[SpringsSong]

It had been a good, long while since Alyssa had ventured out of the comforts of the Fire-Forests.  In fact, she could not properly recollect the one time she had ventured out.  Had she truly met Aila’s ex, just in a different form, or was it all in her imagination?

Regardless, I still felt like I wanted to be with him.  I... I wanted to love him, and then, I found out who he was... I feel so horrid for that.  I have no place liking him, or anyone that harms my little sister. Alyssa thought to herself, flicking her tail lazily as she looked around the Falls, drawing in a deep breath as she took in the feel of the area.  This place felt so magical, yet... at the same time, she did not feel much of the magic coming from it.  Maybe it was because she was fighting off the formation of a Bleeder?

I wonder if there is anyone else out here tonight?  It would certainly be nice if there were—then I would not be as lonely as I am now.  I’ve not felt this lonely since I returned from the ethereal realms to guard Aila and her kin.  My duty is to protect her from all harm that comes her way... but, at the same time, I must sacrifice any happiness that I would otherwise have.

Alyssa sighed as she sat down next to the water, and then, she lowered herself to a resting position.  If there was one thing that could be said about the Pipe female that was now sitting on the water’s edge, it was that she looked like something out of a fantasy novel, or straight out of her so-called “ethereal realm”.  The mist surrounding her added to her mysteriousness, and the fact that she was also shimmering seemed to add to that fact.

Why are we even out here, Alyssa?  Why do we even bother with this realm here when we have our own where we are accepted, despite our... well, slight shortcomings?  Where I’m not scorned for having eight eyes in my Paragon form... where I’m not looked at like some freak of nature... where we have nothing to fear...

She sighed as she looked around again, her eyes vacant as she shielded her head with her wings.  The snow was coming down hard now; it would only be a matter of time before she was covered in it and unable to move any without someone unburying her.  She sighed, however; it wasn’t like she could die... she was already dead.

[1.1]

[SpringsSong]

The SailFin male did not seem to have any problems whatsoever with the snow.  Maybe that was because his mother was a Frost Paragon, and he had a brother that was a Frost, and he was also a partial Ice elemental himself.  He rarely strayed from the Fire-Forests; however, something seemed to be calling him here, to Idalani, today.  He couldn’t quite peg what it was, but he felt like someone was going to need his help.

The snows that were falling were starting to freeze over.  Kuille did not mind it that much; he loved the cold and the ice.  It felt soothing to him.  After one of his other mother’s spurts of fire-filled rage, he would always go out and create snowfall in some area.  However, this was not his doing.

Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to a rather odd lump in the snow.

It wasn’t shaped like anything natural.  There were bumps that looked like feathers, and then a couple of little things sticking out at the top of it.  From time to time, it seemed like the snow moved, but then it would settle again.  He shook his head, as though he was trying to rid his mind of a mental fog that had come over it.  Had he just seen the snow pile move...?

He ventured a little closer to it, keeping his eyes fixated on it the whole time.  Slowly, he readied his tail to crack away the layer of ice that was forming over the snow now, the fin on his head raised.  He sensed that there was someone underneath the snow, and that, if he did not move soon, she might be lost.  Well, it would be lost.  He could not tell if it was a male or a female underneath the snow, but they were going to need his help.

Finally, he sank his tail blade into the snow, cracking into the icy snow.  Not all that far from where his blade had struck, there was a sapphire-blue tail tipped with amethyst-purple fur.  Here, he reverted to digging with his claws, knowing that someone was under there.  Soon, he uncovered the emerald wings and a lithe form; a femme Paragon, to be certain.

“Are you all right, miss?” he asked, looking at her nervously.

[1.1]

[SpringsSong]

Alyssa shivered as the snow was removed from the top of her; this was not what she was expecting.  She was hoping to have some well-deserved solitude, underneath the snow.  She was thinking that, maybe, she should have picked a cave and then let the snow build up in the entrance of the cave; then no one would have suspected anything.  She sighed as she lifted her head and blinked, looking around for the offending creature that had removed her blanket of snow.  When her eyes came to rest on the SailFin male, she blinked, her eight eyes fixed on him.

“You remind me of my sister’s mate, Deraj,” she said.  “Same species, same wings and tail, and two of the same markings.  The only thing that throws me off is your Sambava and the blue.  Are you... maybe one of the sons of Deraj and Ariana?” she asked, remembering that Aila said that Deraj had a second mate now.  She shook her wings to get the snow off of them, and then, she spotted an outcropping of rocks.  Without saying another word, she quickly dove for the cave, shaking the snow off of her body and sitting down again, her eyes glowing as she waited for the male to follow.

So he is the son of my brother-in-law... that is an interesting turn of events. He certainly is an interesting character, that much is certain. Alyssa thought to herself, a small smile forming on her face.  True, the SailFin reminded her immensely of her brother-in-law, but he was not Aila’s son, which meant she had no ties to him.  However, as soon as this thought crossed her mind, she shook her head sharply, trying to clear her head of such thoughts.

No!  Alyssa—we can’t.  Remember, we have to look out for Aila first and foremost.  She comes first; her and her happiness... mine must take a side-seat to this, she thought to herself.  However, it would not hurt to form alliances with him.  After all, he is bound to know the inner workings of... well, everything within the Fire-Forests that I dare not return to, for he is there... the one who broke Aila’s heart before, the one who worked his way into my heart...

