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The blade was let to pierce the hand that came to martyr itself, and burried down to the hilt it did. But that was where Cymarron's desire for this to go ended. The claw that swung to his side met again against the shadow shield that Ember birthed of his mind to protect him, dulling the impact to barely a limp punch. And when Cymarron would try to put his grip on the blade, he found another of Ember's arsenal ready to jab through tendons in that hand in the form of solid sliver of darkness that was proven his by the furrowing of his brow that made it real. His position was one of trouble however, should he remain in it. So with one claw stopped and the other bloodied, the last moment of his descent ended with his boot heel firmly planted into Cymarron's eyes from where he pushed off again. Body turned back away from him and Soulforge was pulled an inch free of its fleshy prison with a wet 'shlick' just before Ember dissapeared completely into the air.

Then his voice again rang out, calm as ever. "You choose your kills based on a moments notice. And have neither compassion nor understanding of who or why you kill beyond what you see in a second's time. You proclaim yourself a judge, and equal of me, and its true. But every person youve killed has the right to judge you as well." He was standing perfectly poised again, sword tight in hands, several feet behind Cymarron. "If you have any hope of surviving beast, youd best fight me with all you have. Prove your worth in any way you can, even if it only be that you are the fiercer monster."

Cymarron like every pompous blowhard with their power did not realize that many of the actions hed taken since his arrival was documented well within Ember's mind and no simple common strategy would function to defeat him. "Think on your feet or youll find them cut out from under you." True, he could indeed manifest darkness into form, it was a simple trick. But where Saradin's manipulations of the past were rather crude and just the beginning of his new power, for Ember it was his prided skill. Jet black, razor sharp, spines nearly a foot high erupted from the earth beneath Cymarron, the first set of which shot for his tail which would force it to stop weaving one set of incantaions and if lucky would splinter the length of flesh into a bloody knot. Though they dissipated seconds after they emerged from the earth with explosive force, more followed them beneath Cymarron's feet, none of them were elegantly aimed however and only a lucky few would have even a chance of finding their mark before they too became only vapor carried off in the wind.

As for Ember himself, he would not devote himself to merely defense and allow Cymarron to make his magic. With the cascade of spike that began at the moment of Cym's spellcasting so did Ember charge. The serpents on the floor were made lethargic at least partly by his disruption and were far easier to outmanuever than the phantoms in the air. For them he was left with little option than dodging some, and hoping to parry off a few more with Soulforge, gambling some that the soul that resided inside of it would allow to block them where phyiscal blade would not. But even he was not without limits as one did touch him and left the drain of energy on him like years weighing down suddenly.

Regardless though of that which was inflicted upon him and whether Soulforge would protect him any, it took only seconds after Cymarron to begin his spell for Ember to be on him with a sword swung at full length, shallow hits at best but kept him at sword's length and were deftly made enough for the tiger to be forced to disturb his incantations by hand. "Monster, all I see I've seen is that youre trying to bluff your way out!"

Nelphean frowned as he was dragged away from his comfortable bed, and towards the main sitting area. He had dressed, as he would not wish to be spoted by Ecara or Esmeralda not dressed with out some concealment, as the elfish beauty might inspire thoughts in their fragile young minds that their respective families would wish not to endure, well, not until they are of a more appropriate age. The elf laughed at his arrogance, but he knew he was joking. Truly, he rather only be naked while enduring the heat of the shower or...

As he sat in the chair, the elf looked about. Something was askew, not correct. His eyes wandered the room, searching for the missing or misplaced thing, but before long, he realised that is was just his mind. His heart felt weak, like a tone of bricks had be sourly dropped on it.

As he was pondering within the confines of his mind, his various children began to approach him.

"Nelly," Kellenedel said excitedly, "We have permission to build our training centre, as long as it is not too big... So I was thinking that if we cut back on the height, and went with a depth as well, we might beable to make the area very stimulating, even for the old dogs like us!" A childlike innocent laugh followed. "I will start prepairing, Do you think your old training field will work? And how are we going to keep Snow from getting entaggled in the nasty thing..." The mageling pondered.

"If we are not to make it overly large son, my old casting ground is sufficent size to contain our asperations to a minimum. Snow will avoid it on her own, she is an intelligent mare."

"I guess you are right. Well, I'll get the area ready, and when you are ready to begin, we shall have it up and running with a few hours." Kellendel enthusiatic smile delve deeply into Nelphean's mind.

The elf waved his hand, "Only because I love you, Kelly." The elf smiled in return, but his was a facade. He was not lieing to Kellendel, he just did not wish to smile at the moment, his heart hurt, and he knew not why... He could not find certain memories...

Walking into the sitting area, Sylphina came across her father. "Hello Father." She said with her calm voice, melodic as the summer wind. She sat near him, and leaned on his chair and looked into his eyes. She was about to say something when she was interrupted by her bouncing sister.

