A Legend... or Destruction?

[Relairah]

Jolene couldn't help feeling a little smug as the stranger agreed and introduced himself... only to frown upon the details. It did make sense. And perhaps she could more readily accept it even than her mate. Even with Zenithe's memories, Jolene could more easily make out the similarities between them. And further, what Seinoax explained about the Twilight Guardian form had no other logical explanation. Perhaps fate had brought him along at this time for a reason. She had to admit that there had been a thought in the back of her mind about going against Sidrith and now with Seionax, she found there was no doubt he'd be defeated. But she was getting too far ahead of herself.

She listened as Zenithe voiced his own confusion to her. Yes. Their swords as well. Jolene only nodded in response to her mate, and realized that she had yet to respond to the new one. "Jolene Alexandria Kodalis," she said, feeling a sense of pride as she spoke her full name. She had been more than happy to drop her sir name given at birth... and to replace it with Zenithe's was more than she could've ever hoped when she had been young.

In her mind, she spoke to Zenithe. Especially since he had brought up the point they all had much to discuss. It was true. 'Zenithe. Will you tell him everything to date?' she asked, more out of curiosity. She was also intensely curious about Seionax' discovery of the Twilight form. But she waited to ask. Instead, she waited to follow her mate.

[Xenoxice]

Seionax gave a small nod towards Zenithe as if acknowledging him to ask or state anything on his mind. It wasn't long before Zenithe had shaken his head a few times and spoke up however. "Okay, first off I want to know how old you are. Obviously you called me little brother so I know you're older than me. Secondly, why did mom and dad never mention anything about you to me and why did you leave? Lastly, I want to hear anything you know of what is currently going on." With a serious albeit, kinder tone from Seionax, he answered all of Zenithe's questions. "Alright, as far as how old I am, I'm about 70 years your senior, sorry for not keeping exact count but round 100 years of age you start to lose track and simply round to the nearest decade. Sounds odd to a newly initiated dragonkin I imagine since I look the same age, but in the scale of millennia, 70 years is but the equivalent of a few weeks to humans. You'll get used to it though." His piercing green eyes had subtly shifted to look at Jolene as he spoke his first answer before shifting back to Zenithe. "As to why mother and father never mentioned my name let alone my existence, let's just say we never really got along very well. You remember how father was... well.... let's just say I'm the exact opposite of him. At least I used to be. I find myself lately becoming more concerned with the worlds affairs like he used to be. Especially due to recent events and knowing prophecy if that gives you any insight into my last answer. I left mom and dad because we never really saw eye to eye... on anything. But while you take after them I can tell already you're different than they were. I have a feeling after a little bonding we will get along very well if not perfectly. I may be brash at times but I am an exceptional judge of character. And I have a feeling you chose a perfect mate for yourself. Now, for your final question I know of the ordeal with Sidrith and the fact he is now free, even if not at his full strength. We're lucky he isn't or it would make things far more difficult.  His underlings.... I've encountered many of them throughout the years and tested their strength without killing them.   Some stronger than others.   Some fairly powerful and others... disappointingly weak to my surprise.  He does have a few higher ranked followers that are between the Adult and Elder levels of strength.  Currently that is where Sidrith's power resides.  Once at full strength he will be at a full fledged Elder.  At full power you and I can rival Ancient but I'm sure you must have found out by now it comes at a price and that's something we can't afford so we have to somehow figure out a way to counter that little side-effect, even if minimally.  I suppose that should be enough information for now as to my knowledge as it's just about everything I know short of where he is hiding right now in which case... I just don't know.  I only know I saw him flying to the far west recently."  Seionax's tone the entire time was confident and well-informed.  Steady and strong much like his personality and appearance.

