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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3109094" data-attributes="member: 35788">Xando led Rhema to the hidden entrance to the dragon’s lair and back to the village again.  Without much of a goodbye at all, Xando quickly disappeared through the network of village houses and then slipped in his own front door.  Rhema watched him go for a short time and waited until she heard the sound of his door closing.  Once she was sure that he had made it to his home, Rhema crept around the edge of the village through the trees until she saw the horses standing beside Semeion and Charis.  Ischarus was nowhere to be seen.Rhema continued to approach slowly, figuring that there was no need to draw in any more attention than necessary.  As she crept on her hands and knees towards the horses, she heard a voice above her from among the trees.  “Don’t move any further.  I’ve got you in my sights and I’m not afraid to punish you if you move so much as a muscle.”Rhema was startled at the interruption of the voice. Immediately her eyes dilated, her heart raced, and she sucked in a quick breath.  It was only a second later that her mind caught up with the fight or flight instinct.  “Don’t do that, Ischarus!  You scared me half to death.” In spite of being scared, she was able to keep her voice to a minimum as she rolled over to face the Drakontos she had grown to know so well.As she rolled over, she heard Ischarus leap to the ground off of a branch above her.  He drove his sword hard into the ground after he jumped and landed in a crouching position.  He held his finger up to his lips to be silent as he spoke quietly.  “Charis and Semeion seemed like they wanted a bit of time alone.  I figured I’d sit in the tree and watch the village.  I heard you coming a mile away.”Rhema reached up and grabbed the hilt of Ischarus’ sword and used it to help herself rise into a seated position.  As her hand reached onto the hilt of Ischarus’ blade, her fingers were covered with Ischarus’ as he gently trapped them between his own fingers and the hilt of his sword.  Rhema smiled at the physical advance and spoke softly.  “I think perhaps you wanted a bit of time alone as well?”Ischarus winked at his prey and then he looked back towards the horses.  From his crouched position, Semeion and Charis were out of view.  “You found the way to the dragon’s cave?Rhema nodded, enjoying being connected to Ischarus upon the hilt of his sword.  She continued to whisper, “Yeah.  I found it.  It shouldn’t be hard to find again now that I know where to look.”Ischarus smiled and continued to avoid eye contact with Rhema.  “Are you sure about all of this?  You really think that you and Semeion can get into the cave and get what you seek?”Rhema followed Ischarus’ eyes.  He was looking straight into the cluster of horses.  Her eyes locked onto the same distant point.  “Yeah.  I’m sure.  Between Semeion and me, we can get the job done.”Ischarus nodded, but didn’t look to Rhema.  “And Druff.  You’ll have Druff along.”Rhema sighed and looked over at Ischarus.  “Deep in my heart, I wish that he wasn’t coming.  He’s so frail.”Ischarus cut her explanation off.  As he spoke a smile of knowing pride passed over his lips.  “He’s Drakontos, Rhema.  He has the pride and strength of dragons working through him.  He’ll manage the task, don’t worry.”As Ischarus seemed to slip into the mode of commander, Rhema looked away and flexed her fingers underneath his grip.  Although she tried to remove her hand as she thought the intimate moment had passed, Ischarus refused to let her fingers free.  Instead, he continued the conversation while they were still linked at the hilt of the sword.  “But you have good reason to wish him not going.  Fundamentally, he is Drakontos and we are planning to assault his dragon father.  If there is any loyalty inside him to his heritage, you should not trust him.  I don’t trust him.  This could all be a ploy to return himself to the power that he once had.  We could be in the middle of a large scale set-up.  You must promise me that you won’t trust him until you are free and under the mountains.  Misplaced trust over the next few days could end your life with me.”Rhema knew she heard the emotion in his voice.  Compassion was clearly present as he ended his discussion on Druff.  In fact, there was a clear tone of emptiness and mourning present as Ischarus spoke the final four words.  Rhema wrinkled her eyebrows in thought as she continued to focus in on the horses once more.  “I’ll be careful, Ischarus.  I’ve learned to trust your instincts.”The sound of a door closing solidly rang through the village.  Ischarus and Charis both turned their heads to the right and looked into the village.  They saw what appeared to be a woman carrying a pack on her shoulders.  Even though both Ischarus and Rhema had turned, neither was willing to relinquish their grip on the sword any more.  Ischarus turned back to look at Rhema and he found her willing to hold eye contact.  “We should probably go to Semeion and have you show us where that entrance is.  We’ll make that our base of operations.  Charis and I will join you during the day.  You and Semeion should keep a constant vigil watching that entrance.  None of the villagers can be trusted anymore.  Even though they supply us with rations, Druff is right.  Any one of them could conspire against us.”Rhema nodded, although her expression looked a bit deflated.  Her face appeared as though she wished she wasn’t hearing the voice of a commander at this moment.  Ischarus saw the expression and smiled.  The stern look of the regimented tactician vanished and for a moment it was replaced by a very carefree expression.  He leaned forward and kissed Rhema on the forehead.  “I never got a chance to tell you, but I did not ask you to lie to Brandt.”Rhema thought for a moment, but before she could truly understand his words he had let go of her hand and stood up.  