Nora waited patiently for Mosvani to arrive at the ruins. She sat on an uprooted collumn that had been knocked over in days of old beyond memory. Her darkened eyes, now clouded by her shifted alignment, stared listlessly at the ground, for she was lost in deep thought, exploring the caverns of her mind that had never been ventured into. A single tear dropped from her eye, the shadowed angel now giving off an aura of sorrow.

She pulled on a piece of her curly obsidian hair, twisting it about her finger absentmindedly. Her mind was feeding her images of her mother and father, making hatrid and grief intrude upon her dwindling hope. She brushed the tears away, so as not to upset Mosvani.

She remembered back to when she first had met him.

She was wary of him at first, the influence of her mother and father causing her to be cautious. The darkness within her, and what she felt to be just asked her,"Why not? Why would it matter? So he's a fiend, should you care?"
She gave sway to her thinking, and became friends with Mosvani, who would become her only friend in her dark future.

The ruins were dreadfully depressing, yet subtle and complex. The intricacies of the ancient carvings and paintings intrigued her, and she changed her thoughts from her family to the collumn she sat on. Paintings of long passed kings graced the thick borders, and silver laced up and down the marble, unaged like herself though it had passed through ages of harsh conditions.

It was mid day when Mosvani had arrived at the ruined city. In the far distance he could see the ruins of the Great Cathedral. The spires seemed to be reaching for the sky, and for a brief moment he mourned the fact that he couldn't have seen the city in all it's splendor when it had been whole. Mourning the death of the city was not why he was here, however. He was here to meet a friend.

He continued walking, a gentle breeze flowing through the dead city as he made his way to where he knew she would be. He passed several over turned pillars a long the way, white marble occasionally tinted green from the growth that was slowly taking over the place completely. It was a bleak place, one where your sorrows seemed to meld with the sorrow you could feel around the city itself, as if feeding it. Shaking his head, he continued forward.

He could sense her presence now, and it troubled him. It felt as if their was a storm gathering, slowly building in pressure and blocking out the light of the sun. Such a feeling coming from his friend was disturbing, as she had always been light hearted and care free. Just what had happened to her all those years ago?

He could see her now, sitting on a column that she appeared to be studying intently. Her appearance had changed after he had found her in the crystal caverns, and now he could really take a look at just how much it had changed. Her wings were now various colors of blue and black. It was stunning to behold, yet it too troubled him that they had changed at all.

He came closer, and could see her face now. Her eyes a normal green, seemed darker somehow and cloudy. The were also puffy, and it appeared she had been crying recently. It was distressing to see it, for she was one of the few people had had named friend over the years. He wanted to do what he could to ease her pain, but wasn't sure how.

Walking up to her, he decided the only thing he could do was to be their for her. "I'm here Nora, I'm here." He whistled then, calling another friend and companion. A loud screeching sound could be heard, echoing in the open air as a great flaming bird flew down from the sky and landed on Mosvani's shoulders. The fires never seemed to burn anything, and often Mosvani had wondered if the bird could control whether or not it could burn people.

"I'm not the only one who is here for you. Coia has missed you as well! So tell me, what troubles you so?" Coia cawed then, and flew into the air landing on her should, looking at her sideways as tho he expected her to pet him. It brought a smile to see Coia act like that, knowing that the great bird truly had missed her.

He waited then, hoping she would open up and that he could ease her troubled heart.

Nora was glad to hear Mosvani's voice again. It was nourishing, and her spirits climbed into the sky (though with some irony, a storm seemed to be approaching).
She beckoned for him to sit down next to her as Coia landed on her shoulder.

Nora smiled and looked up at Coia, and stroked the bird. He was beautiful, bright orange flames swaying with the wind, and he seemed comical too, with his head tilted in what seemed to be concern.

"I have missed you too,"she said to the bird,"And you Mosvani, I could never have missed more."

She sighed deeply, and looked from Coia to Mosvani. She was one of the only people who could read his eyes, black as they may be, and deduced that he was concerned, and knew that she had been crying.

"I have been changed,"she said, darkly,"My alignment, I mean. Being an Avariel, I was lashed to my previous alignment, by both society and nature. I was never one of them. I was never good, nor neutral. Always, have I been dark. When I met you, this became evident to me, and especially my father. He is the reason I disappeared. My father spied on us, Mosvani, and when he set eyes on our meeting he would not keep it to himself.
"He told the high Avariels, and eventually the elvish council. They sent me into house arrest and then took me away for interogation, and torture,"She showed him the scars along her arms where she had been whipped, and another on her forehead where they had put a fire spell upon her to burn her,"Eventually, my parents took pity on me, and sent me to the caves. I was put into an enchanted sleep, and my memory was to be erased. Of course, memory spells are usually faulty, and I have regained mine."