Hearing Seionax's response was enough to satiate Zenithe's curiosity.  Looking up to Seionax he quirked a brow with one final question.  "Any idea how long we have before he begins attacking every village, town and city he comes across?"  With a tilt of his head and an expression that clearly showed he was thinking, Seionax gave a short but decisive response.  "If he wants to gather ALL of his followers.... 2 years tops.  1 at least.  If he just wants to go for the strongest ones on the other hand and not train the weaker ones, we're probably looking at about 6-10 months at best.  Our least amount of time we can expect is 3 more months of peace.  That is of course if my headcount of all of his followers is correct.  He may have more that I don't know about but I'm going with worst case scenario here.  We can always hope for more time but we'll know when he starts.  Just follow the smoke and screams."  A chilling but truthful end to his statement, Zenithe shook his head.  "That doesn't leave much time.... enough, but not much."  Turning his gaze towards Jolene he gave a small sigh.  "We need to get you up to par of at least an Adult's strength in that time... even though you're still so new to all this."  Once more turning towards Seionax he looked at him with a hopeful and almost expectant expression.  "Do you think we can do it in that time-frame?"  With a smirk and small crack of his knuckles he nodded.  "Absolutely.  We can make a fine dragon out of her.  Do you think you can handle it?  It's going to be the most rigorous training you've ever fathomed."  He smiled almost mischievously at Jolene.

[Relairah]

Jolene listened as Seionax answered Zenithe and even explained some of dragon's aging. It was quite fascinating... and in ernest, she couldn't imagine reaching that age. She was barely grown. Let alone considering 100 years from then. But she brushed it aside. She couldn't even imagine everything this dragon before them had already experienced... one certainly couldn't tell by looks. But for dragons... or rather most magical beings, it made sense.

Jolene paid even more attention as Seinoax began to talk of Sidrith and his immense potential for power. How long exactly had he been stuck before he'd gained Zenithe's power? She thought he must have only spent that time plotting and gathering followers. Maybe even had followers from before that had stayed with him this whole time. Seionax explained their expected time frame... and she frowned at the prospect of losing so many innocents if they couldn't stop him. But they wouldn't have much choice until Sidrith revealed himself. And she knew there would be much cost involved. Up until now, they had managed even to get rid of Xavelthius without involving too many others. Besides Zenithe's grandfather.

She couldn't help wondering... did Seionax know about what had happened? She brushed it aside as Zenithe was addressing her then. Jolene's fiery gaze glanced between her mate and his new-found brother. After she had just rested up, she certainly did feel invigorated. She couldn't help a smirk growing at the corner of her draconian lips. "Bring it on," she said challengingly. If she were to be realistic, she knew she may not master everything they threw at her. But... she had to try.

[Xenoxice]

Seionax gave a large toothy grin, showing off many of his sharp teeth and spoke with a confident tone. "Well then, let us get started shall we?" He turned his gaze between Zenithe and Jolene. "I would have to say we work on her control above anything for starters. Shifting forms and flight. Without the ability to shift between forms in a matter of a second or two, she'll be done for in a real fight. Perhaps we should demonstrate what sort of maneuvers can be accomplished with such mastery as incentive?" His grin turned into a gaze that almost seemed to challenge Zenithe. Urging him on to see what his little brother could do. "Fine by me." With a quick leap into the air, Seionax jumped and bolted into the air as Zenithe followed suit, shifting into his normal dragon form as he did so. Not too far from the ground by standards of flying, but far enough that anyone with a fear of heights would be terrified, Seionax turned to face and charge directly at Zenithe with a powerful thrust of his wings, aiming to deliver a strong kick with his momentum to his chest. Of course a dragon's eyes being far superior to human eyes and in their forms what would seem like mere blurs to a human, would appear closer to slow motion.

Seeing the incoming attack, Zenithe shifted out of his large dragon form, letting the last beat of his wings continue to carry him towards his brother. Reaching his hand out, Zenithe would grab Seionax's foot before twisting himself into a spinning motion and shifting back into his dragon form at the same moment. Now holding his brother's foot in his front claws, Zenithe used the increased strength of his form to deliver a powerful thrust of his wings to send himself soaring upwards in the same moment he followed through with the spinning motion from his human form and let go. The combined forces sent Seionax hurdling to the ground in a flash.

Seionax clearly impressed by the maneuver, allowed himself to be overtaken by the skilled tactic of his younger brother and to showcase his own endurance. Allowing himself to slam straight into the solid rock cliff side of the beach sending splinters and huge chunks of rock falling to the sand below from the force of impact, shattering the surrounding area and splitting the stone nearly to the top of the cliff. His body wedged into a newly made crater in the rock, he sat there for a moment wincing a bit as he hadn't quite expected the impact to be as powerful as it was and underestimating the amount of strength Zenithe possessed and had used. Pulling himself free and falling to the sand below. He took a deep breath and looked up to Zenithe who had been hovering in wait the whole time. He turned his gaze to Jolene and smiled. "As you can see mastering your shift and quickly stringing together combos that can mold into a single attack between both forms can be a deadly offensive and even defensive maneuver. Any lesser creature who would have taken a fall like that would have died on impact. This also shows the level of endurance and resilience you can obtain with proper training. Now show us what you can do."