"Hi father!" She said as she raced up to him, following her sister, for she had few to speak to here. Her age put her at a disadvantage, for non of the other manorites that she had meet, were of equal growth as her. "How are you today!" She jumped on his lap, and leaned against his chest. She would only be able to do this for a short while, as when Nelly had more children, she felt that her value might ceed to them. "Have you decided if I can have a sword yet?"

"Hello Sylly, Hi Taria." The elf's eyes fell from one of his daughters to the other, and back again. "We have found a sword we wish to make for you. But, I would rather you still not use it."

"Tis not for me to decide, but the villainy of this earth. Would you wish for me to always have a quiver upon my shoulders, or to draw only daggers when my foe has a weapon far longer reaching than mine?" She said youthfully, "Do not forget, though as innocent as I look, I am still the cut-throat from the means streets of-"

"Some wounds dive deep, though the marks only show on the surface. Taria, come with me, and I shall begin you on you training. Though elf you migh be half sister, holdign a sword is only genetically ecripted, not the skill. Or was it the other way around, as I had no more teacher than you did on your empty streets and broken dreams." Sylphina looked into her father's eyes. "We should have a nice meal later, I love you father."

Sylphina bent forward and kissed her father on the cheek, and she smilled warmly at him. He had only been part of her life for a few months, but she felt that he had loved her, her entire life. "I wont hurt her." She smiled wickedly.

Taria stuck her tongue out at Sylly, which made Nelly laugh. She was embraced in his arms, and kissed, and then placed on the ground. "I will never stop being your little girl, father, nor shall you ever grow up. Together, we willl be eternally young. Forever!" She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I love you more than Sylphina loves you."

"Love can not be measured in quantity, but only quatlity. I believe that you are equal on that scale, as neither of you love me any less than as your father." The elf smiled again, though his heart wished him to frown in his despair. "No go play nicely, and please, Sylphina, do be careful. I care not to hear how either of you is lying still at the end of a sword, let alone each others." As they walked away, Nelphean placed a hand over his cheek, he felt so happy, yet sad simotaneously. He contemplated his contrasting feelings until he was awakened from his deep thoughts.

"Hello, Master Elf." Xail said warmly, yet distant. "I fear that a great darkness looms over this manor, for some evil seems to creep within beyond just Fenix. The sword of ill-will, has vanished." Xail in formed Nelphean of the missing magical blade. "The vaults were attacked, and only the weakest failed. The traps were set off, flesh was burn, and blood was on the ground, but I am afraid that Spelclay is no more."

"Spelclay fufilled his duty, he was to guard the sword, to live in that hole until the day it was no longer there. He hit his foe, so at least, we should be able to tell that the thief was not amoung us, but a distant foe... The blade belonged to my brother's first foe here, so I imagine that he came to collect it. I did have that taint that made us obsessive, but we never even touched it." Nelphean wondered if that was what was making his mood so discoloured, but he didn't care muc hfor the blade, it was too much trouble to be effective, unlike Life, which sat on the floor of his room, waiting for a master. Nelphean smiled evily for a moment before considering Xail presence.

"The days grow long, perhaps we should increase our watch... Care to join the twins in thier duties, or would you rather just lounge about?" The elf baited, knowing Xail to be the ever vigillent guardian he was.

"I shall report to the roof, and confer with those two as to the best way to increase succurity, without compremising our rutines." Xail bowed, and vanished from the room.

Before Nelphean could drift back into his mind, Rain entered the room and cheerfully greated him. "Hello, Father. Have you seen Kelly, he owes me a favour which I care to recall.. You do not look so well," He paused and tilted his head, "Care to pardon upon me, What is up?"

"My heart aches from some unseen or unfelt sorrow... Kellendel is at Spellground perpairning to build a toy. Harass him all you like, As he awaiting me, and I shall be a few long moments away." Nelphean smiled weakly, "I am sure it is nothing more than a paranoid dellusion, but one can never be certain until he is."

"Troubled minds in a troubled world. My mother would say that you suffer from monkey troubles, but I would say that you have a bad feeling... Perhaps not unlike Nelphean's?"

"Tis not the future I see, but a glimpse of me. No, I doubt I am active in his imaginative way, but I believe my troubles lay within my child. Have you seen Aurora? She never surrenders the chance to be alone with me?" Nelphean voiced his concern.

Rain shoke his head, "Alas, I have not father. I will send her your way if I see her." The elf bowed his head, "But for Now, I shall seek out Kelly. If you wish for us to search for her, you know where we will be." Rain looked at the library door, "Maybe she's heartbroken, she does seem to be much more moody when she is here."

