[SpringsSong]

Why the heck was she here again...?

An'ama had made a point of trying her best to stay away from this place, yet she managed to get stuck here again.  She'd thought that her bond to that Music Goddess would allow her to remain detached from this place... but, obviously, she was wrong.  She groaned slightly as she rubbed her head, not noticing at first that she was no longer crystalline.  It took her a moment to notice this; it was actually when she noticed the orange spots on her neon-green arm.

That wasn't there before... she thought, scratching at one of them.  After a few moments, however, she realized that her arm was bleeding.  Bleeding, and not just whatever Hunters bled; this was real blood.

What...? she asked herself, standing up and examining her arm closer.  After a few moments, she realized that her arm faded from neon green to midnight blue.  She blinked in shock, and then, she ran to a fountain that was nearby.  The site that met her eyes was quite shocking.

[1.1]

[SpringsSong]

A wry smile twisted at the Grim Paragon's lips when he saw the femme Windgill with the butterfly wings stare at her reflection in the fountain.  He'd known her when she was a Hunter and he, a Werecain.  He slowly stepped out of the shadows, his orange flames glowing as he approached her.

"An'ama.  It is good to see you again." He said, smiling wryly.  "I assume you remember me, even if just a fleeting memory.  The last time we met, I was a Glacial Werecain, seeking the woman who you are bound to.  I let them think that they had bound me to the Re'klettan realm, but they cannot bind me to anything."

He had a feeling that An'ama was not going to be thrilled to see him again.  After all, all that time with Aila might have gotten to her head.  He could, however, hope; in her own unique ways, she was now far more stunning than Aila--or Nyera--could ever be.

[1.1]

[SpringsSong]

"...you!"

The word left An'ama's lips like a missile from a submarine that was preparing to assault the enemy.  It was clear that she remembered Yesac for whatever reasons; and she was not happy about it.  She glared at him angrily, walking over to him, her new wings extended to make her look more intimidating.

"You!  You're responsible for this.  Because you stole the Goddess who I am bonded to, the Gods of this realm decided to change me into... into THIS!  I can't hunt with wings like this!  I can't blend into anything!" she said, her voice clearly enraged.  "Most Hunters would relish this freedom, but I don't!  People will never believe me when I say that I hold the life of a Goddess in my claws.  Everyone trusts Hunter's words because they know what we can DO!  No one will trust a Paragon that says they can end a Goddess' life!"

[1.2]

[SpringsSong]

Truth be told, Yesac had expected that response from An'ama.  After all, he hadn't had much say in how the girl turned out--and he had absolutely no love for the Crystal Wings that would have been perfect for her previous form, and there was no feminine species that reflected crystals all that well.  He had decided that it was time for a change in the girl's apperance, and this was it.

"Rest assured, An'ama," Yesac said smoothly, "I only had your best interests in mind when I did this.  Aila's taken to her Paragon form a lot more as of late.  You were a mere four feet tall, and Aila is now easily five times the height you were.  In this form, you can easily keep up with her without fear of being crushed."

This was all very true; An'ama had been a little smaller than your average Hunter, and having a Paragon as a life-bond partner--especially one that was unwilling--was always a little unsettling.  Yesac gave a wry smile as he waited for An'ama's response.

[1.2]

[SpringsSong]

An'ama was about to make a rebuttal to this, but then, she actually stopped to think about what it was she was doing.  It was true that, when she was a Hunter, she was what most of the others considered a "runt".  She had been pathetically small compared to her companions, and she always took flack for it.  So, when she found Aila, she took it as an opportunity to fly.

"I--I don't care!  You've ruined me as a Hunter!  I used to be feared!  I could make a Grim such as yourself quiver in fear with the very mentions of the things I could do to you!" An'ama shrieked angrily.  "And now... because of you, I will never be taken seriously again!  These wings... they are so... so feminine!  I'm not scary with these... or this pitiful excuse of a tail!"

Here, she extended her wings as wide as she could, but nevertheless, she could never be as intimidating as Yesac, Aila, or Kylistern with their Razor wings, or Alyssa and Rosie with their Angelic ones that could easily knock many small animals over.  Her green eyes stared deep into his yellow ones, piercing into him.