Listening from above as Seionax spoke to Jolene, Zenithe lowered his altitude until he landed softly upon the beach. His crimson eyes turned between Jolene and Seionax until they finally rested upon his wife. "He's absolutely right. You've already seen what I've been through and recovered from and how quickly I recovered from said incidents. It's a natural ability for dragonkin. Oddly enough the greater the injury you suffer, the more rapidly you heal. A defensive mechanism in our bodies to protect us. Begin shifting in and out of your form. A little slower at first, but push through any remaining pain you still get from it. Each time you do it, increase how quickly you do it even if you must force yourself with pure willpower." His eyes never left Jolene. "I believe in you. We can do this together and get you up to the point you need to be."  He spoke to her through their link with a gentle smile.

[Relairah]

Jolene watched the two as they briefly sparred in their sky battle. It was truly impressive, and she almost wondered if Zenithe had meant to land such a blow to his newly-found brother. Still, she could see their point. It would be important for her to learn control and quickly.

Rather than feeling disappointed it would be shifting she had to master first, she readily accepted the challenge. She smiled at Zenithe when she heard his words just for her mind and nodded. It would be just like the times when she had been training to control her transformations into cat form. Only... much larger now.

Jolene steadied her breathing and focused on her body. She remembered when she'd been training in the past, she focused on building a familiar flow for herself. Starting at one point and moving toward another until her body was completely transformed. She felt the same process would work this time. Jolene concentrated. For Zenithe and Seionax, they would see her face elongate and her ears form into the side of her head and her dragon features emerging. From there came her shoulders and chest, her arms and back. Jolene grit her teeth at that point, caving slightly as her hands, now dragon's feet touched the ground. She whimpered as her muscles stretched and strained, her enormous draconian wings growing and popping as the transformation continued. Yes. The pain would be its own process to overcome.

Finally, the transformation had finished, leaving her brilliant form before them, her fiery eyes the same. "Well... I might be a dragon right now. But I'm a long ways from taking either of you on in combat as you demonstrated," she said with a chuckle. She hoped to remain light-hearted, even as her body ached.

[Xenoxice]

Seionax and Zenithe glanced to one another and gave each other a small nod. "At some point or another, we will have to spar and train ourselves as well. A strong as we both are, we are still no match for Sidrith and his minions in our current state." Looking to Seionax as he spoke, he turned his attention back to Jolene as she stood in her dragon form. "Your shift was very good considering the amount of time you've actually had to practice has been almost non-existent. Try shifting back and forth as quickly as you can in rapid succession without stopping between. Push through any of the pain and it will begin to subside more and more with each successful shift until you no longer feel it no matter when you shift. That's the most efficient way to eliminate that nasty little portion so you can practice without draining yourself so much."

Seionax nodded slowly in agreement as he crossed his arms. Listening to Zenithe as he explained the process to Jolene, he waited patiently until he was finished to provide his own input. "That is going to drain whatever stamina she has in her very quickly Zenithe. If she has any magical abilities, perhaps you should have also mentioned it's possible for her to convert her magical energy into stamina to increase her endurance even if it's at the cost of exhausting any magic within her so she can't use it for a while. A handy little trick at the present moment given her main focus isn't on magic, but physical ability. The opposite also holds true that you can drain and convert your stamina into magical energy. A very delicate and dangerous tactic to use in combat but one of the most lethal when control is perfected. We'll get to that later. In the event you DO have magic, when you're in your dragon form concentrate on your muscles. When they feel weak, like they're about to give out or if they've been injured in any form, dragons have the innate ability to convert their magic into a pseudo rapid self-healing so to speak. But like I said. At the cost of exhausting your magic supply. The larger your magical energy, the longer you can maintain the effort to keep yourself going longer. Likewise the less you have, the quicker you will completely deplete your reserve. It's not true healing magic therefore has its limits. That being say you drain thirty percent of your stamina and you wish to recover yourself back to your normal state. You will need to convert about ninety percent of your magical reserves. That's the rule of thumb to stick to for this ability.  Three percent conversion equals one percent yield.  Just let your spirit do its own thing.  Concentrate on your sore or injured muscles and it will convert automatically.  To do the reverse, concentrate on keeping your mind empty and clear.  Give it a try and see if you can."

