My Book

Taalysin the Cat-slave
Chapter One
Everything has a beginning

In a far away realm much different then our own, Lives a cat girl named Kalia Catail. She looked mostly human, save for the fact that she had the ears, tail, claws, teeth, and eyes of a cat. She had luxurious and think waist length golden hair and fur on her tail and ears. Her eyes were a bright and sparkling emerald green. Lusciously plump scarlet lips, with a body that magnificently curved in all the most lovely ways. Standing only five and a half feet high, her beauty could make even the most lovely Nymph jealous. None could even attempt to compare to her natural exquisiteness. She lived alone in her home within the great Dragonwood Forest, where the most massive trees grew. Her house was within the trunk one of the oldest dragonwood trees she'd spent weeks carving out. She would often take late night walks through the forest to a small grove where the Moon Dragon Flowers bloomed. They were the most beautiful flowers in all the world and they only bloomed at night when the moon was out.

However, on this most dreadful of nights, her beauty was horribly contorted and twisted with absolute horror and trepidation. She trembled as she lay atop a large sacrificial alter. Her wrists and ankles were tightly bound with iron manacles attached to the alter. Standing before her at the side of the alter loomed a giant Demon High Lord. The massive demon gazed down upon her from his solid eight and a half feet with burning inferno orbs that seemed to penetrate her very soul.. His body rippled with immense muscle covered in dark, blood red hide while razor sharp talons from his finger tips were lightly dragged across her body, tracing her form. Two foot long black, dragon horns came from his skull along with extensive fangs.

"You are a magnificent specimen, your body will suit my needs well." He growled in a deep rumbling voice. He grinned wickedly as he admired her bare, exposed body.

"W-what… are you going… to do to me?" Kalia asked in a choked voice; barely able to speak over the lump of terror in her throat. The demon chuckled viscously.

"I am going to devour your soul and use your body for my… experiment. I am going to create the perfect slave for myself. Finding you with your…exceptional beauty, was quite a treat." He informed her as he drew a single talon down her side. Hot tears began to stream down innocent Kalia's cheeks as she begged and pleaded for her life between choking sobs.

"Hush child. Words can not save you now. Nothing can. I will do as I please with you." The demon growled wickedly. Kalia let out an ear piercing scream.

Taalysin Demonia awoke screaming. Cold sweat dripped from her, mixed with hot tears. She was trembling violently from her nightmare. She looked down at herself, her wet eyes quivering, and let out a sob. Her magnificent body with its cat like qualities were a constant reminder of what had been done to create her. Of how the innocent cat girl, Kalia, had suffered and even lost her soul, simply to please the lustful desires of her creator and Master.

Still trembling, Taalysin sat up. Her long blood red hair clung to her moist bare back. The matching fur on her tail and cat ears was slightly matted with sweat. The blood like coloring of her hair and fur was a symbol of the demonic blood from her creator that now coursed through her veins. Her creator's demonic blood gave her innate magical skills and unearthly physical and mental abilities. Rising to her feet slowly, she walked, shaking, from her large satin and silk bed over to a pair of thick black steel double doors. She peered out the small barred window in the door. The abyss wind blew her dry of the sweat and the tears. The wind was comforting, seeming to caress her bare, soft curves with a soothing gentleness. She had been living in that enormous demonic castle in the ninth level of the abyss for some years now. She took long, slow, deep breaths to calm herself as she leaned against the door with her palms. The steel was hot for it's surroundings, hot enough to burn a normal creature, but then again, Taalysin wasn't exactly normal. Her emerald eyes gazed across the wicked, evil tainted land her home rested upon. Blazing red fires roared and crackled from the black pits in the ground from which they burned. The nearby stream of blood ran into the large lake at the side of the castle, where the blood boiled and bubbled from the heat. The soil was red where it wasn't scorched black, and any form of plant was either dead, or evilly possessed with demonic spirits. The only wildlife to be seen were the occasional Stirge, bat, demonic rat, or possessed undead bird. She tilted her head back, longing to see stars, but seeing nothing more then the blanket of black billowing smoke that always covered the sky. The air reeked of sulfur, burning flesh, brimstone, methane, and of course, blood. Her sensitive feline ears could her the occasional tormented scream, tortured sobs, and enraged battle cries. Letting out a deep, long sigh, she shook her head softly. Her Abyssal home was depressing to say the least, making her lonely heart ache all the more.

Taalysin's attention turned to the door of her room, where sounds of commotion and violence drifted towards her. She looked through the barred window set in the door to her room, her tail flickering softly and her ears perking with interest. She pushed at the door hopefully, but they were locked in place, as usual. She sighed slightly as she watched some of her Master's guards rush down the hall past her, all of them hollering and fully armed. Something exciting must be happening, she thought to herself as she scratched annoyingly at the bars, hoping to get someone's attention. She did, too. Though it was no one she had hoped for. She had never seen this man before. He was short and lean, with pure white skin and hair with pink eyes that stared straight into her emerald ones from the other side of the bars. His ears were pointed and she recognized his obvious elven blood. He wore black plate mail with softly glowing blue runes that danced across the armor. The part that caught Taalysin off guard, was his sword. He himself could not have been over five foot at the most, yet he carried a nearly eight foot sword that glowed a soft red. The sword moaned and groaned hungrily. Taalysin could easily recognize the swords hunger for blood, and her tail quickly tucked between her legs, her ears falling flat against her head in submission.

