"Hopefully she won't.  The Shade sounds so much stronger than normal dark spirits.  I hope she doesn't get ignorant if she does though..." Moonlight said with a sigh.  

"Yeah, I can feel the auras of everyone, including the spirits and plants." she said happily.  She used one of her wings to gently brush the leaf away.  "I've tried hard to make it more peaceful.  Before, there were rogues that lurked in the shadows as well as dark spirits.  They all gave me headaches, but now there's the barrier and it's all gone." she said with a smile.  She saw a dandylion and picked it before eating it.

Willow soon reached Mayumi's house.  "Mayumi, ,ay I come in?" she asked.

"Hopefully Ahnah will be able to keep that from happening," Shadowbinder said, looking over to Ahnah, "Ahnah  might be able to keep reason in Glodenscale's mind."

"I was still a larva back then, but there were plenty of tales about the dangers in the forest. Now, it seems they're mostly  gone because of the barrier," the throdama said, letting his wings rest at his sides, "The stories said there were creatures ad dragon bent on killing everything in their way. I'm glad those stories aren't true."

"Sure thing Willow, you're always welcome here," Mayumi said, pulling the cloth she had over the door wayto the side, "I was just cleaning up after a failed experiment."

"Ahnah will hopefully keep Goldenscale just.  It would be terrible if she lost herself." she said, glacing in Ahnah's direction, then in Goldenscale's.

Goldenscale turned away.  "They are true, and I have fought agai st them for most of my life.  One dragon like that crippled me when I was only a year.  Then a couple weeks ago, my mate and I destroyed a ton of them, almost killing me in the process.  Mean little beasts they are.  Hate them with a passion." she growled.  "I'm glad that you never got to meet them." she said with a nod.  

"I bring an announcement for you.  There are some human Beastkeepers just inside the edge of the barrier that want to speak to you.  They said they aren't in any hurry and that they will u derstand it if you don't trust them." Willow said.

"Goldenscale has little to loose herself to now that Shade is gone. All she has to be lost to is the insanity that comes with being a champion, and that is something that can be recovered from with the help of those close to you," Shadowbinder said.

"I'm glad you're still here then, and that this forest has someone like you looking after it. I'm sure your mate willtake good care of the forest while you're gone," the throdama said, "He must be lucky to have you as a mate."

Upon hearing Willow's message, Mayumi froze, all previous emotions being replaces with fear and a hint of anger. "What do they want to talk to me for? All humans are, are creatures who wish to control the world around them," she said, her voice flat and dry, "Humans have caused me to loose my first daughter. They worked with Archen to insure I had nothing to return to."

"I doubt she will let herself go insane with being a champion.  When she fignts others for fun, she helps the other figure out what went wrong and in turn they share techniques.  She is truly unique in the way she lives and does things." Moonlight said with a small chuckle.

"I think so too.  He has already done so much to show his love for me and has protected me and the fkrest well." she said with a happy sigh.

"They won't do anything to convince you, but I will say that Ahnah and Goldenscale seems to trust them, and Goldenscale has found a friend in one of their Thordama." she said with a smile.  "Well, I better tell them you aren't going to meet with you." she said as she started.for the door.

"She is unique, more so than anyone else. Her upbringing has instilled a great many leasons n her that most wont learn till way later in life. While it has caused her to live a strange life for a dragon, it has done her great good," Shadowbinder said, smilling, "She reminds me of my son, back before Kyne instilled me with the element of shadow."

"That's good to hear. Life is too short to spend it with someone you don't like or trust," the throdama said, looking around, "One who shares interests with you is a good start."

"Wait, Goldenscale trusts them? What have they done to earn her trust," Mayumi asked, shaking out of her daze, "Who are they?"

"She is intelligent, and that is the reason why she is so successful now." Moonlight said, smiling as well, before turning to the Shadowbinder.  "You were chosen to be the element of shadow?" she asked in confusion.

"Yeah, it is.  He's helped me learn a lot already." she said happily.  "What about your kind?  Do you find mates freely, or do you have to be chosen for that sort of thing?" Goldenscale asked.

"I don't know why Goldenscale trusts them nor who they are, but I know they are beastkeepers and they will respect your decisions no matter what." Willow said.  "You could ask Goldenscale why she trusts them, but I think she went to go find her friend."

