Brand New Day

"Well, why not go fast? You have all thoughs magical abilities and such. Have you ever thought about testing the extent of it?" Reyna asked curiously as she nuzzled in to his side. Looking out at the night sky and the water that moved the ship to and fro. She was glad that she wasn't sea sick.

"No no no, Reyna." Eonoe said, teasing as he put his arm around her. "Extremes are to be avoided. Besides," he said, as the scene changed to the middle of a river in a forest. "We should have a little time to enjoy the sight."

"I respect that," Reyna said quietly as if realising what she said, "It's fine if we have only a little time to enjoy things. It'll probably keep us farther ahead any way."

She nuzzled closer, "Eonoe, we need to make a plan though. For getting to Sethos. Maybe we can bait him to us and catch him somehow. Trap him or something. I know how adverse you are to killing."

Eonoe nodded, thinking. "Maybe... maybe we could trap him in a small world. Like the one he tricked us into..." he sat up. "That's it!" he said, beaming. "We can use a world like that, trick him into thinking he's done what he... wants to do..." his enthusiasm waned, and he lay back down. "No... that's too stupid."

"That could work. Not the trapping part but if he thought that I was dead," She thought a moment, "Are you immortal, Eonoe? What can you withstand?"

"What can I withstand?" Eonoe said, musing to himself. "Well, I haven't really tested it. I've taken a few beatings here and there. Being a dragon, fire can't harm me. Time is a non-issue. I might've been able to withstand being shot at one point, but I don't remember if I survived it because of immortality or because I was lucky..."

"What about decapitation?" Reyna said quietly.

"Well, I- what?" Eonoe asked, sitting up like a rocket. "Decapitation?"

"Like, as in... 'off with his head' decapitation?" Nerrak asked. He put his hand around his neck, uncomfortably.

"Off with her head, to be exact," Reyna sat up slowly but couldn't quite look at him, "I've been under his 'spell' more then once. That's what it talks about. How I will die and the peace. It's sort of the under lying message bleeding through his call."

Eonoe went silent, as though numb. "You... what do you mean? He's telling you he wants to cut your head off?"

"That's profoundly disturbing." Nerrak said.

"It's," She paused, "more complicated then that and it's even creepier. I don't want to think about it thought." She closed her eyes, "It makes me very hungery."

She shivvered and felt the pull to draw her self close to him but she took a deep, shuddering breath that shook her body slightly and curled her wings around her self, "Would I survive?"

"I..." Eonoe said. "I don't know. I've never been decapitated before. But we'll think of something." he said, smiling. "I'm a thinking man."

He conjured a stove, and began to crack eggs on it. "I think we need to look more into the nature of the... link you two share."

"It's not a link. I'm hungery. He's powerful." She sighed and turned away from Eonoe and the food. She loved the heck out of him but what would he do if she died? Move on to some other place. He would mourn for a while, sure, but then he would travel, alone, and never stop. With her, it was the opposite. If he died, she died. End of story.

Though, she realised it made her happy to think that he would move on. She sighed and curled in to a tight ball with her wings practicaly obscuring her, "I don't love him, Eonoe. He is in love with my head. He wants to mount it on the wall and kiss it everyday and feed it herbs and tea to try and reverse it so I come back as his dead lover when he places my head on her body. If it doesn't work he'll keep my head under magical protection and continue to kiss it every day until he finds a way to bring back his lover with my, so called, cured head. What do you want me to do Eonoe?"

She didn't look at him. Instead she closed her eyes against the onrush of hunger. She hated it. Hated to want something like that. He was horrid and she wanted him.

Eonoe just sat there.

"Yep." Nerrak said. "Profoundly disturbing."

"Shut up, Nerrak." Eonoe said. "This is serious." he was silent. He looked at her. She was desperate. He took her in his arms. "I don't have all the answers." he said. "But I won't let him do this... this sick, sick thing. We'll think of something. We always think of something..."

She accepted him instantly pressing her self against him, "Do you want to though Eonoe?" She paused, "Save me, I mean."

"Of course I do, Reyna." Eonoe said. "I couldn't possibly do anything else." He drew back, smiling at her. "I'll protect you with all of my power. With my life." he looked back at the stove. "Eggs are ready."

"All this, and not even breakfast." Nerrak said.

Reyna smiled, "You eat. I'll be fine." She sat on the bed and dragged on of the pillows to wrap her self around it.

Eonoe sat and ate his eggs. After he'd finished, he looked at Reyna. "Well, if there's anything I can do for you, just tell me." he said.

Then, their surroundings changed. They were on a fast-moving river in a cave. The sudden change in movement flung Eonoe down onto the bed.

Reyna had set the pillow under his head before he landed and her wings were spread in to a bit of an "attack-mode". When she realised it was just a different surrounding she pulled her wings in fast and wrapped her arms around Eonoe, "I don't like this part."

"I agree..." Eonoe said, sitting up. "I only like rapids when I intentionally decide to go to rapids... Well, it'll be over soon enough." he said. They got accustomed to the speed soon enough, in any case.

And then the cave was gone and they were falling through the sky. Eonoe floated a bit off the top of the bed. "This is just ridiculous."

"You were the one who plotted the course," Reyna pointed out. Her wings acted like a parachute but she pulled the tight to her body and cuddled against her pillow.

Then it changed again, landing back into a river in a forest. Eonoe pulled out his notebook, frantically scribbling. "Aye-aye-aye... need to plot things better." he said. "Keep it to mellow waters. And atmospheres that won't kill us. As a matter of fact..."

He snapped his fingers, and a dome appeared over the boat. "Good. That works." he snapped his fingers again, and the dome vanished. He lay bay down, taking a deep breath.

"Well." Nerrak said. "That was... a lot."

"You okay Eonoe?" Reyna asked softly as she crawled to lay on top of him and curled her fingers through his robes, "Maybe we should take a break from magic for a little? After we loose Sethos' scent? Sence you aren't used to using that much any way."

"Perhaps." Eonoe said. "I don't think it's the magic, though, so much as, well... being in free-fall and all that. Though perhaps a break from magic would be healthy. Well, for me. I expect to be healed when I have chunks taken out of me, mind you." he said, with a wag of his finger. He chuckled, putting his arms around her. "Let's just lie here for right now. More of that 'cuddling.'"

Reyna moved closer where her lips were barely over his, "I'm scared Eonoe. Not of the changes but for what's going to come."

She kissed him softly, "So, I'm going to stick with what I know. That I love you and I'll heal you up as many times as it takes."