"Come, young one. It is time for you to leave." He said simply as he opened the door smoothly, as if it had never been locked. Taalysin quirked a brow, but nodded to the man who then turned and continued down the hall. Taalysin followed, a good ten to twenty feet behind him at all times. She watched in fascination as the moaning sword easily took the life of anything that got in its way. It was easy for her to come to the conclusion that this man was no doubt a powerful master. Perhaps he has come to claim me as his own, she thought, for it would indeed not be the first time someone came to attempt such. However, this was the first she thought could actually do it. She herself would not even try to attack him, knowing somehow that if she did, the sword would take her life. It was an odd sensation for her, she had died hundreds of times before, but she felt that if that moaning sword were to kill her, she would not come back. Goose bumps covered her skin at the very thought of it all, so she shook the thoughts from her mind and returned to the task at hand, following the strange white man. The man slaughtered everything that dared to oppose him with an amazing ease, an ease that caused Taalysin to grin with slight arousal as they neared parts of the dark castle she had never been allowed to lay eyes upon before. Before long she saw something ahead she had never in all her long years seen. It was a door way, and from the door way came a cool breeze. It led out into a large courtyard, where she could hear the angry growls and roars of her balour master. The strange white man walk straight up to her master without hesitation and his sword moaned louder then ever before, sending shivers down Taalysin's spine as she watched in incredulity. With one clean, confident sweep the sword sliced through her master, moaning as it stole the life from him. Taalysin's jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she witnessed her master's demise. He roared and screamed dreadfully as she walked out into the open courtyard. He reached out a huge, bloody, clawed hand towards her and screamed for her to do her duty. Taalysin gazed upon his bloody, dying body and yawned.

"You have been made weak and will not last but a few more moments. You are my master no more. You said yourself once, the Perfect Slave was created for the Perfect Master, and that is not you." With that she turned from him and looked to the elven man with his obvious power and bowed slightly. The balour screamed after her as the two left the courtyard and the dying demon. He was quickly out of her thoughts as the elf lead her to a sandy shore. Shivers covered her skin and danced down her spine as she gazed at the overwhelming sight of forested lands, the warm, white beach, the never ending waves of a never ending ocean, and the sparkling beauty of a night sky with three brightly glowing moons. She dropped to her knees and gapped in awe as tears formed in her eyes. She had never seen anything but the dark, wicked lands of her abyssal home and she was entirely overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of it all. Everything looked, smelt, sounded, and even tasted so sweet and stunning. She could do nothing more at that moment but admire it all and weep.

The elven man sat cross-legged on the soft, sandy beach, staring out across the ocean patiently awaiting something unknown. When Taalysin could once again think and move clearly, she could not hold still. She sang and danced across the land as she wandered about, never straying to far from the white elf as she explored the natural beauty around her. She cared not what the man waited for, only that she was expected to go with him where ever he was to go, and that he allowed her to wander as she pleased as long as she didn't go too far.

As the three suns began to rise Taalysin headed back to the beach, never standing still for long, but staying closer to the elven man. She had explored till she started getting bored, and decided to look for something to eat. She was slowly hunting a thing the elf called a squirrel when her sensitive nose picked up the smell of something new. Elven once again, but different. She could very distinctively smell a female somewhere close by. Forgetting about the squirrel, she followed the scent till she found the source. Standing in the shadows of tree at the edge of the beach, was a drow. Taalysin recognized the black skinned, white haired elven race quickly. Her old master had tortured dozens of them in various ways, but this one seemed different. She was armored, and well equipped with weapons and everything you would expect to see on an adventurer, and she somehow seemed to be at one with the shadows she stood in. Odd vibes of an abnormal darkness seemed to flow from the drow, making Taalysin strangely anxious to leave. So she headed back towards the white elf, but was completely caught off guard when she found two of them. The one who had defeated her master, and a new one. This one was much taller, about eight feet tall, but just as ghostly white. He had long white hair and pink eyes that explored his surroundings, and was dressed much different then what Taalysin assumed was his kin. A bow as long as she was draped across his broad back and very simple clothes covered his large, muscular body. As Taalysin eyed him she couldn't help licking her lips. She could smell nature and wild creatures all over him, yet he had this delightfully unnatural vibe to him. She supposed he would seem strange in others eyes, but then again, everything she had seen of late was strange to her. Living in the abyss all her life, she was use to strange things, and in her eyes, he was a magnificent creature. She could sense he had no where near the amount of power as the other white one, but then the other didn't seem interested in having a pet. The large man before her, however, seemed a bit lost, yet still confident. Biting her lower lip, she slipped gracefully over to him, circling him slowly. He was indeed large and attractive in her eyes, she even had to wipe a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth. He looked at her in slight confusion and seemed quite uncomfortable with her closeness and admiring eyes. She spent a good few hours watching him as she wandered about, never going too far from the large elf, fascinated by him. However, soon her admiration was interrupted by an even more captivating sight. A ship, looming and dark, appeared out of seemingly nowhere at the shore. It looked ancient and dying as it creaked in a dark red mist that surrounded it. A draw plank came from its side and landed silently on the shore in front of the white one with the moaning sword, who was now on his feet. He boarded the ship without a word, then turned to look upon the three still on shore once he was on the ships muted deck.

Taalysin was the first of the three to head towards the ship, bouncing casually and silently up the rickety plank to automatically begin exploring the gloomy ship. The others followed, the shadowy drow coming last. As soon as the last passenger boarded, the plank was withdrawn and the ship sailed away. The ship was, disconcerting to say the least. Taalysin could not understand how it was sailing at all. It looked as if it was rotting, the sails were ripped and torn to shreds that fluttered weakly in the wind. Chunks of the ship were missing and the crew was nothing more then ghostly wisps that came and went from place to place eerily. Not to mention the other passengers aboard. What caught her sight first was a giant tree that was talking. It wasn't talking very well, mind you, it's grammar seemed well enough, but it talked so very slowly. Also, there was a storm giant woman, a beautiful nymph dressed all in black, a large praying mantis man with a spell book, a female troll that looked clean and didn't stink in the least, A female Titan with a divine look about her, another female drow, a female minotaur with a very large spell book, a male styre , a man that looked very much like a humanoid fish in plate mail, a female harpy sitting atop the rickety crows nest, a wood elf man strongly armed, a female grimlock, a female sahuagin, a male Kobald with a skull helmet, a female centaur, and an Aasimar who's gender was unknown at the time. Taalysin stood gapping for a few moments, then began to wonder why there were so many females on board. Perhaps this is a slave ship…She thought vaguely as she looked to the titan, Treant, and storm giant. No, there's no way these creatures could be slaves. This is a ship of Masters. Only the kobald, drows, and human could be…wait… She hadn't noticed the human before, but sure enough, there was one there now. She moved a bit closer in his direction and her nose twitched with sudden excitement. He's no human. He reeks of rat! He must be a shape shifter. Mmmm… I haven't had rat in a few days…She licked her lips at the very thought, but soon decided against eating the rat as she heard the white ones blade moan loudly at her. Sighing, she went to explore the ship for a bit.