Her eyes were glued to the ground, and her curly locks covered most of her face. The shelter of hair was convienent, for she was crying again.

"I will kill them if I see them again,"she said, voice faltering as she shook with intense hate.

He saw an obvious change in her as she greeted him, sadness seemingly overcome by joy as Coia landed on her shoulder. Walking toward her, he hopped up on the column and sat beside her as she continued to speak. The joy he had felt coming from her was steadily being replaced by hate as she told him the horror she had been put through.

With each injustice inflicted upon her, his eyes began to glow red. They got brighter as she continued, and by the time she finished they were glowing so bright that they might have been confused for fire burning in his eyes. Carefully, he slid a hand over the scars on her arms, feeling the damaged skin that had once been smooth.

He gazed upon the burn on her forehead, trembling with rage as he looked upon what her family had done to her. He knew tho, that no matter how angry this made him, that the rage and hurt she must been feeling would be much worse. At that thought he calmed down a little, and pulled her close in an embrace. He stroked her hair while she cried, letting her grieve for a moment. He could feel her trembling in his arms, and he knew that it was from pure rage then.

Still holding her, he offered what he could. "I'm sorry I wasn't their for you Nora. That you suffered like this because of me. I know you must want revenge, but their is something I feel you should hear first. If you go down this path, then you will loose something inside of you that you will never be able to get back. It will be something you can never undo, no matter how much you may or may not regret it later."

"I do not say this to dissuade you from vengeance. I say it out of concern, as it scares me what the price might be if you go through with this. However, if you do go through with it, then know that I will be their with you when it happens. You will not have to confront them alone. Remember, I am your friend and I am always their for you if you need me. Shifted alignment or not, you are who you are. And that person is my friend."

He continued to hold her then, wondering if his words had sunk in. He had known people in the past who had killed loved or former loved ones, and each one had lost something in some way when it had happened. Even the ones who had been tortured, they seemed to live on haunted by the memories. He wanted to spare Nora of that if he could. If he couldn't, then he would assure that her parents would never be able to hurt her again.

"Thank you, Mosvani,"Nora said, still shaking in his arms as she recovered,"But my hate is too strong for them. There is no room for regret. It isn't your fault. If it's anyone's it's mine. I shouldv'e known. I could have at least learned the spell 'Alter Self'. If I had known..."

She shuddered again, intense grief consuming her every thought. She felt horrible for how much guilt she must be causing. Slowly, she slipped out of his embrace.

"I will not look for them,"she sighed, calmed now,"No, that would not be right. It would cause me far to much emotional pain. If they choose to find me, then so be it. They will have sought out their own demise. On a happier note, how have you been? Is buisness fairing well? I have always known you are a bounty hunter, so don't deny it. I can't imagine all I've missed."

A weak smile spread across her face, and she wiped her face clear of tears. She tried hard to be happy, and straightened out her wild black hair. Coia was still resting on her shoulder.

"And you my friend,"she said to the great bird,"You must have seen much."

She knew she had been gone long, for Mosvani looked much older than when they had last seen each other.

He listened to her blame herself, and felt her grief overflowing again. It was upsetting to hear, but he knew she needed her time to grieve. She slipped from his embrace then, still shuddering. She told him then that she wouldn't go looking for her parents. Upon hearing this, a lot of tension drained from his body. He would not have been able to bear it if she hunted her parents down and became an empty shell of what she used to be.

She sighed, and then asked him something that surprised him. "On a happier note, how have you been? Is business fairing well? I have always known you are a bounty hunter, so don't deny it. I can't imagine all I've missed." He was stunned for a moment. How long had she known? He had wanting to keep that from her, fearing that the truth would have made her afraid of him. He smiled then, before replying.

"I have been well. Business is good, how long have you known about that by the way? It's no matter now, I suppose." He looked solemn a moment then, before speaking again. I searched for you for several years. No one believed me that I had met an Avariel. Most laughed at the notion of a half-fiend and Avariel being friends. Eventually, after not being able to find any trace of you I gave up. It was pure chance that I happened to be in those caves when I found you."