"Change me back." An'ama demanded.

[1.3]

[SpringsSong]

"That cannot be done, An'ama.  I am the only one of the Re'klettan Pantheon that can change people's forms at my own will, but it cannot be undone.  The former Goddess of Light, I changed her from a Kuhna into a Lucain.  Even though she has changed her appearance, she is still a Lucain, no?  Sadly, you are now forever a Paragon... and, if I say so myself, a rather gorgeous one."

Yesac smiled slightly as he walked nonchalantly over to her; one thing was certain, Yesac didn't mind speaking his mind.  If anything, he was a little too forward.  As he walked towards her, his yellow eyes gleamed with a light that most female Paragon would find the slightest bit unsettling.

"It is a shame," he said, "that you are not excited about your new form.  Honestly, when I was freed from that living corpse of a Werecain that I was trapped in before, I couldn't have been happier--especially since it gave me the ability to easily keep track of your charge and her mate." Here, he paused, circling her closely.  "And... if I do say so myself, you're easily more gorgeous than Aila and her femme-mate put together... a very worthy bride for the God of Death."

[1.3]

[SpringsSong]

"Get away from me!"

An'ama shrieked this as she swiped at Yesac, but as her claw made contact with his skin, she drew it back in pain, a slight whimper coming from her as she realized her own claw was covered in blood--and, she could tell from the pain she felt, it was her blood.  She glared back at Yesac, her green eyes piercing deeply into his yellow ones.

"You honestly think that I will willingly become your bride, Yesac?" she asked, her voice dark with hatred as she sat back on her haunches.  "You'll have about as much luck as you have with Aila and Nyera.  Not only are both taken with each other, they're taken with other men--and not only does Aila have a femme-mate and a male one... her male mate has an additional femme-mate!  Honestly... you think I will become a part of the Pantheon?"

[1.4]

[SpringsSong]

"I wouldn't try to strike at me again out of rage if I were you, An'ama." Yesac said warningly, his body starting to glow some.  "I'm not afraid to teach you a few lessons if I have to.  I am serious... I'm not afraid to harm you.  Or she whom you're bonded to, either." He said, his eyes gleaming devilishly.  He took a few steps back, glaring at An'ama's wounded claw.

"You agree to help me, I will heal your claw.  You refuse... and I'll make sure you suffer for the rest of your days, feeling like you're being eaten from the inside out." He said, moving his gaze back up to her piercing green eyes.  There was little that struck fear into his heart, and an angry female Paragon was far from something that could strike fear into Yesac's heart.  If anything could strike fear into his heart...

...it lay in the claws of the God of Life's son.

[1.4]

[SpringsSong]

An'ama glared angrily at Yesac as she sat back a little further on her haunches, her eyes trying to bore into his soul.  After a few moments, she glared at him again, clutching her wounded claw with her free one, seeming to hiss vehemently.

"Does nothing strike fear into your heart, Yesac?  Nothing at all... not even the God-spawn that is roaming around the Lands now?" she asked, her eyes glowing brightly.  "I know that Deraj is not a fan of me, and neither is Aila--for obvious reasons--but there's no reason for me to doubt that they would allow me to recruit their son, Kylistern, to help me stop you."

Here, she hissed, her green plumage standing up on end.  She certainly wasn't scared of Yesac right now--at least he wasn't making something eat her from the inside out.

[2.0]

[SpringsSong]

"Speak that name again, and I shall make sure that, regardless of if you help me or not, you are suffering eternal pain from inside," Yesac said angrily, his yellow eyes gleaming dangerously.  "I fear nothing, not even the half-God children of Deraj and that mortal femme.  I would have more reason to fear God-spawn from Deraj and Aila, or Aila and her femme-mate.  They, at least, are full God-spawn.  They would have unimaginable powers..."

But, truth be told, Yesac was scared to death of Kylistern.  The Frost male had not only inherited his mother's powers over ice, but also powers equivalent to that of a normal Re'klettan God.  He growled in response to An'ama's hiss, rising up on his hind legs and stretching his wings to their full size.

"I tire of your avoiding the main question of this meeting, An'ama.  Answer my question: will you aid me in taking down the Pantheon and become its new Queen alongside me?"