Hopping up onto the railing, she peered over the edge, a slight pout covering her face at the sight of clear blue water. She had so hoped there would be fish. Oh well, she thought, Hmmmm…. I wonder where we're going and why I'm even here. Her ears perked and her nose twitched as she peered across the ship, looking for some sign of answer to her questions. Catching a sudden whiff of land scents caught her attention.

The ship sailed steadily towards land. They were no longer in the Abyss. Through the powers of the elven albino, they had sailed through the veil like portal between plains. They were now on the material plain known as Trillium. Taalysin's world would soon change greatly. She'd been to many planes through out her four hundred and seventeen years, but none of them were quite like Trillium. This unnatural creature, born of pure evil power with evil power, this "perfect" slave was about to embark on the adventure known as real life. Nothing could possibly prepare her for the lessons she would learn. Lessons like friendship, love, and most of all freedom.

Chapter Two
A knight in shining armor?

It had been two weeks since the boat had dropped everyone off on Imerac, the main continent of Trillium and Taalysin had still not found civilization. She had found out that the ship was transporting creatures from different planes to Trillium. Most we're wanted, whether they had committed crime or not, others simply wanted a change, and others still were seeking adventure of some sort. Taalysin had found no reasoning, however, as to why she had been taken. When the ship had docked, the albino only told her to go and be free.

"What does free mean?" she had asked. The albino had broken a slight smile and answered with;

"Go find out for yourself." So Taalysin had left. She wandered about aimlessly, pondering the word "free" . Choosing her own path was rather amusing. In fact she thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now she was simply sitting next to a stream, humming gently to herself as she watched the wildlife around her. Hunting was easy through these woods and the prey was juicy, lean and tender.

Taalysin hadn't seen any humanoids since about a day after leaving the ship. Now she was beginning to wonder if there was any civilization in these lands. Everything was so pure, so untouched, so at peace that she couldn't imagine that it had ever been tainted by humanoids of any kind. She turned out to be wrong. She froze in her seat upon a boulder, sniffing the air cautiously, her eyes darting around the trees. She knew she had heard footsteps to her left, she was positive. Yet she saw and smelt nothing at first. Wait… there it is. She crouched down on the rock, preparing to pounce. I smell Man. Sure enough, a man came walking through the trees. He was largely built, tall and muscular. He wore full plate mail, painted a bold red with a curious symbol Taalysin had never seen before painted on the breastplate. A black cloak bearing the same symbol billowed softly behind him and he wore a red bandana tied smoothly atop his head. He was obviously young, his hair dark and curly where it rippled out from the bandana. Taalysin caught herself looking directly into his bright chestnut eyes. She blushed, being caught ready to pounce. Acting very nonchalant, she smoothed back her hair and sat strait, smiling sweetly at him. His tense stance eased, but his right palm continued resting heavily upon the hilt of his claymore.

"Greetings, I am Sir Gravius Higarius, Lord and Knight of Norte. Whom might you be, Lady?" His voice was smooth and charismatic, as was the smile he flashed and quick bow he gave. Taalysin frowned curiously, a bit taken back. She wasn't use to such treatment. Perhaps he doesn't realize I am a slave. She wondered.

"I am Taalysin… only Taalysin. I've no title nor occupation at this current point and time. Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She returned the bow and bared a sharp toothed grin. Gravius chuckled as he leaned against a tree, his great build causing the young willow tree to creek gently.

"I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure of meeting your kin, pray tell, what form of creature are you?" He inquired, scratching his smooth skinned chin. Taalysin rolled her eyes lightly and chuckled.

"Well, rarity may be favorable I suppose. I am a Neko-Hanyou." she informed him very frankly. He blinked few times and Taalysin assumed he didn't comprehend the name, but before she could explain, he responded with;

"A feline half demon? Hmm… I suppose you are abyssal then." His hand grasped the hilt of his claymore. "I do not wish to hurt you, so state your intent quickly, or must I take drastic steps?" Taalysin sighed heavily, expecting such a reaction towards her demonic heritage.

"I've no reason for ill intent. Half demon I may be, but remember, that also means I am half not demon." Gravius looked skeptical, but something nagged at the edges of his mind, telling him to trust her.

"Well then, if your intent is not ill, was is it? You did not answer that part." He pointed out with a slight nod of declaration.

"I haven't any. This is my first time on this plane. I've been in the Abyss until about a full moon ago. So I've no idea of anything of here. I believe I may be lost, but since I knew nothing of this world before coming here, how could I not be lost?" Gravius simply stared at her for a few minutes. When he finally did speak, he said;

"Well then, you'll need a guide. First of all, I would suggest keeping the knowledge of your homeland between us. Abyssal bloods are not well thought of to say the least. There is a trade city called Ispep not half a days walk to the west. As it just so happens, I am headed in that direction. You are welcome to join me, Lady Taalysin." Taalysin grinned, hoping off the rock to land directly in front of the still rather cautious knight. Her tail flicked playfully and her eyes sparkled with mischief. Her eyes caught Gravius' attention. He'd seen eyes similar to the way hers looked right then. Though the owner of the eyes he'd seen before were brown and were set in the head of Kender. Now he was really nervous.

"Wait… what are you doing in the middle of the woods? Taalysin stopped to ponder her question.

"As I said before, I'm on my way to Ispep. Tis a city chiming with the never ending possibility of adventure. You see, my father is King of my homeland, and his winters are a great many. So he has sent me on a life quest, to ready me for my own kingship in his stead." Though the knight flashed his most charming smile, the sorrow at the mention of his father could be seen in his eyes. Taalysin gave a slight nod and motioned for him to lead the way, all the while stuck on his eyes. The abyss had never shown her such a look of sorrow for a loved one.

Hmmm… She thought, I best follow this one. If anyone can teach me about freedom and whatever else it is the albino wanted me to learn, I'm sure this is a good start.
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They arrived at the gates of Ispep by dinner time and both knight and cat-slave agreed, a tavern was their new goal. Gravius led the wide eyed and curious feline to the Battle-Axe Bar, a large tavern and inn frequented by the more brute of adventurers. Taalysin felt a bit out of place surrounded by all the barbarians, warriors, knights, and monks.
An Amazon built woman with long blonde hair was behind the bar, wiping down the counter when she saw Gravius walk in.