"No, she would tell me that..." Nelphean leaned forward in his seat, and looked at the door with Rain. The other elf shruged, and continued on his way to find his kin. "Now, where are you my lovely daughter..." The sound of a piano playing entered Nelphean's mind, perhaps Aurora was lamenting through song. The elf followed his ears, and investigated.

To his surprise, and woe, Brightsabre sat at the keyboard, and played a soft, lovely tune. "When did you learn how to do that?" The elf asked, some how enjoying the sound of his brother's music. Some how proud of his son's accoplishment, some how saddened by the tune.


The elf's eyes were closed, and his fingers ran about the keyboard, singing a tune forlornly into the open room. "I have been trying for quite some time, as the sadness I created in someone for failing to do so before, but now I can, almost." The elf frowned as he turned his head towards Nelphean. "Sit down, and restrain yourself. I have dire news for you, which will angre you and make you wish harm upon thsoe who do not deservie it. I awoke you from your deep slumber, and I hide Aurora from you, for you, though after I say what I must, you shall know where to look for her, as you know your children quite well." The clone awaited his father to sit, and then stoped playing the music. "Aurora was attacked by Cymarron, because she was angred by him, which caused his Beastial self to become more enraged an capable. She is wallowing in despair, frightened and seeking to be alone, yet again." The elf paused and looked at the ground, "I destroyed the Beast within Cymarron, and fear that you shall claim his head unjustly..." As he spoke he turned his head to note Nelphean walking to the door.

"Where to do you go?"

"MY child is alone and in the dark, and you wish me to stay and talk? I know not who you are foul brother, but I must be with my despaired kin. Pray I find not the other while I search for that which is more important." Nelphean walkd from the room, and back to Bastet's, where he looked upon the bed, and then under it, where little Aurora was laying upon her paws, and shivering. The elf rolled under it, and lay nex t to her.

"Come onto the bed, as it will be more warm, Less dark, and I can embrace you openly, as their is no room under here for the both of us." The elf smiled, discovering what troubled his heart. "You are a good girl, now tell me what happened..."

THe elf continued to wonder why he was able to play as he did, some distant memory of a time long ago, when Nelphean could do such things with ease? Or was it because he wanted to? The feeling of creating a sound to mimic his woe, to beable to make such notes with little more than the push of a key?

The elf felt his soul leak onto the machine, as he continued to play his forlorn tune. The deepest despair he had eve know, fumbled upon thos ekeys in a soothing tune, that mocked even his own ability to sing.

A single song in his mind, a single cry from his soul, and eternity of wo, only to find peace at his fingure tips, within reach, but untouchable.

The elf continued to play the song, to allow his heart to morn, not for Rakka, or any other being, but because of his own forlorn. He was now empelished in his own self pity, and soon, he could sunder it...

To hope to be free of such prisons, was hope enough, to let the elf find solice, upon the keys, that may or may not, have been part of who he is, part of the clone... A spectre, of the other Nelphean...

Tyler had been concerned for him, but he'd managed to calm the child down and gave him some tea that not only relaxed..but put him to sleep. Thanks goodness for those drinks.

He moved from his den, changing the bandage on his hand, and through the manor doors, the where Brightsaber was playing on the piano, and took a look at him, with a tilt of his head.

"You play well, brightsaber. Nailah teach you, like she teaches us to read?"

He moved by Brightsaber, tilting his head the other way.

"We all walk our own Paths, but that does not mean we walk them alone. You have helped us, and we wish to help you, if we can. we owe you a great debt."

He smiled lightly, before moving aroudn to find the saxaphone Raven had bought him.

"Perhaps we can start, by helping you easy your trouble by playing with you?"

He listened, and began to play with Nelphean on the sax, adding it sound with a distinct, hopeful countermeasure to the Piano's deeper more solemn music.

When Nelphean came out from under her bed, she blinked, a bit confused. The confusion was ignored for the moment when he wrapped his arms around her and she returned his warm embrace, smiling contently. "Hello dear elf." As happened often lately, she was swept off her feet and the walking was done for her. Once upon the bed, Nelphean pulled out Aurora and lay her down, her wolfish face betraying emotions like most other animals could never convey. A faint smile to Nelphean as she lay her head on Aurora, twitching her ears to listen. "What is wrong with the little daughter? You are no longer alone, anger should be released and fear as well."

"You know, because it feels right. you feel..stronger. lighter in spirit. it feels like the Ancestors look upon you with favor, and smile."

He shrugged lightly.

"Like helping Raven and Elias, making them our siblings. it felt right. felt like it was somethign worth doing. or helping raven summon her familiar, Morelle."

He played some more, blending his song to the elvish one.

"helping Nailah, taking care of Tyler and Esmerelda and Ecara. it feels like we should be there to help. like things we should do. and it make us feel good to do them, reguardless of reward or anything else."