[2.0]

[SpringsSong]

While An'ama and Yesac argued, Aila stepped into the Shrine, her eyes stern as she examined every little part of the Shrine; every corner and hiding place she could find.

"You know, Nyera and I used to come here every day," she said quietly.  "I would often come here before her, and she and I would play our duet to see if the other was there; if there was an echo, then we knew the other was there.  If there wasn't... well, then we'd wait a few minutes, and then play it again." She smiled brightly, looking over her shoulder at Deraj.

"And then, you and Ciren joined us."

Here, Aila stopped, breathing in deeply.  With her eyes closed and her tail held close to her body, she looked as peaceful and serene as a priestess that lived in the Shrine her whole life.  She turned around to face Deraj here, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"And then... the Re'klettan realm summoned us back... and it's summoning again." She said this with a hint of urgency; her dreams had been plagued with disturbing images for many nights, and now, she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

[1.1]

[SpringsSong]

"Is that what your dreams have been indicating, Aila?  Something from Re'klet has been calling you back?" Deraj asked as he followed Aila into the Shrine.  The only reason he asked this in the way that he asked it was because he had not had any visions--but, then again, it was not in his field to have visions about Re'klet.  That was solely the Goddess of Music's ability.

"I haven't had any visions about it, Aila; how do you know that things are as bad as you say?  You say that Yesac... that Yesac has returned from Re'klet, and that all of a sudden, you have no tie to a Hunter.  What... what could that last part mean?" he asked.

He remembered when Aila had been bonded to An'ama.  An'ama had taken away her consciousness for a period of time, and when he'd blown up at her for it, An'ama had threatened to take him away from her...

...except that An'ama had said that he was not the most important thing to Aila, which--to that day--worried him.

[1.1]

[SpringsSong]

An'ama growled angrily as Yesac posed this question.  However, after several moments, she sat down and held her wings closer to her body, her tail swaying from side to side as she thought.  Aila had given her freedom, but... Yesac had freed her--however unwilling she was--from her Hunter form.  She placed a slight bit of weight on her wounded claw, glaring at him.

"I am only agreeing to this on one condition, Yesac.  If your intent is to take out Aila, allow me to do that.  I know the cards to play far better than you do; I know what is not important to her, and what she would give her life for.  That is part of what is the advantage of a bond with someone--you get to know them rather well, for you are connected." She said.  She smiled as she remembered that foolish male that had dared to interfere with her when she'd stripped Aila of her consciousness.  While he would give his life and powers for her, she would not give her life or powers for him.

"You shall learn soon enough what Aila considers to be precious to her..." An'ama said, wincing as she placed her full weight on her wounded claw.

[2.1]

[SpringsSong]

Yesac listened to what An'ama said with great interest, his yellow eyes gleaming as he rested back on his haunches, tapping his skull thoughtfully as he listened to her speak.  After a few moments, he laid a claw on her wounded arm, healing it fully before he spoke.

"I see... I think, however, I might know what it is." He said, smiling slightly.  "She pursued me with quite a fiery passion when I took her femme-mate to the underworld with me.  I know, without a doubt, that Aila would give everything she has to save Nyera."

He gave a slight, inward sigh as he said the name of Aila's femme-mate.  Nyera was quite stunning, but she was also quite taken--between Ciren and Aila, Nyera had her hands quite full.  He thought for a few more moments, and then, he shook his head.

"Deraj, Nyera, Ciren, that mortal femme, my child... those are the things that are the most important to her, without a doubt.  Now that I've come to live with them, Aila makes sure that my own flesh and blood never sees me; like she was her own child..."

[2.1]

[SpringsSong]

Aila nodded slightly as she drew in a deep breath.  She closed her eyes as she turned again to face Deraj, her blue eyes gleaming brightly.

"I never said my bond with her was severed; that's impossible.  I just said I felt it change--I feel like I'm bonded to something larger than a Hunter--more like one of our own." She said, her eyes suddenly turning serious.  She sighed as she turned around, holding her head high.

"And, as if that weren't enough, I know Yesac is back--and, worse, he's inhabited Yeri's father's body." She said, scraping her claws against the ground.  If there was one thing she loathed, it was that her adopted child's father was now their biggest enemy.

[1.2]