"Me Lord! Welcome to me humble business. What can I be gettin' for ya?" She bellowed over the random racket of the tavern lobby, her arms spread welcomingly and a bright grin covering her fair skinned face.

"Jakae! When are you off? We're drinkin' tonight my barbarian friend!" Gravius made his way to the bar quickly as others moved aside, recognizing his high title. However, Taalysin did not fair as well. Every eye in the room that she could see, was staring directly at her. Perhaps rarity isn't such a favorable thing. Her back bumped against the now closed door as she backed away from the prying eyes. Her ears had flattened, her tail curled between her legs, and her eyes jumping with nervous alertness. She could feel some eyes burning on her scantily dressed frame and was instantly on the defensive, her feline instincts surging through every part of her. She crossed an arm over her exposed cleavage gripping onto her shoulder as she tried not to shiver. Her back banged against the door as she jumped, suddenly startled by a broad figure stepping in front of her. It was Gravius, with his back to her and his hand once again on the hilt of his weapon. Eyes quickly darted away and the sound of muffled voices and harsh whispered filled the room. Gravius turned to Taalysin, offering her his hand with a gentle smile, saying;

"I swear on my honor, Taalysin, I will let nothing harm you while in my company. So come, relax and drink with us."

"Aye, that goes for me as well cat-lass. Though I know ye not, this be my bar and I've a business to run. Can't have young lasses gettin' mistreated.. Won't stand for none of it." Jakae stated firmly, glaring over her shoulder at some of the patrons, then winking a brightly blue eye her. " 'Specially not a comrade of the princeling here." With a nod and a partially forced grin, Taalysin followed Gravius to a back room. It wasn't that she was scared really, she had fought worse foes and in worse numbers even, she had just never been eyed like that quite before.

The room was well furnished with over stuffed couches and chairs. Assorted weapons decorated the walls and massive hearth burned fiercely against the eastern wall, and a gargantuan battle-axe that glowed a soft blue was mounted above the mantle. Taalysin couldn't imagine anyone actually carrying the oversized weapon, but the look of great pride on Jakae's face when she entered the room and looked upon its greatness, told she had wielded it time and again.

Gravius and Jakae introduced Taalysin to a beverage known as Dwarven Spirits. It was pungent and harsh, but mild compared to the Demon Sake she was use to. They stared at her petite form in pure shock at how easily she took her liquor. Drinking late into the night, Gravius and Jakae shared tales of adventures and travels through out their lives as well as where they'd come from with Taalysin. They did their best in their inebriated state to describe and explain the lands of Trillium to Taalysin. She kept them filled with constant questions as if she were an innocent and naive child. Both found it rather amusing, especially when added to the awed expressions that would cover her face.

Jakae was the first to fall asleep, drinking at least twice as much as the others and now snored softly. Eventually Gravius followed her to the land of dreams, drooling a bit on the plumply cushioned arm of a couch he'd sprawled across. Taalysin couldn't help smiling softly as she watched them, lounging comfortably on the window seat. She had to blink back tears as she looked out the window at the waning moon. She'd never met people like these. She never knew they existed. They were so very kind to her. Never once, the entire evening, did either tell her to do anything, not to mention that they talked to her as an equal, encouraging her to converse and laugh with them openly. If I were to die now, an eternal death, I would die happy. This has been the best day of my life, for which I will be forever grateful. She was sure nothing could ever compare to the feeling she felt now. She was sure there couldn't possibly be anything better than what she had just experienced. Anxiousness pulled at her stomach, she couldn't wait till morning . Who knew what could happen on another day, well Taalysin had no clue, but nothing could contain the excitement she felt towards finding out.

When Gravius awoke, he was the only one left in the large room. He assumed Jakae had returned to cleaning and bartending, but he had no idea where Taalysin might have wandered off to. Well, hopefully she hasn't gotten herself into trouble. He thought to himself as he stretched. He ached all over form drinking too much and falling asleep in his armor. Oh well. He shrugged as he stood and walked out of the room to find his company. Jakae was right were he thought she'd be, standing behind the bar with a towel over one shoulder as she filled a mug with tar bean tea. Sitting himself on a stool in front of her he inquired with:

"Have you seen Taalysin this morn?"

"Nay, she were gone when I woke. I would've checked outside for ya but da customers won't wait fer their mornin' brew." Jakae informed him, nodding towards the door. "Maybe ya can be lookin' fer da path she took out there." Gravius nodded with a grateful smile and turned on his heels to head out the door.

The sky was heavy with dark clouds as the wind blew fiercely in the face of the young knight. What the bloody hell is she doing out in this weather? The girl could get hurt, I'd better hurry and find her. Severe determination shot through Gravius' veins as the thought of injury coming to the cat girl plagued his mind. He stomped his way down the vacant streets, forcing his will against the beating of the wind.

Taalysin couldn't help smiling at the sight of the knight traversing the oncoming storm. As she stood atop the fifty foot gate, he appeared like a shiny red beacon, telling her to come down. He'd almost made it to the gate when the wind turned sharply to the east. Halting in mid step, he looked up. Taalysin smiled at him, but he returned no smile. His skin paled, his eyes wide as he stared. It took a few moments for Taalysin to realize he wasn't staring at her, but behind her. Then the scent hit her nose, causing her own eyes to widen. The smell was all too familiar too her, for she had seen plenty of them while in the abyss. Her tail stiffened and her ears slanted back as she turned to face the creature. Flying swift and low with fiery red orbs fixed upon her, smooth red scales privileged its massive form. Goosebumps covered Taalysin's fair skin as it closed in on her. Ah shit was all she could think of as the monstrous mouth opened. She knew what was about to happen as the beast sucked in a deep breath. Without a second thought, she spun on her heels and leaped down from the gate in one smooth, swift movement, a cone of deadly dragon's fire following after her. She twisted her legs beneath her while falling, landing with the grace only felines posses before the gaping Gravius. With out a word, the two were off, following the dragon as it reeked havoc. Guards shouted and women screamed as the creature swooped over the city, causing terror within weak hearts by its mere presence. Taalysin and Gravius, however, were not weak hearted, nor weak willed, and both were prepared to fight to whatever end. Sword drawn, Gravius looked to Taalysin and stood tall, saying:

" Have no fear Taalysin, I swore to you nothing would hurt you and I meant it. This dragon will not harm you." Taalysin burst into laughter, then smirked mischievously at him.