He extended a hand to her to help her stand and as she rose Ischarus said, “That woman is the first to bring supplies.  Charis can handle it for a short time.  We should go.”A smile flashed across Rhema’s face.  Suddenly, she was enjoying Ischarus’ commander voice much more.  In a playful mocking Rhema added, “Yes, sir.”Ischarus also smiled, and together they walked the rest of the way to meet up with Charis and Semeion.  Once the foursome was together, Ischarus began handing out a few more orders.  “Semeion, Charis.  That sound was the villagers beginning to bring the supplies for the journey.  They’ll be coming shortly.  That also means that we should set up a watch at the secret entrance to the dragon lair.  With people wandering about at night we can’t take any chances.”Both Semeion and Charis nodded and Ischarus continued.  “Semeion, you and I need to go with Rhema to the secret entrance.  I’ll come back here and help Charis.  Once we are done here for the night we’ll have the horses drag the supplies to the mountainous caves, find a place to store them, and then join you for the day.”Charis shook her head in disapproval.  “No, Ischarus.  We cannot leave the food store unprotected in the mountain passageway.  There isn’t much traffic through there, but there are wild animals that will scavenge the food.  We’ll need to post a guard.”Semeion appeared to be counting people in his mind.  Once he was done he added his own perspective.  “We don’t have enough people.  We can’t constantly protect the dragon’s secret entrance, the food, and move the supplies without getting some rest.”Rhema frowned at the thought and Ischarus replied, “You’re right, Semeion.  For now, we need to go.  We’ll work on the plan in our minds as we work tonight.  We’ll resolve this at sunrise.”The woman carrying the first addition of food supplies began to leave the village and slowly approach the horses.  She could barely see the foursome in the darkness provided by the cover of trees.  As she gingerly stepped forward, Ischarus, Semeion, and Rhema stepped away.Several more people brought food to Charis before Ischarus returned to her side.  The supply stack was growing strong.  It seemed like the effort for the freedom of Charis’ people had been received well.  The next few days would be spend foraging for nuts, berries, and grains and then baking as much as possible.  It would be hard work, but the taste of freedom would hopefully make it pass quickly.  As the people brought their food supplies, they blessed Ischarus and Charis for their work.On the opposite side of the village and a good bit into the forest, Rhema and Semeion sat just inside the secret entrance.  They sat in silence and darkness for some time, each wondering if their presence would be detected by the dragon.  They hoped that the main portion of his lair was high enough up the mountain that they could go undetected as they sat only a few feet into the secret entrance.  Truth be told, their silence was largely spent listening intently into the greater darkness that lay beyond them.[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]Xando led Rhema to the hidden entrance to the dragon’s lair and back to the village again. Without much of a goodbye at all, Xando quickly disappeared through the network of village houses and then slipped in his own front door. Rhema watched him go for a short time and waited until she heard the sound of his door closing. Once she was sure that he had made it to his home, Rhema crept around the edge of the village through the trees until she saw the horses standing beside Semeion and Charis. Ischarus was nowhere to be seen.Rhema continued to approach slowly, figuring that there was no need to draw in any more attention than necessary. As she crept on her hands and knees towards the horses, she heard a voice above her from among the trees. “Don’t move any further. I’ve got you in my sights and I’m not afraid to punish you if you move so much as a muscle.”Rhema was startled at the interruption of the voice. Immediately her eyes dilated, her heart raced, and she sucked in a quick breath. It was only a second later that her mind caught up with the fight or flight instinct. “Don’t do that, Ischarus! You scared me half to death.” In spite of being scared, she was able to keep her voice to a minimum as she rolled over to face the Drakontos she had grown to know so well.As she rolled over, she heard Ischarus leap to the ground off of a branch above her. He drove his sword hard into the ground after he jumped and landed in a crouching position. He held his finger up to his lips to be silent as he spoke quietly. “Charis and Semeion seemed like they wanted a bit of time alone. I figured I’d sit in the tree and watch the village. I heard you coming a mile away.”Rhema reached up and grabbed the hilt of Ischarus’ sword and used it to help herself rise into a seated position. As her hand reached onto the hilt of Ischarus’ blade, her fingers were covered with Ischarus’ as he gently trapped them between his own fingers and the hilt of his sword. Rhema smiled at the physical advance and spoke softly. “I think perhaps you wanted a bit of time alone as well?”Ischarus winked at his prey and then he looked back towards the horses. From his crouched position, Semeion and Charis were out of view. “You found the way to the dragon’s cave?Rhema nodded, enjoying being connected to Ischarus upon the hilt of his sword. She continued to whisper, “Yeah. I found it. It shouldn’t be hard to find again now that I know where to look.”Ischarus smiled and continued to avoid eye contact with Rhema. “Are you sure about all of this? You really think that you and Semeion can get into the cave and get what you seek?”Rhema followed Ischarus’ eyes. He was looking straight into the cluster of horses. Her eyes locked onto the same distant point. “Yeah. I’m sure. Between Semeion and me, we can get the job done.”Ischarus nodded, but didn’t look to Rhema. “And Druff. You’ll have Druff along.”Rhema