"It's been 50 years since the day we were supposed to meet. I searched for 10 years, doing what jobs I could a long the way. 15 years after you disappeared, my father died. You never got to meet him, but he was truly a great man. It's because of him that I am who I am today. The rest of the 40 years I have just been living off taking other peoples lives. I am good at what I do, and getting better. It is not an admirable trade, but it is a part of what I am."

He turned then, not wanting to face her at this time. "I can remember all of their faces. Many have deserved the death I deal, while others haven't. I do not discriminate in contracts, so long as the money is payed. That too, is the man I am now. I am no longer innocent, as I was when we first met. I've grown in many ways, and that was the price."

Turning to face her, his eyes soft as he looked into her eyes. "We are blessed, everyone one of us, with the ability to change. Never forget that. You may mourn for who you were, but remember, you control your destiny. Many things may affect who you will become now that you are wake again, but remember. You alone can decide to accept the changes or work to change them. It may not be easy, but it is always up to you in the end."

With that said, the storm broke overhead and fat rain drops began to fall upon them. He stood, and lifted his head to the sky as he closed his eyes. The rain drops hit his face, an began rolling off and he felt refreshed. He lowered his head then, looking into her eyes. "So tell me Nora. You know what you once were, but what will you become now?"

[OOC Edit: I edited the numbers to make sense. 50 years total, 10 spent looking for Nora, 40 spent just doing normal stuff with 15 years after her dissapearence being the year his father died)

Nora looked back up at him for a while, contemplating what he had just said. She had looked into her own heart and asked herself that many times, but still an answer would not surface.

Raindrops were rolling off her face, and she was soon becoming soaked. She used her wings as an umbrella, not wishing to be doused with rain. The cold water that was soon rolling in sheets from the sky drenched her wings, and they became useless.

Coia shrieked nervously, interupting her thinking. A bolt of lightning flashed in the distance, emmiting it's low, booming voice from within the darkening clouds. She took Coia into her arms and stroked him to calm him down.

"Come, we need to find somewhere that has a roof before we may continue,"she said, stroking the phoenix that lay chirping in her arms.

With one arm still supporting Coia, she took Mosvani's hand and led him to a half-burned down house with the remnents of a roof. Two stone seats were in a dark corner of the house, and Nora clumsily stumbled over them, letting out a sharp cry. She coaxed Coia into letting his flames grow brighter, and the house was soon illuminated with a soft glow.

Now settled into one of the stone chairs, she said,"I'm not sure where my path will lead me. I have strayed far from my old one, and finding a new trail will be difficult. I need to find a job, but I can't go out in the public as Nora Thalim. I've probably got many bounty hunters on my head, and let's just stay lying in a cave for 50 years has taken it's toll. The fighting prowess I once had is gone, and I nolonger enjoy weilding a sword. Instead of sword fighting, I am more interested in spells, so I think I shall take up that art in place of re-training myself.
"I'm going to save up for a house, once I manage to find work. But I was wondering,"she said now, hesitantly,"May I wander around a bit with you and Coia? Only until I've found work, I don't want to be a burden."

Nora had lead them to a half burnt down house that still held a roof. He was slightly disappointed to be out of the rain, but since she had wanted to get cover he didn't mind it too much. Their would be other days he could enjoy being in the rain. Their were leaks in the roof, and occasionally the sound of thunder could still be heard echoing through the decaying building.

He was still standing, looking around the building and wondering if the former owners had been here when the fire happened. Had some great event been the cause of the destruction, or did that simply come later to add on to this family's tragedy? Nora spoke then, pulling him away from his thoughts.

He listened to what she said, nodding in agreement when she said she was going go down the spell casters path. He had always wondered why she had taken up the sword as he felt she had been more suited for using spells. He also thought it would be a good idea if she changed her identity, the change in the wings would help hide her true identity as well. Then, she asked something that surprised him, tho he was sure it shouldn't have.

She spoke hesitantly, "May I wander around a bit with you and Coia? Only until I've found work, I don't want to be a burden." He wasn't sure what to say, so he took a seat while he thought it over. If he allowed her to accompany them, then he would be able to watch over and protect her while she was regaining her strength. It might also put her in more danger, as he knew he had made enemies over the years. Some of which who may try to hurt her if they knew it might get to him.