"I have no fear, but that has nothing to do with you or your oath." Her eyes sparkled as she grinned. "I'm no damsel in distress, I need no knight in shining armor."

Chapter Three
Why a dragon?

No one knew where the dragon had come from, but it was gone just as quickly as it had came. However, not before making its mark upon the city. The entire eastern side of Ispep was charred, if not completely burned away. Dragon's fire burns hotter and deadlier than any other fire known and the harsh wind made a lethal addition. Among the torched shops and homes, was the Battle Axe Bar. Taalysin and Gravius found the barbarian woman on her knees before it. With the large amount of alcohol acting as an accelerant, the bar was unable to be saved. Jakae was lucky to have gotten out alive, but the pain stricken look upon her face said she did not share in the belief of such. She would find comfort in nothing, this was obvious enough that no one dared try to bring her comfort. That was, until Taalysin saw the soft blue glow coming from beneath a pile of burning timber, which was all that was left of the private lounge. Many watched and starred in awe as Taalysin walked gracefully over the burning heap and reached within the fiery depths. She didn't even flinch at the heat of the flames, but frowned and grunted as she fought with the weight of the prize in her grasp. With her exceptional strength she was surprised at the difficulty she had retrieving the weapon, but after a few good tugs, she yanked out a great battle axe. Immediately she had Jakae's attention. The large woman rushed to the edge of the flames, reaching her hand out to Taalysin who then handed her the prize. The great enchanted battle-axe had survived the scorching fire brought on by the dreadful dragon's breath. Jakae took the mighty axe in one hand with ease and hugged it to her chest, sobbing softly.

"Has this town had problems with dragons in the past?" Taalysin asked, looking over to Gravius. He shook his head.

"No, not since the Desolate Wars, which was over 4000 years ago. This makes no sense to me." Taalysin's brow furrowed at this comment. She knew a good deal about dragons. Though Reds were well known for random destruction, they weren't known to leave a city standing once they chose to torch it. Why only destroy the eastern part? That was the question on Taalysin's mind and once she questioned something, she would not rest till she found they answer. Spinning on her heels she began heading towards the city gate, but before she could get to far she felt a large hand grip her wrist firmly. It was Jakae. In her eyes burned a fierce flame Taalysin recognized all too well. A fire of rage that could only be quenched by the sweetness of revenge.

"I'm going with you." Jakae stated this as a fact that Taalysin could not deny her. Taalysin simply nodded and looked over to Gravius who in turn nodded, popping his neck and grinning a bit.

"For some reason I knew meeting you would lead to adventure." Gravius stated this with a short chuckle and Taalysin couldn't help grinning with him.

They did not wait for morning, they left that night with stern faces and twitchy fingers. They were all a little overly alert, wanting that dragon so bad they could smell it. They headed east, though there were no signs as to which direction the dragon had gone. Taalysin, however, really could smell the dragon. It reeked of the familiar scent of brimstone and death that she had become so accustom to within her abyssal home. By noon the next day she took notice that the great barbarian woman was falling behind, staggering with the exhaustion only severe grief and physical push could cause. So she veered to the left, leaving the path and heading for a small grassy clearing within the thick pine forest.

"What are we doing?' Gravius asked with a frown. His knightly training had prepared him for long travel with little to no rest, though he was sweating a bit beneath his heavy chest plate.

"We will make camp now…" Taalysin didn't have the chance to finish her sentence before Jakae broke in;

"No! We must continue! We can't let him get father away!" Taalysin shook her head, going to stand directly in front of the weary woman.

"You need to rest if you wish to achieve victory on the battle field. Revenge is only sweet when you live to enjoy it. " Jakae opened her mouth to protest but instead sighed, knowing the cat-girl was right. Collapsing into a sitting position, she let her head fall into her hands, sobbing softly. Taalysin went to join Gravius, sitting upon a fallen log a few feet away. The barbarian cried herself to sleep, leaving Taalysin feeling an all too new emotion. Her face was torn between this new emotion and pure confusion, causing Gravius to question it.

"Tell me, what is it that troubles you so?" He asked softly as to not awaken the poor barbarian woman.

"I'm… confused." She took a deep breath, knowing such an answer needed some explanation. " You see, I have been a slave… all my life. Living in the abyss all that time, there is a limit to what kind of things I feel, as well as my knowledge of other emotions. " she paused, looking at Gravius, who gave her a nod as to continue. "Well, when I look at Jakae, I feel this… sadness for her. A sadness unlike normal sadness. I've never felt such a thing before. " Gravius nodded his head slowly, a soft smile peaking out from the corner of his mouth.

"Pity." Taalysin frowned at this word, cocking her head to the side, her ears perking in interest. She fidgeted with her tail, pulling lightly at the end hairs. "It's called pity. When you feel sad for someone. When… you feel sorry for them. That emotion is called pity." Taalysin absorbed this information as if it were drastically important, and to her, it really was.

All the time that they spent sitting and discussing her limited knowledge of emotions and such matters, their attention was kept from shadows, wherein lurked a outlandish new being. This being watched them absorbedly, but its intent was yet to be known, even to itself.

The fading beams from the sun were sinking behind the trees when Jakae finally awoke. She seemed refreshed, but just as sorrowful. Taalysin had wandered off and found a small river not far south where she caught some good sized salmon. Gravius was working on cooking it for Taalysin simply hoofed hers down raw. The sight of such an attractive woman eating so grotesquely made him a bit queasy. Little bits of guts, fins and fish blood flying about. Her more bestial side was just that, and it wasn't very pleasant at the moment.

After everyone had finished their meal, they ready themselves and continued on their journey.

"Do you still have the scent?" Jakae asked doubtfully. Taalysin nodded with a grin.