Zenithe gazed at his brother as he listened to the explanation offered and gave a sigh in addition to a nod. "Yes, I was going to inform her about that but I thought it might be more pertinent to teach her that after she's shifted a few times and could actually make use of it." Seionax smirked with a smart although seemingly brotherly playful retort. "Well that wouldn't do her much good if she can't even focus on it from being too tired when she hasn't even tried it to know how it feels now would it?" Zenithe grunted and snorted slightly at the remark before turning back to Jolene. "He's good.  I give him that.  Extremely adept in combat knowledge and training procedures. Judging from how he handled my attack earlier I'd say he has a fairly substantial reserve of both stamina and magic. He will prove to be a great ally against Sidrith. I can easily see the resemblance now. Reminds me of father quite a bit already. Stern, intelligent, skillful..." His voice trailed off from their link as he looked at his brother. He shook his head to snap himself back to reality.   "He's right.  I hate to admit it but he is.  Go ahead and give it a try, perform the shifts, try the conversion again and then show us your aerial agility.  Anything you can do.  Fly freely and push yourself to your limits.  If you can make a sharp turn, push yourself to make it even sharper and so forth."

[Relairah]

Jolene looked back and forth between her mate and his brother as they argued about how she should proceed. In truth, she found Seionax' mention of magic to energy both intriguing and helpful... but she kept her mouth shut, and stifled the urge to laugh a little. She smiled as Zenithe spoke into her mind. Indeed, they were fortunate to have Seionax as an ally. Jolene nodded when Zenithe gave her the last instructions and her dagger flashed through her mind. She had never truly explored its limits nor did she know the full depths of its power. For all she knew, she had only scratched the surface. Jolene closed her eyes and focused, reaching out with her mind for the familiar and distinct magical feel of the dagger. As soon as she tapped into it, she drew from it, letting the magic flow through her body. She was almost surprised at how invigorated she felt almost immediately afterward. It was an unprecidented rush of energy.

Her eyes snapped open and she focused on her shift to human form. Shifting back to human form was not as difficult for her and she was more familiar with it. As soon as she was her normal self again, though, she focused on changing back to the dragon form. It felt simpler and went somewhat faster, though still took its time and left her aching. Instead of being sharp pains, however, it was more like the throbs of being punched. She shifted back to human form and tried again. She was amazed that the energy continued to flow. Her pattern continued for some time until her shift happened in a matter of seconds and she looked toward Zenithe with a confident smirk. With this amount of energy, she wondered if she would reach a point where she would crash as she had before. Perhaps once the magical reserves were gone, she would. But for now, she relished in it.

She almost felt she could take on the whole world at that instant. She burst skyward, her wings flapping powerfully and she spun in a loop, diving and then turning upward once more, beginning a zig-zagging pattern in the sky. "Well if you two need to train, you should join me!" she yelled to Zenithe and Seionax. "See if you can even catch me," she daringly challenged.

[Xenoxice]

Zenithe looked skyward to Jolene and smirked playfully. "Oh, look who's full of energy now! Becoming excited about training are we?" Mid sentence, Zenithe bolted upwards with a single thrust of his wings and joined Jolene in her altitude and looked down to Seionax. "What say you we shift to our normal dragon forms to better assist her? No sense trying to instruct if we can't demonstrate in a similar form." Seionax gave a small nod of approval before shifting himself into his own dragon form before take off. "Agreed. Let us see what she can do! Start low altitude and we'll climb higher as we go. Even for dragonkin the highest altitudes begin to take their toll." Keeping his gaze on Seionax, Zenithe shifted his form down to his regular dragon form and spoke in agreement with his brother, turning to Jolene. "He's right, you know. Flying in the stratosphere that you've seen before as the edge of the world.... it takes enormous stamina to maintain your altitude that high. Less air, less pressure. Means stronger and more rapid flaps when you're not gliding." Seionax looked to Jolene in his pure dragon form. His looked very similar to Zenithe's. Identical even if it wasn't for the pale orange lining on each scale that gave his form a little more color than his younger siblings. He bolted past her and turned into quick and precise radial turns that looked like half barrel-rolls. Rolling from one side to the other with ease. "Let's start with this. It looks simple but I assure you it's harder to control than you think and will be your primary defensive maneuver in a pinch. You can use it to roll out of the path of oncoming projectiles and even to quickly adjust direction of flight if you half roll out into a descent."