Still, she would be in danger no matter what he did. Looking at her, he decided. "Alright, you may come with us. However, their are some ground rules that you must agree to first. This won't be a free ride, I expect that as we go you will be learning what you can. If I ask you to stay behind while I am on a job, then please do not follow me or argue with me about it. If I am asking you to do that, then their is a good reason for it."

He paused for a moment before speaking again. "If you are fine with that, then I think we should head to Taras. The Library their is great, and should prove useful for you. Their is also the Academy of Magic that I believe will be crucial to your new path."

He sat silently then, looking at Coia and wondering if he had made the right choice is allowing her to accompany them. He didn't want to put her in more danger then she was already in, but he also could not just sit by and let a friend go alone in her time of need. Looking up to Nora, he spoke coolly. "We will also need to come up with a cover story for you. Your wings have changed color, so with a new name we might be able to fool most amateur hunters. Do you have any ideas or questions about this or anything else?" He sat silently then, thinking up different cover stories they might be able to use for her.

"Taras sounds wonderful. I have only been there once, and I have always wanted to explore it. I agree with you about not following you on a job, but I will not be detered from coming if you seek an Avariel. You shall let me come, especially if I knew them,"Nora said, firmly,"As for a new title I have come up with one. From now on I will be known as Gwindomiel Atalan. Do you have any ideas for a background story? I'm afraid I haven't come up with much."

She fiddled around with her headband, playing a bit with the green jewel in the middle. Much of her attire was decorated with green gems. They were passed down generation from to generation in her family. She'd have to get a whole new waredrobe as well.

"I'm going to need new clothing,"she said, quickly,"These emerald stones are my family's icon. They were foolish enough to leave them on me when they put me in the caves."

She cast off her headband, unleashing her wild black hair. She unclasped her bracelets and necklace, and threw them to the ground. Feeling somewhat liberated she said,"We should bury them. Should someone find them and recognize them, I would be putting us in danger."

She was eager to begin their travel to Taras. Her mind was brimming with job possibilities and her new identity. More than the thought of visiting Taras, she was also happy to be traveling with a friend. She stroked Coia happily, his flames licking her fingers without burning her.

((By the way, Gwindomiel Atalan is in Tolkien's elvish. 'Gwin' is the sum of two words- 'Guin'=live (or in this case living) and 'Wen'=maiden. 'Domiel' is derived also from two words- 'Undome'=twilight and '-iel'=denotes a feminine name. 'Atalan' is elvish for fallen. So in all her first name means 'The Maiden of Living Twilight'.))

He nodded in agreement when she stated she would not be held back if he went after an Avariel. He was, however, certain that he wouldn't have been bale to stop her even if he had told her no. He listened when she said the new name, and he liked how it sounded. He was lost in thought then while she appeared to be giving herself a look over.

She undid her band then, her hair falling wildly down and it struck him then. They both had ebony hair, hers long and curly and his short. Her skin was tan yet pale as you would expect of an Avariel where his was a deep bronze color. They also were both tall and slender, similar enough that he thought his crazy plan would work.

She had finished speaking and was stroking Coia when he spoke up then, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "You are my half-sister, Gwindomiel Atalan, and we are born of the same mother. Your father was an Avariel, as well as our mother, while my father was a Fiend. She would not disclose to you how I came about, but I was born first and our mother rejected me."

"When I was 10 years old, she abandoned me in Taras. She acted as if the event never happened as her family knew nothing of it. She married a couple years later and had you, no other kids. You lived your life never knowing about me, then our mother became ill and was steadily dieing. One night, when it was bad and it looked as if she wouldn't make it through the night you were alone with her. She confessed to you as she layed their, dieing, that she had baby before you and had abandoned it. The baby boy's name was Mosvani, and she had abandoned it in Taras. He was a half-fiend. Before she could explain further, she closed her eyes and died."

"You tracked me down, wanting to find out for yourself if it was true or the mad ramblings of a dieing woman. Eventually, you found me by chance in the crystal caverns. It was awkward at first, but we have been growing on each other and now we travel together to make up for the lost time. You were given your families name, whereas I was only named Mosvani. Streea is the name I took up for myself."

He was pleased with the story he had come up with. He had no doubt they could pull it off, and the idea of an avariel elf and a half-fiend being siblings amused him somehow. Here he was, a half-fiend who walked the path of neutrality, and their she was. A Avariel who was struggling to find herself as she seemed to be slipping into the more evil side. Yes, this could work indeed.