"It smells like home cooking, I couldn't loose the scent if I tried." This comment from the cat-slave made both her companions frown.

"Are you serious?" Gravius asked, "I seem to recall it smelling like sulfur, ash and charred bodies."

"Yup! Sounds like an average dinner to me. Though, personally I did prefer mine raw most of the time, but charred drow was always nice." Taalysin let out a roar of a laugh as the others stopped dead in their tracks. She stopped and turned to face them, placing a hand dramatically on her hip. "Don't worry though, I prefer fish." With that she spun back around and began prancing down the path singing an orcish war song in a cheerful voice. Gravius and Jakae looked at each other as if to say 'What did we get ourselves into?', then with a shake of their heads, continued down the path, following the half-demon and less then joyous song.

'Elven pudding and man-bone bread,
Dwarf-blood ale when they're all dead.
We'll feast and drink and fight some more,
If we don't die while we're off at war.
Gnome eye jelly and kender kabobs,
We'll eat them all when we finish our job.
We'll feast and drink and fight some more,
If we don't die while we're off at war.
We'll break some legs and slice off heads,
We'll burn their huts while they're in their beds.
We'll feast and drink and fight some more,
If we don't die while we're off at war.
The women and men and little baby boo,
No one to mourn cause they're dead too.
We'll feast and drink and fight some more,
If we don't die while we're off at war!!'


Jakae shook her head through out the entire song, unable to believe her ears.

"Where in the world did ye learn that?" she finally asked. Taalysin spun around, walking backwards so she could look Jakae in the face.

"No where in this world. I learned it in the abyss, an host of undead orcs were feasting the night before they were to go to war against my old master. They were singing it right before I snuck into their camp and killed them." She said this in a very calm voice as if it were as simple as combing her hair. Jakae glanced at Gravius again, who simply shrugged.

"How many were there?" Jakae asked very cautiously, almost scared of what the answer might be. Taalysin tapped her finger against her lips, looking upwards while thinking.

"Lets see… I believe it was 7 or 8... dozen." Jakae starred in disbelief as Taalysin spun around and continued skipping down the path. Jakae opened her mouth to ask more, then just shook her head, unsure of where this conversation might lead. It seemed impossible for one woman to take on so many, even if they were just orcs. One thing they didn't understand about Taalysin was that she was created by a demon to be the perfect slave, so killing was one of her specialties.

It was noon the next day when they came to the edge of the forest at the base of Edwe Mountain. Normally the forest continued partially up the great Mountain, but a dragon had moved in. The area around the mountain had been destroyed, a few tree trunks still smoldering. As the approached a vast cave Taalysin hesitated.

"What is it?" Gravius asked in a hushed voice.

"Footprints" Taalysin pointed in front of her at the ground. Next to the enormous dragon prints were those of a humanoid.

"Perhaps someone has already encountered our target?" Gravius pondered as he knelt to get a closer look. Taalysin shook her head.

"If that were the case the prints would more likely be atop the dragon's, as ours are. No, these walk beside the dragon, as if companions." She knelt next to Gravius, lightly tracing the humanoid prints. They were narrow and small, like a child's. "These belong to a woman, " she licked the dirt from her hand. "There's a hint of darkstone in this dirt, suggesting she had been in the Underdark recently. My guess is a drow."

"A drow? What would a drow be doing with a red dragon?" Jakae contemplated the thought with a furrowed brow.

"Perhaps a slave to the dragon… even a rider is possible, but then the drow would have to be quite powerful indeed." Taalysin spoke mostly to herself as she stood, wiping the dirt from her hand. She frowned at the cave entrance for a moment before turning to face her companions. Gravius was staring at her, again… or was it still? She couldn't be sure, but Jakae seemed to be a million miles away within her own thoughts. Her knuckles clenched white upon the hilt of her axe as she glared into the mouth of the cave, as if she were staring down the dragon itself.

A scent hit the feline's nose out of no where, causing a slight tingle. She span on her heals and bent, hunkering down, balancing her weight ever so slightly upon her fingertips as her claws extended into the dirt. Ears perked, tail high, her emerald eyes scanned the trees quickly, yet with great precision. Neither human dared question her at the moment, understanding the alertness of such bestial senses. Weapons drawn, positioned to fight, they waited.

Pale blue eyes gazed upon the three imposters intently. Ire would not be pleased. An angry dragon was the last thing he wanted, but there was something different about these three. The goblin, squatting behind a bush, studied them intently. Ever since Ire and his mistress, Ierie, had arrived it had been nothing but orders. Snivtibbly was a dignified and powerful goblin, as goblins went, and was no ones pet. That is, unless someone is threatening to eat you whole and let you slowly be dissolved by fiery stomach acids. Not exactly his idea for a fun time. Now he had to decide, do his job and blow a poisonous dart into each of these three, quite capable looking folks. Or, help them and risk being eaten later if they failed. He had a feeling it was only a matter of time before the cat thing found him anyways. Gripping tightly onto his blowpipe and taking a slow, deep breath, he stood.

As soon as the goblin was up Taalysin's eyes were upon him. She knew she'd recognized the scent, she'd had many goblin roasts for dinner. This one was different somehow. He smelt… clean. Most might not think that means much, but for a goblin, it does. Licking her teeth, the she-demon prepared to pounce. Leaping through the air, her tail high, ears strait back, claws extended and ready to rip him apart she flew towards her target with deadly accuracy.

Snivtibbly sighed as he watched his attacker sailing towards him, bracing himself for the impact. Everything went black for a moment as his head slammed onto the ground, the air whooshing from his lungs. His jaw clenched back the pain as Taalysin's razor sharp claws pierced his shoulder, scrapping against his shoulder blade as they tightened their grip upon him. Taalysin's emerald eyes flickered blood red for a brief instance as the smell of his greenish black blood oozing around her fingers hit her nostrils. The wide eyed intensity coming from the longing to kill, that bloodlust that her fiendish inheritance gave her, was nearly overwhelming. As she opened her mouth to rip his throat out with her deadly canines, she heard;

"Wait!" Ordered Gravius as he approached from behind. Shaking her head clear, She leaned back, sitting promptly on the goblins torso. Releasing her left hand she kept her right claws holding firmly to his shoulder. She licked some of the blood away, then wiped the rest on the goblins trousers. Jakae followed, axe still at the ready though Gravius had already sheathed his own weapon.

