Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sasha gave a small shrug over his questions, "You're about right for a male in size. You'll likely meet Ebony at some point. She's unusual, even for a dragon. A rare breed that is able to shift into a large feline as well. She has an unusual sense of humor as well. She was a servant of the Goddess for most of her life and still helps out from time to time. But she hasn't served fully since she Mated to Lao, one of the original sons of the Brood Mother. If you get to meet him, don't let his size intimidate you. He's an Earth dragon and, at one time, actually resembled a mountain more than a dragon as he went into the Deep Sleep, large enough to house the descendants of his children for a few thousand years. He woke after they were attacked and had no idea any of them had survived until he met Ebony.

"He'd assumed that vampires had done the deed and came here to find out why. He was informed by Ebony that it had been other dragons who had killed off all but her and one other that the Goddess had saved. After their mating, they both tracked down each one of the ones who'd attacked their 'family' and killed them. She is also unusual in that she's a full ShadowDragon, one of the first ever born to the dragons. So try not to be surprised if she simply appears out of nowhere and tries to startle you. She gets some kind of thrill when she does that to people. Likes to go to Rex's Tavern and startle people there when she orders a drink in her feline form," she shook her head slightly over Ebony's strange sense of humor as they continued to walk through the garden.

"You may or may not meet any of their brood. They've only just left their parent's home to find homes for themselves over in the islands. There are six of them, three males and three females. Only the youngest inherited a feline form from their mother. They all are pure elemental dragons. I have no idea how they've turned out as adults since I haven't seen them since they were still taking flying lessons from Ebony," she added them in and considered the few other dragons she knew to be living in the islands, "There are a few others, but they're all being a bit reclusive right now. Mainly to make sure the place is safe, I guess," she concluded then simply enjoyed the walk as they ambled along the many paths.

They finally got to one of the corners of the garden and found a very large piece of black marble surrounded by more black roses that only bloomed under the light of the moon. Here, she paused and looked at the three names engraved on it, each with a ring embedded into the stone above it. She gave a soft sigh as she looked the stone and the small grotto over before returning her brown gaze to the marble.

"We all have our proverbial crosses to bear, Cedric. What you see here happens to be the one Sebastet bears. These three names are those she has loved who were taken from her. The first, Julius Cartwright, was a Hunter, sent here by the Church to kill her before she could complete her plans for the island. But he fell in love with her and she Turned him. He was killed by rogue vampires on the way to their wedding, she was left for the sun in punishment for Turning a Hunter. D'Aego was an Elf who'd been Turned by a rogue, sent here to forge the first treaty with the elves. He was assassinated in her bedroom before they could get married. Ishmael was Julius' brother, though not a Hunter. He actually managed to marry her. No one knows how he died, though, since he was what they call a planes-walker, one of those who can travel through the different planes of existence. Each death nearly killed her. How she's managed to be able to open her heart to love again after each one, I have no idea," she said softly then gave a soft sigh as they turned away and continued their walk.

"When Raid was killed, I felt so lost for the longest time. Even though it's been a century since that day, at times it still hurts as if were only yesterday. Other times, it feels as if he were only a dream that my mind made up. I find that I miss things; flying with him at my side, curling up in the sun with him while the light warmed our scales, taking a walk with him like we are now, talking about the future and making plans for it. They all sound so simple when spoken out loud but those moments had meaning that make them hard to forget. He was more quiet than you are, tended to say very little. But when he did speak he made sure it was something to listen to. Even as a dragon, he was quiet, almost as if he were reserving his strength for important moments," she shook her head slightly again and finally looked up at him.

"You and he could not be more different from each other but I find I like the differences. Talking with you like this is also very different. While I may ramble on a bit, you speak up and ask your questions of me, make your own observations. In dragon form, you announce your presence to let others know you're there. You like to be admired in any form, rather than stay in the background. Very different personalities but I do find the change refreshing," she felt that she had to explain that, though she wasn't sure why.

Of course, she also knew that it would be very easy for her to lose her heart to him. She knew her final promise to Raid had been largely ignored for the last century but didn't know if she was ready to keep it yet. She found it easier to mourn than to move on and open her heart again.