"All of us elemental spirits were chosen by Kyne to keep the lements in balance while she was sealed away. Our souls were made imortal to server this task. As such, we've all seen our children grow and pass as well as their children and onward. It is a gift and a curse, but we serve our duties to keep this world alive for our decendants," Shadowbinder said, "We've all forgotten our mortal names, and our jobs have become our names, such is the way time flows."

"We're different in many ways from most creatures, but mating is mostly the same. We mate and release pheramones depenedent on the needs of the colony, but only the workers are fertile," the throdama said, laying down to rest, "That doesn't mean we can't feel love though."

"I will ask her then. I've regained enough strength to speak with nature once more. If she's sill in the forest, I will be able to speak with her," Mayumi said, white streaks appearing along her limbs and spreading out like roots into the ground.

"Goldenscale, can you hear me," she asked, her voice being carried into the trees near Goldenscale, "Are you all right?"

"I must agree with you, Shadowbinder.  Time does flow and our memories are lost as time dragons on." she said with a small nod of her head.  "This must be a great and powerful gift to you though."

"Aren't you a worker though?" she asked in confusion.  When she heard Mayumi's voice, she jumped a bit in surprise, her body tensing.  When she realized who it was, she relaxed.  "Of course.  "I'm scared to leave the forest again since it is all I know, but alright." 

"It is, but it is also a reminder of all we left behind.While I'm glad I have forgotten those who were close to me then, it also hurts knowing I have forgotten those I loved and cherished," Shadowbinder said, he form seeming to melt into her own shadow, "All we can do is march onward, ake the best of every moment, and dealing with  what is left."

"I am a scout, I look for and report inpending dangers to the colony," the throdama said before hearing Mayumi, "I will wait my turn."

"Tell me please, why do you trust the beastkeepers? Why do you trust those who helped Archen ," Mayumi asked, her voice sounding pained, "What have they done to win your trust?"

"Yes, I agree.  Ican no longer remember what my past life was nor who I cherished or who my family was.  But all we can do is do what we were told and make the best of it." Moonlight agreed.

"Oh, okay." she said quietly to the Thordama.  "I trust them because they have proved themselved.  And they didn't help Archen.  When they tried getting rid of him, Archen blocked everything they tried.  He was stronger than they were." she said, her ears back as she spoke.  She now felt as though she had done something wrong by the way Mayumi spoke, so she put her head down.

"Some of us still have surviving lineage where our home clans were. Those surviving families have made us homes where we may rest. Those of us who weren't as lucky have found places to rest like you have. We must make the best of what we have, that is all that stands between us and pure mental collapse," Shadowbinder nodded, "Goldenscale may be your champion, but I can sense that you see her as a daughter. Knowing how Goldenscae came to be, I can see why. She is your creation, your family."

"If you trust them that much, I will give them one chance to prove your words true. From what I can sense from you, there is one landmark we can meet at. There is a extreamly large, moss covered, boulder near one of the outer rivers. That is the closest I want them to your siblings," Mayumi said, "Bring them to the boulder. If they wish to earn my trust once more, they will understand and comply without hesitance."

"You are right that I see her as a daughter, but I know that I cannot be the mother she deserves.  When I created her body, I made it so that she would be able to feel emotions like love and made it so that she could be as close to being a dragon as possible.  I did make it that she wouldn't feel pain, but she has found that on her own, though she chooses not to feel certain pains at times.  I am proud of her and I will continue to be." Moonlight said.  All of what she said was true, and she smiled at the thought.

"Okay..." she said.  She was confused as to why the Beastkeepers would want to speak with her mother, but she did not qestion it.  She loved her mother deary and would do as she was told without a word, unless she had a good reason for not doing it.  She then walked from the clearing and found a Beastkeeper.  "Mayumi said she'll talk to you, but she wants to meet you at an extremely large, moss covered boulder near one of the rivers on these outskirts." she said.

"She has found one to who can fill in where you can not. She respects you much like a child would a parent. You are a godmother to her, and you serve that role well. You've watched over her, and did what you could to make sure she survived," Shadowbinder said with a smile, "Her journey will give her a chance to repay you for everything you've done for her, whether she knows she is or not. With Kyne's returne, we will once more returne to our strongest states, and nature will once more have the glory it did way back when."

"So, she has agreed to meet with us. We'd be glad to meet her at the requested location," Kial said once all seven kepers were together, "Can you lead us to this boulder?  You know this forest far better than we do."

"I hope so.  The world needs Kyne once more, and I am sure she will do the best she can when she wakes." Moonlight said.

"Of course I'll help you.  Just follow me." she said with a smile as she began to walk in its direction.