"Why'd ye stop 'er?" Jakae asked in a disgusted tone, finding goblins rather repulsive. Gravius shook his head.

" Look, in his hand," he pointed "He has a blowgun. If he'd meant us harm, I'm sure he would have done it before we found him." He paused for a moment, shaking his head again. "After all, we did not actually find him, did we? He showed himself to us." The girls both nodded a bit, then Jakae came to stand at the head of the goblin.

" So, Assassin, explain yerself. " She demanded, speaking slowly to make sure he understood her as she evened her axe with his neck.

Snivtibbly's mind was racing, thinking of what to say. Which was increasingly hard to do with a cat-demon waiting to eat him and a barbarian waiting to chop him to pieces. He began wondering if had made the right decision, revealing himself to them. He knew now that he must choose his words wisely, for they could quite likely become his last.

Chapter Four
A Goblin like Non Other

Taalysin rolled her eyes as she listened to the goblin stutter through his first word. Why she couldn't just eat the foul vermin was beyond her comprehension, he probably didn't even speak with a common tongue. At least not understandably. That is when she felt something very rare to her, surprise.

"I… m-m-mean ya no harm." He said in rather fluent common. Gravius quirked a brow at the goblin's obvious education to be able to speak so, then kicked the blowgun from the creature's hand.

"Obviously… Now tell me, you were sent to guard this entrance, were you not?" the goblin nodded in response to the knights question. "well then, will your master not be enraged at your insubordination?"

"Aye, me sure of it." He smirked, showing his mostly strait, white-ish teeth… another unheard-of trait for goblins. Now it was Taalysin's turn to quirk a brow, wondering what type of master would keep such a pathetic slave in a mostly unblemished condition. After all, he was just a goblin. Perhaps his master is the type to obsess of such things in a compulsive manor. She thought to herself.

"Then why do so?" Gravius kept his questions short and to the point as trained to do with simple creatures as goblinoids.

"'Cause I don't like 'er." He received answers just as short and to the point, seemingly honest. However, his training also lead him to take every response with a grain of salt. It was better to expect betrayal and receive a frontal attack, then to be stabbed in the back.

"Don't ye be toyin' with us, maggot. Why'd ye not attack? Do ye plan trap ahead?" Jakae bust in. Barbarians were not exactly known for their patience. Gravius very slowly turned his head, tilting to the side as he glared at Jakae, blinking repeatedly in a look of "what are you doing?'. Jakae shrugged and took a step back, rolling her eyes with a small chuckle when Gravius looked away. Gravius' head whipped back in her direction.

"Do you mind? I am trying to do some proper interrogation here." He snapped in a low voice. Jakae saluted him mockingly, forcing herself to keep a strait face. "Why? Why do you have to go and demean me in front of our detainee? You think we still seem intimidating now,? Do you?" Snivtibbly began to wonder if he'd made a mistake in believing these companions could take on his master. He looked to Taalysin, who returned the look and simply shrugged.

"Fine, forgive me." She dropped the head of her axe on the ground, crossing her arms as she leaned upon its hilt. He starred at her for a moment in frustration. She waved an arm towards Snivtibbly, motioning for Gravius to continue.

"Damn, now I have lost my train of thought…" Gravius cursed under his breath.

"Uh, why not attack, trap ahead…and me's Snivtibbly, not maggot. " Snivtibbly piped in, receiving a deathly glare from Gravius. Taalysin grinned, easing her grip upon his shoulder. The goblin decided it best to answer quickly, before something bad happened. "Me hope you'll kill me master, so me go back to not having master."

"Wait, what?" Taalysin dug her claws deeper again, using her leverage to pull the goblins face to hers, causing him to wince. "You haven't always been a slave?" He looked at her as if she were mad.

"Course not. Only for short time."

"Tell me, what is freedom?" She shook him slightly as made her demands. Snivtibbly simply blinked in confusion. Looking to Gravius.

"These your masters?" They all seemed a bit taken back. Jakae and Gravius looked at each other, then to Taalysin.

"No… well… I mean… they have not claimed me." She shook her head roughly. "No, not masters. Not for my kind."

The conversation was cut short by the snapping of a twig. The party readied themselves. Gravius drew his sword, Jakae equipped her axe, both tacking a firm stance. Taalysin stayed as she was, preparing her feet beneath her to pounce at any moment. She sniffed at the air, seeking the source of the sound, but Snivtibbly's blood filled her nostrils and all she could smell was goblin. Her eyes widened with sudden realization, but it was too late. A curtain of arrows sailed through the air towards them.

"Goblins!" She shouted as she jumped, twisted and flipping as she dodged the crudely made arrows, Snivtibbly still attached to her hand. Her claws had gotten stuck in his shoulder blade. He clutched firmly to her arm, hoping to keep her from ripping his off. The tall, narrow pines gave little shelter from such a large spray of arrows, but Taalysin was lean and able to land gracefully between the closest one. She glared at Snivtibbly with a fierce anger and growled low. Without a word she ripped her hand from his shoulder and grabbed lifted him by his throat. "This shall be your last ambush, mutineer." She hissed in his native tongue just before stepping back out into the fray, using him as a shield. All his years of pain did not prepare him for the dozens of arrows the impaled his body. He screamed in pain till finally, he fell into a dead like unconsciousness.

Gravius was grateful for his armor as the crude arrows crashed against his breastplate. The magic of his bandana had never been so strongly tested as he ducked his head and stepped to the side, using himself to guard Jakae from the deadly swarm. He knew he was just barely too slow as he heard her cry out in anguish, an arrow gashing through the edge of her shoulder. Taalysin had disappeared from sight, along with the goblin betrayer. He was not surprised, being abyssal it was explicable that she would not use group tactics when in combat.