She shook her head again.  She needed to forget about Ekal—there was nothing in that relationship for her.  Even if he might have loved her once, now that Aila was back in his picture, there was no room for others—well, aside from that Lairelithoniel.  However, it was Laire who chose to wriggle her way into Ekal’s life, not he into hers.  If he could have his way, then Aila would be the only female in his life.

“Come—get out of that snow!  Even with the blood of a Frost Paragon in your veins, you must not stay out in this weather for long; you shall catch your death.” Alyssa said, beckoning with her claw.  She suspected that Kuille would make some rebuttal about her being under the snow, and then she would have to explain it to him.

[1.2]

[SpringsSong]

“I am indeed one of their three children,” he said, nodding.  He was amazed that she would know anything about them; he did not recognize her any.  However, all that changed when he realized that she matched the description of Aila’s older sister, Alyssa.  He blinked and shook his head sharply.  How was that even possible; the only likeness the two had was one marking!  He shook his head again, blinking as she seemed to disappear and reappear in a cave not all that far from where they were.  He blinked again, the fin on his head raised.

She can teleport? Kuille asked himself, shaking his head sharply after a brief moment.  When she told him to come into the cave, he did; he was starting to get a little chilly himself.  As soon as he was inside the cave, he looked around it, his eyes taking in the barren walls and the dead vegetation on the ground.  He thought for a few moments, and then, he turned to Alyssa.  It took him a few moments to gather his thoughts, but at last, he spoke again.

“So you say you know my father, by virtue of he is one of your sister’s... two mates?  Or is it three?” he asked, having recalled seeing Deraj fume about some new male in Aila’s life.  “Or... no, you cannot possibly be talking about Valisilwen; she denies any ties to Aila, and therefore to you,” he said, shaking his head.  He’d made the mistake of trying to engage the other in conversation about the Pantheon, only to have her completely lose it and say, time and time again, that she had no ties to Aila.

“What on earth were you thinking, falling asleep beneath all that snow?  You could have died!” he reprimanded sharply, unaware of how she might take it.  However, he felt it had to be asked; Aila had mentioned her disappearing before, but then again, he knew that she was not Valisilwen, so she had to be Alyssa.  He drew in a short breath as he turned away, grateful for his black hide that was now hiding the blush that had come to his face.

“Your name is Alyssa, isn’t it?  Mine is Kuille.  I am the son of Deraj, the Re’klettan God of Life, and Ariana, a Frost Paragon.  It is an honor to meet you, Alyssa.” Kuille said, bowing slightly as he closed his eyes in respect.  However, his mind was echoing the same question, over and over again: why was she asleep under the snow?

“Aila says it has been a good few months since you have been home—in fact, she says that you haven’t been home since reportedly meeting Ekal,” Kuille said hesitantly.  “She misses you dearly, Alyssa.  Why have you left the Fire-Forests?”

[1.2]

[SpringsSong]

Alyssa had known that the first of his two questions would come, but the second caught her off-guard.  She stammered and looked for the right words, but alas, they would not come.  Finally, after several long moments, she broke down, tears spilling forth from all eight of her golden eyes as she looked out over the landscape, her eyes wet with tears that froze as they hit the snow.  She turned back to Kuille, her eyes filled with sorrow as she trembled, trying her best to form a sentence.

“I did not know that he was Ekal.  He told me his name was Aristotle, and he was a Carpathian—a vampire of sorts.  He and I fell in love, much like he and Aila had fallen in love.  However, as we shared out first kiss, he began to choke.  I noticed the chain tightening around his neck, and soon, his human form changed to where I could recognize who he was—Ekal.  I-I-I... I hadn’t realized it was him until then, and when I realized who he was, I fled, afraid that he would hurt me much in the same way that he had hurt Aila...”

Here, the Pipe Paragon broke down, tears streaming from her eyes as she turned away from Kuille.  She had not wanted to believe that Ekal was Ekal, but the face and everything propelled her to realize that he was the very same man that had broken Aila’s heart before.  She shook her head, trembling from time to time as she sobbed.  It took her a good few minutes to settle down, and when she had, she stretched out her wings slightly.  She knew that there was still another question that she had not answered, and it deserved an answer, even if he did not believe her.

“I fear nothing—I have nothing to fear.  Even if I were to be bled completely dry from a mortal wound, I would not die, for I am not of this world.  Now, I know that you can argue that Aila, Deraj, Nyera, and their other companions are not of this world, either, but I am not even supposed to be here.  I was never meant to be here.  I... I died when I was born.  I did not live to see my mother’s smiling face or my father’s beaming eyes.  When Aila came along, though, I was sent to watch over her.  I am her guardian angel.”

Here, Alyssa walked over to Kuille and placed a claw on his shoulder.  However, much like she suspected, her claw went right through his shoulder, even though she had shaped the claw to rest on his shoulder.  She shook her head again, sighing.

“I don’t know how Ekal and I were able to touch—unless it was because he, too, is of the Re’klettan Pantheon.” Alyssa said slowly.  “Anyone else, however, I go right through—yes, even direct descendants of the Pantheon, such as yourself.”

[1.3]