sighed and looked over at Ischarus. “Deep in my heart, I wish that he wasn’t coming. He’s so frail.”Ischarus cut her explanation off. As he spoke a smile of knowing pride passed over his lips. “He’s Drakontos, Rhema. He has the pride and strength of dragons working through him. He’ll manage the task, don’t worry.”As Ischarus seemed to slip into the mode of commander, Rhema looked away and flexed her fingers underneath his grip. Although she tried to remove her hand as she thought the intimate moment had passed, Ischarus refused to let her fingers free. Instead, he continued the conversation while they were still linked at the hilt of the sword. “But you have good reason to wish him not going. Fundamentally, he is Drakontos and we are planning to assault his dragon father. If there is any loyalty inside him to his heritage, you should not trust him. I don’t trust him. This could all be a ploy to return himself to the power that he once had. We could be in the middle of a large scale set-up. You must promise me that you won’t trust him until you are free and under the mountains. Misplaced trust over the next few days could end your life with me.”Rhema knew she heard the emotion in his voice. Compassion was clearly present as he ended his discussion on Druff. In fact, there was a clear tone of emptiness and mourning present as Ischarus spoke the final four words. Rhema wrinkled her eyebrows in thought as she continued to focus in on the horses once more. “I’ll be careful, Ischarus. I’ve learned to trust your instincts.”The sound of a door closing solidly rang through the village. Ischarus and Charis both turned their heads to the right and looked into the village. They saw what appeared to be a woman carrying a pack on her shoulders. Even though both Ischarus and Rhema had turned, neither was willing to relinquish their grip on the sword any more. Ischarus turned back to look at Rhema and he found her willing to hold eye contact. “We should probably go to Semeion and have you show us where that entrance is. We’ll make that our base of operations. Charis and I will join you during the day. You and Semeion should keep a constant vigil watching that entrance. None of the villagers can be trusted anymore. Even though they supply us with rations, Druff is right. Any one of them could conspire against us.”Rhema nodded, although her expression looked a bit deflated. Her face appeared as though she wished she wasn’t hearing the voice of a commander at this moment. Ischarus saw the expression and smiled. The stern look of the regimented tactician vanished and for a moment it was replaced by a very carefree expression. He leaned forward and kissed Rhema on the forehead. “I never got a chance to tell you, but I did not ask you to lie to Brandt.”Rhema thought for a moment, but before she could truly understand his words he had let go of her hand and stood up. He extended a hand to her to help her stand and as she rose Ischarus said, “That woman is the first to bring supplies. Charis can handle it for a short time. We should go.”A smile flashed across Rhema’s face. Suddenly, she was enjoying Ischarus’ commander voice much more. In a playful mocking Rhema added, “Yes, sir.”Ischarus also smiled, and together they walked the rest of the way to meet up with Charis and Semeion. Once the foursome was together, Ischarus began handing out a few more orders. “Semeion, Charis. That sound was the villagers beginning to bring the supplies for the journey. They’ll be coming shortly. That also means that we should set up a watch at the secret entrance to the dragon lair. With people wandering about at night we can’t take any chances.”Both Semeion and Charis nodded and Ischarus continued. “Semeion, you and I need to go with Rhema to the secret entrance. I’ll come back here and help Charis. Once we are done here for the night we’ll have the horses drag the supplies to the mountainous caves, find a place to store them, and then join you for the day.”Charis shook her head in disapproval. “No, Ischarus. We cannot leave the food store unprotected in the mountain passageway. There isn’t much traffic through there, but there are wild animals that will scavenge the food. We’ll need to post a guard.”Semeion appeared to be counting people in his mind. Once he was done he added his own perspective. “We don’t have enough people. We can’t constantly protect the dragon’s secret entrance, the food, and move the supplies without getting some rest.”Rhema frowned at the thought and Ischarus replied, “You’re right, Semeion. For now, we need to go. We’ll work on the plan in our minds as we work tonight. We’ll resolve this at sunrise.”The woman carrying the first addition of food supplies began to leave the village and slowly approach the horses. She could barely see the foursome in the darkness provided by the cover of trees. As she gingerly stepped forward, Ischarus, Semeion, and Rhema stepped away.Several more people brought food to Charis before Ischarus returned to her side. The supply stack was growing strong. It seemed like the effort for the freedom of Charis’ people had been received well. The next few days would be spend foraging for nuts, berries, and grains and then baking as much as possible. It would be hard work, but the taste of freedom would hopefully make it pass quickly. As the people brought their food supplies, they blessed Ischarus and Charis for their work.On the opposite side of the village and a good bit into the forest, Rhema and Semeion sat just inside the secret entrance. They sat in silence and darkness for some time, each wondering if their presence would be detected by the dragon. They hoped that the main portion of his lair was high enough up the mountain that they could go undetected as they sat only a few feet into the secret entrance. Truth be told, their silence was largely spent listening intently into the greater darkness that lay beyond them.[/Sblock]</blockquote>

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