After what seemed like far too long the spray ended, drawing and reloading their bows quickly not being a skill many goblins possessed. Jakae took initiative, pushing her way passed Gravius as she charged a goblin foolish enough to poke his head over a bush and into her sight. With an enraged battle cry she lifted her axe high above her head, paying no heed to her wound as the blood spurted through the air for its depth. The goblin's eyes grew wide in terror as he she approached, his feet fixed in place with fear from her mighty roar. Gravius was quickly following after as the barbarians two headed axe slammed down onto the head of its victim, splitting from the top of its head down to the dirt between his feet. The sun gleamed across the razor edges of Gravius' prodigious claymore as swung it up to his shoulder and down across the neck of the goblin who sat watching the dreadful sight of his comrade being split in two.

Taalysin tossed aside the limp body of Snivtibbly as the arrows ceased. Leaping into the tree next to her, to the highest branch that could hold her, she scanned the array of goblins below. Only four sat hiding behind the plump berry bushes or narrow trees. She frowned, thinking But, so few could not fire so many arrows at once… She watched her companions start their slaughter as she pondered the thought for a moment. She suddenly felt as if a pair of eyes were upon her. Looking up she saw a goblin on a branch not more then three yards away. It was a female, she guessed by what looked to be cleavage peeking out from her long , dirt crusted robes. She sat on the branch carefully with a small book in her hands, her eyes now wide from being discovered. The filthy rats had a mage! Well, that explains the arrows Taalysin thought as she braced herself to plow through the branches between them. She pounced, claws ripping through the branches in her way as she closed in on her target. Frantically the mage ripped through her pages, looking for salvation. Though she was intelligent enough for the use of magic, she did not know Taalysin apart from any other creature and chose very unwisely. Spewing out the incantation in a frenzy she flung out her arm. Next thing Taalysin knew an enormous fire ball was sailing through the air strait at her. Faking a look of horror she crossed her arms, the tremendous ball slamming into her with a great force. The goblin mage now gave a look of true horror as Taalysin landed with poise upon a limb just below her. The magical flames played across her skin, as if licking her lovingly.

"Fool, I was born of this." Taalysin said with a wicked grin just before reaching up and grabbing the magic user by the leg, pulling her from the branch. The cat-demon leapt downward, bashing the goblin's head against the trunk of the tree and every branch on the way down till it was little more then mush. With a proud smile Taalysin skipped happily towards her next prey, loving the smell of freshly mashed goblins in the late afternoon.

The explosion of a fireball followed by the cracking of thick branches caught Gravius' attention briefly, and he feared the worse for his new feline friend. He thrust his blade cleanly through the large yellow eyes of another goblin as he headed in her direction. The battle was a breeze, such pathetic creatures having no hope to compare to the skills of trained Knight and his brutal yet beautiful barbarian comrade. Jakae fought wildly, slashing through as many trees and shrubs as she did goblins. Her next casualty suffered far worse than the first. She lobbed off first its leg, sending it to the ground, then severed it at the waist, blood erupting to spray across her fair skinned face, bring out the battle rage in her eyes. Finally, laying the flat of her axe on its face she stomped on its, small bit of brain covering her other boot.

When at last Gravius could see Taalysin, Jakae close behind him, she was skipping towards two cowering goblins, seemingly the last. They had yet to see either the knight or barbarian, and had turned their backs to them, stepping quickly backwards as they drew rudimentary short swords. With the sweet smile of an angel Taalysin grabbed one by the top of its head and sword arm. First busting its forearm with a sharp twist, she chucked it into the second goblin, sending them both falling backwards, their heads clanking together as they hit the ground. Jakae happily finished them off with a clean sweep of her axe to their necks, the magical axe severing both with ease.

The three straitened themselves, a small smile crossing each of their lips. But their victory was short lived. The earth beneath them shook violently. Taalysin's eyes widened as she looked over Gravius' shoulder. He had no need to turn around before he knew what the look was for. Their battle had been loud and would not likely have gone unnoticed. As he and the barbarian turned about, it took all their will not to fall trembling in the fear caused by the foe that now stood but a few trees apart from them. It massive form loomed over like a dreadful omen, only its broad legs and belly visible from their position. The glanced at each other as Taalysin came to stand between them. Though the knight and barbarian had quested together many a time, they had never faced an adversary such as this.

Ire gazed across the wooded area near his cave with a ruthlessness he always harbored strongly within his heart. The air reeked of goblin blood. He had known such pathetic creatures would make worthless guards, but Ierie had insisted that they had their use. He dared not question his mistress, not matter how wrong he thought she may be.

He snorted in disgust at that sight of such thriving green trees. Breathing in deeply he released the deadly chemicals into his mouth, some dripped from the corner of his mouth and burned an opening in the earth with its alchemic burning attributes. As he huffed out, the sulfur in his breath ignited the chemicals, spreading his powerful dragon fire in a cone across all the nearby trees.

The companions rushed head on towards the feet of the beast, it being the only escape from the fatal flames that rapidly consumed all they touched. The next thing they knew, the fiery orbs of the dragon were upon them, a wicked grin covering its lips.

"Oh good, a snack." Ire growled in Draconic, sounding like no more then an angry rumble to Gravius and Jakae.

"Yes, you'll taste mighty fine on a skewer, you pathetic little lizard!" Taalysin shouted back, mocking him in his own language. Drawing questioning looks from her comrades. The dragon roared in rage, taking up his powerful foot to slam down upon the minute sized adversaries. As Jakae and Gravius went to dodge, Taalysin grabbed a hold of Gravius grand claymore, pressing firmly on his the pressure point in his thumb web so he would release the weapon. He did so against his will and would have protested save for the enormous, clawed paw coming down at him. Taalysin dropped to one knee, bracing herself as she held the sword strait up, her elbows slightly bent to keep from being hyper extended. She then began whispering in the magical language of faere, staring intently at the hilt of the weapon. As she finished the short incantations the blade seemed to frost over, just in time for Ire's great foot to land upon it. The blade split through scale and flesh as if it were water, the icy spell spreading through the beasts hand like a plague. The limb hesitated briefly from the excruciating pain searing through it, giving Taalysin barely enough time to tumble back into the space between the beasts claws. Ire's scream of agony was encouraging to his foes. Relieving them from what fear they had left. Though now Gravius had no other weapon other than a long dagger, which would be of little good against a villain of this size.

This belongs in the Legends' Den. I'll move it there.