake herself from a bad dream.

She didn't even hear him talking after that. She got the gist of what he said, but she just wasn't paying attention. She kept asking herself how it could have failed. Then she decided that she had just not given a clear enough command. She felt sand start to pelt her as the wind made by Neron's wings beat against her form. She got angry and yelled, "Stop it right now Neron!" She enforced all of the power that she had into that one statement, hoping that last time she had just not given it enough.

Damion watched her and then, began to wonder about something. She was confused, she didn't know why it hadn't worked. Something had gone wrong. He knew that was the same spell that she had used on him, and he knew what its effects were, but none of them seemed to be taking any affect now. He looked at Neron, and then Jaedon, back to Neron, then back to Jaedon. Then he heard Neron's comment. You know, you're cute when you're angry. An idea suddenly hit him, one that he had yet to consider. It was so impossible for him to believe, and yet it was the only thing that made sense. That spell won't work if Jaedon is partial to one side... He realized now what a fool he had been to think that Jaedon's heart was made of stone. She was flesh and blood just like he and Miriel. She was capable of feelings. Jaedon is in love with Neron. That is why it hasn't worked yet. That is why she can't control him. The effect of the spell never took its grip on Neron, it just passed straight through! Lucky devil. Damion grinned, for once he was very proud of Neron. Although something about it bugged him. If Jaedon loved Neron, then that meant that there was a possibility Neron wouldn't return the favor. Jaedon really would kill herself after something like that.

Noticing the sting of sand flying around, Damion came back, the grin still wide on his face. "Neron, stop playing with the pretty kitty. She needs a time out." he walked closer to Jaedon, and he opened his arms very jovially, "Can't you see that the poor dear is confused?" he then looked straight at Neron, "Allow me to explain what just happened here."

[»Míríel«]

Neron looked at her shocked face with satisfaction. What had everyone been so worried about last time? That silly old spell didn't do a thing. Figures, though he had a feeling this was the first time something like this had happened to Jaedon. "Stop What Jaedon?" He fluttered his wings harder. "Is some sand ruining your hair?" Then when Damion came by Neron let off with the sand. "Yes, I suppose I should. Do you think the sandblasting blasted away that rock heart of hers?"

HIs silver streaked wings gathered by his side as he shifted his weight slightly. His leg hurt, not only was it practically broken, but now the shoulder, even in his dragon form, had blood streaming down it. The sand hadn't helped out the feeling at all. Lowering his head down to their height he had a mischievous grin on his face. "Poor kitty tat, are you confused? How about a nice warm fire to warm you up." He was mearly playing with her. Right now she was to confused to do anything, or he hoped she was.

[saerwen]

Jaedon shook her head viciously as she heard Damion and Neron. Why was this ineffective? Why was Neron not obeying her? She could command Damion, and even though he had a strong will and a great ability to recognize when she was playing him, he just couldn't say no. She listened to their comments with indignation and confusion. Previously staring at the ground, she jerked her head up and looked first at Neron, who was having much fun at her expense, and then to Damion who was grinning and when he made eye contact with her, just shook his head and chuckled slightly. She must look like an idiot right now. She then realized that her spell had not worked, nor would it ever. She backstepped a few times, making a bit more of a distance between herself and the men, then turned around and walked to a nearby rock, sitting her hindquarters down and then wrapping her tail over her front paws as her head slouched and her haunches became very clear under her pitch colored pelt.

Damion had been watching her, and knew that she was going to be pretty messed up after this, but he also knew that she was going to learn a few things from this and hopefully glean a new and improved view on life. He knew that Jaedon wasn't really pouting, although it might have looked like it. Part of her was puzzling over how she could have failed, and the other part of her was miserable for even trying again. Jaedon was not inherently evil, she just gave into her evil tendencies a little to easily. She was very good at her deeds, as natural as they were, but the side of her that really showed her person hated that tendency.

"Okay, Neron, lets not be too cruel." he spoke when Neron mentioned the fire. Jaedon hated fire. That was all there was to it. She didn't mind if it was in a fireplace or a little candle, but she hated fire any other way. In that way, they were very much alike. Then he thought about how that trait in him was going to change because of Miriel though. "You've already messed her up really good." Damion looked at Neron with a gleam in his eye. "Her spell was null because of you. That is a big blow to any magic user if they weren't previously aware of the immunity. I am shocked really..." he looked over to Jaedon, still in awe that she loved him. "Bu then again I also feel kinda stupid." he looked back to Neron with irony on his face. "And as strange as it might seem, the reason that it didn't work is because she never did have a true heart of stone, just a fabricated one."

[»Míríel«]

Neron watched as Jaedon slinked over to a nearby rock and sat down, troubled and sad. Poor thing, she probably had never had that happen before. Actually he was starting to wonder why it hadn't worked. It seemed as though this little trick had never disappointed her before. This was perfect. Now she wasn't thinking of just herself...well maybe she was. Except now instead of thinking about killing herself she was thinking what she did wrong or maybe even what Neron might have done to avoid the effects of the smoke.

“Cruel is the way I roll usually. More fun.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm. “I'm not sure why it didn't effect me. But why do you feel stupid? Did I do something that diverted the spell?” He shook his head to Damion's mentioning of the heart. “Well then, she's quite a good actor. I didn't believe she had a speck of flesh in that body of hers.” He turned to Damion and lowered his voice so that Jaedon couldn't hear. “I'm just joking, I hope you know that.”

His green eyes were glowing in a good natured way. “But I better leave you to alone.” He turned to Jaedon and smirked. “I'm sure your two have lots to talk about...After all don't you have to tell him about your little letter you found.” He turned to Damion. “Quite a letter may I mention. Very interesting.” With that he turned and lifting his hand he gestured goodbye. Then he started to walk off. Though he was still within hearing distance, though that distance was fading fast.

[saerwen]

Damion knew that Neron was joking around, and that he was probably trying to drive a point to Jaedon, but she wouldn't really be open to that right now he guessed. He watched as Neron started to leave. The air near Jaedon was tense, and Damion could feel it, but the air around Neron was pretty light. He could hardly believe that there was a difference now. It was a miracle that he hoped would be repeated in Jaedon some day, but he didn't know how. There are some scars that time just doesn't heal.

He turned to Jaedon and gave her a curious look. "What letter is he talking about?"

"Just some guys idea of a funny practical joke." Jaedon was apathetic. "Really, when will guys find a new amusement. I would have thought girls would get boring after a while. I guess some people just don't have imaginations." With that she got up and walked off. She had made sure that her answer was loud enough to be heard by Neron and Damion.

Damion let a sigh blow out of his lips from puffed up cheeks. He shook his head and then turned to walk back towards civilization.

[»Míríel«]

THE END!