Sasha blushed as he gave her the gem, knowing full well she'd be able to use it, "Thank you... You keep giving me gifts and I keep not knowing what to say about it," she admitted to him softly then decided to 'show off' a bit in her own way.

She stopped alongside him on the pathway and held the gem in both hands where he could see it then focused her eyes on it as she channeled energy into it, not too sure what he'd think of the soft golden glow of the energy she used. It didn't take long for the gem to start giving off a similarly soft glow of light that was soothing rather than bright. When she'd channeled a great deal of energy into it, she reached out and pulled his hand over hers where she held the gem, letting him feel the energy moving into the gem that made it give off a soft vibration and a gentle warmth.

The overflow of energy moved into him and gave him the same aura and soul healing she'd given to Dancer, repairing the injuries and darkness there that had been caused by Valick and Michael. It was a soothing warmth as the energy moved through him, unobtrusive but giving him the healing he needed as well as showing him part of what she could do.

It was one of the reasons the other dragons treated her the way they did, finding her healing ability to be something they treated with a bit of awe. What she could do was something to be treated with respect, yes, but not awe as far as she was concerned.

She kept his hand over the gem, though, and gave him another 'gift'. She gave him a glimpse into what she'd felt from Dancer and Michael and the bond they shared, the depth of how much they truly loved each other, how Michael felt for the smaller male he'd been holding when she'd healed Dancer. It showed him how badly Michael had felt for what he'd done to Cedric, that he'd hated to do it but had been forced into it by the fanatical Eric, who'd threatened Andy's life if he hadn't done it.

Just a brief glimpse of what she could see when she healed someone and had to carry with her permanently after.

She finally looked up into his eyes, "I know you were hurt by them Cedric. But remember that when someone lives under the uncaring heart of a bad ruler, they do what they must to survive it so they can escape it later intact. I will forever carry the feeling of Michael's anguish over what he did to you. But I will also carry your rage over it as well. Let it go now... You have a chance to start over now, to forgive a wrong done to you and be the better man for it. Take the chance, Cedric... Take that chance and see the freedom it can bring you," she told him softly then let his hand go as she closed her other hand around the gem and gave him a small smile.

"If you can move past it all, everything that was done to you by fanatics and idiots, you may find what your heart is truly seeking. If you can't, it will pass you by," she added and hesitated a brief moment.

Then she moved in closer to him to place one hand on his chest for balance as she moved up on her toes to place a light kiss to his cheek then took a step back from him blushing a bright red before she turned and ran back into the castle, her hair flying out behind her as she left him with that thought.

As a bright soft light erupted from the gem he squinted his eyes and cup her hand and the stone. All of the sudden Cedric felt like a huge worldly weight had lifted from his soul. He no longer felt like Atlas struggling with the weight of the world.
"I'm am grateful for this redeeming chance Sasha. I'm not one to squander second chances."

He frowned softly as the visions flashed across his mind. "I understand needing to survive, but everyone has a choice to do the right thing.I wont hold it against them any longer, regardless of the reasons behind it." He held her waist as she lean forward and closer to him, as she kissed his cheek.
Before he could recover from the healing and the kiss she was flying across the garden back towards the castle, leaving him confused at what just happened.

As Cedric led Sasha back into the garden they entered from a different door then last time and came out in a completely different area.

"Don't suppose you know where we are?"

He looks around at all the tall palm trees and deep forestation surrounding this side of the doors.

"You know how long I have been here I still dont have a room. I dont like indoor rooms. They are too confining. What about you?"

He stops and picks up a strange flower that had fallen off its stem. He hands it too her smiling softly. The red and white petals seem to match her dress in a way that is describable.

"a rose maze that leads to a hidden gazebo...hmm lets do it." He smiles and waggles his eyes grabbing her hand.

"I mean it sounds like fun and if we want to leave we can always fly out. Right?" he winks both charmingly and playfully at her nodding for her to lead the way to it. He places the flower behind her ear and smiles at her.

"Wait...cant fly out? Why not?" He stops by the opening and looks at her for a moment in the moonlight.
"What exactly does this maze do?" He leans against a tree trunk and smirks at her playfully his silver eyes glinting in the moonlight.