"So what do you think, Sister?" He smiled at her then, wondering how different his life might have been if he had actually had siblings growing up. Of course, not all of what he had said was a lie. The best lies always had just a bit of truth mixed in so that the line was blurred, leaving the person lied to believing every word.

"It's brilliant, Brother!"Nora exclaimed,"A little tragic, but then again, isn't everything? I couldn't have thought up anything better."

She wondered then what life would have been like had she had Mosvani as a brother. "Far different and probably better,"she thought. She had been lonely as a young child, growing up in a noble's home. Yes, there were servants who would tend to her and care for her, and her parents were always around, but she had always longed for the company of another child.

Then she began to analyze the story, and found a minor flaw.

"But wouldn't you have been known? What I mean to say is, wouldn't someone realize that you hadn't actually grown up in Taras? Wouldn't someone remember an abandoned 10 year old?"she pondered this, deep in thought. After some thinking she said,"Perhaps you were abandoned on the outskirts of Taras. You were raised by a poor old farmer and his wife, and then, when you were old enough, they let you out on your own."

Nora was content with the little bit she had added to the story. She wasn't good at making up stories, and found it hard to make up lies. She could easily lie, yes, but lieing is the easy part. Making up the lie is hard.

He thought about the flaw she had found, and her proposed change to it. It seemed plausible, and she was right about their being someone around who might remember, if only for the fact the had had leather wings and black nails denoting his Fiend heritage.

"You are right sister, how could I have mistaken the farm for the city? I must be a bit ill tonight. Yes, they had worked me hard but instilled into me a strong sense of honor." He looked around the building then, trying to see if their was anything else they should come up with.

He couldn't think of anything, so he looked back at Nora. She seemed to be happier now that she had a sense of purpose. Brighter perhaps, the previous storm he had felt when he looked at her appeared to had died down into a windy night. He noticed then that their was a lack of tapping on the building then, and looked outside to see that the sky was still dark but the rain had stopped.

Looking back at Nora, he spoke. "From this point on, you are my sister Gwindomiel Atalan and I am your brother Mosvani Streea. We will spend some time in Taras letting you research at the Great Library and you can attend the Academy of Magic to further learn your skills. Unless you have something else on your mind, I think it's time we start off for Taras while it's still clear outside. Since a certain sister seems to not like the rain, now is the best time. He had started off serious enough, but when he spoke the last part the teasing could definitely be heard.

"Me?"Nora replied to his teasing, in mock hurt,"Not I! It was Coia!" She smiled, pointing to the fiery bird. She stood up, smoothing out her satiny dress and cottony wings.

She coaxed Coia out of her arms. "I'll get my own companion when we get to Taras,"she thought. Nora had always wanted a companion of some sort, but her parents forbid animals in the house. That was another grievance she had set against her parents, childish as it may be.

"Let's begin our trip, shall we?" she said, looking back at Mosvani. She looked to the skies with a new found hope. Hope- the feeling was strange to her. It was like long forgotten sunshine after a cold, dark winter. With a light heart, she flapped her newly-darkened wings, and took off.


She was lost in the ecstacy of flight for a moment, spiraling high into the clouds. Oh! to fly! It was an ability she cherished. Remembering Mosvani, she dove back down, hovering in midair in front of him. Beckoning to him with a grin and a hearty laugh, she said,"Come! We will get to Taras faster if we fly. My wings ache for the skies!"

He watched Nora take off, a look of pure of excitement and hope on her face that he had not seen since he had first found her after all those years. He watched as she spiraled higher into the clouds, still blocking most of the suns light so the day wasn't quite as bright as it should have been. For the first time since he had found her again, he thought that she might actually be able to adjust to her new life, a life that would be better then her past life.

She came back down then, telling him to come with excitement thick in her voice. Smiling back, he stretched lazily before looking at Coia and muttering to the bird, "Women, Coia, are always impatient." He laughed heartily before taking off himself, Coia following his lead.

He did not play in the skies however, instead he got high enough that the ruins could be seen for miles around him, the Tower prominent in the horizon. Looking around, he decided on his direction and called out to Gwin, "Onward to Taras, and your new life!" Not waiting on her response, he took off toward where he knew Taras to be. He flew a steady pace, one that would get them their quickly but not tire them out too easily or force her to race to catch up to him.

He didn't know what would be waiting for them in the time to come, but he hoped that his friend would come to terms with what she was now so that she may finally become the person she wanted to be. Coia let out a long call, that echoed through out the region. One that seemed to mourn for what once was, but welcome what is now.