Zenithe watched with a smirk as he jarred himself to chase after his brother matching his movements like a mirror behind him. "Your movements need to be fluid and refined. You're a dragon now but your previous cat-like instincts in combat were very similar. You transfer momentum and energy through your movements into the next to prevent excessive and unnecessary use of stamina...." With a narrowing of his eyes he gave a sly smile to his brother as he came up behind him gradually. "You can even refine this maneuver further and use gravity to your advantage. In the down swoop from the roll, give yourself a wing burst and you get....." Zenithe paused his words as he demonstrated and showed the result of his technique and soared past Seionax rolling into a full barrel roll as he did so. "A large burst of speed to close gaps or gain them." He turned his head towards Jolene as he gave a reverse thrust to stop himself and hover. "Remember this if nothing else my love. You are an aerodynamic creature in this form. Don't try to feel your body as individual pieces. Feel it as a whole. In the air you are free from the ground and all limitations it imposes. The wind is not choppy nor is it sluggish. It flows smooth and calmly around all obstacles. It doesn't try to crash through objects. It finds a way around them. Feel the wind around your body and move with it. Not against it. Move like the very air around you. Dragons are Lords of the sky. This is our kingdom. Our home. Become one with it and rule over it. Show no fear and don't be afraid of the earth below. Right now at this moment... for both simple flying and all your maneuvers.... Do not look at anything. Close your eyes and just fly.  FEEL what you are doing, don't force it physically. Do that and you will master flying in just a few hours at most. Feel the pull of gravity in your rises, feel gravity slip away in your dives, feel the air lift you under your wings, feel the emptiness of the sky above you and the freedom it offers, feel the ground shrink and disappear beneath you behind the clouds.  Don't look.  Don't think. Don't try.  Don't focus on what your body feels.  Focus on what your mind and spirit feels.  Feel everything.... and be free." As Zenithe's words trailed off he smiled gently back at Jolene. Eagerly awaiting to see how she would perform under such instructions.

Seionax turned his head to Zenithe and nodded with approval although with one eye quirked and an expression displaying he was caught off guard. Speaking so only Zenithe could hear him. "I must admit, aside from being a showoff there for a moment.... I'm more than impressed. You actually managed to reveal the entire secret of aerial mastery in the form of words. Something I could not have done. And you still managed to speak it so poetically with clarity. You must really love her to be able to do that.... don't you?" With a quick glance in Seionax's direction, Zenithe offered his brother a response.  "I almost pushed my body to the point of death fighting Xavelthius in an act of both revenge and retribution. I was willing to literally exhaust myself to death for her. Does that answer your question?" Seionax's eyes grew wide as he heard his words. "YOU defeated Xavelthius?! And it was because of HER?!" With his head darting between Jolene and Zenithe, a quick smirk formed before Seionax continued. "She must truly be something worthwhile for you to have been able to accomplish that. Not only defeating an elder which is a feat in and of itself.... but awakening the Twilight form of our bloodline in the process..." Seionax shook his head and smiled warmly and gently. "She really is special isn't she?" Zenithe replied simply, his gaze never leaving Jolene. "You have no idea...."

[Relairah]

Jolene paused her flight as it was clear they had little intention of meeting her challenge until she'd had a decent flying lesson. Fair enough, she supposed. She flapped her wings only enough to remain airborne and listened intently, particularly as Zenithe spoke. She couldn't help herself. She hung onto his every word. How well he knew her was quickly demonstrated as he explained how she should approach flight and mastery of it. As soon as he compared it to her movements as a cat and trusting her instincts, immediately it was as though a light-bulb lit within her mind. Till this point, she had been relying on her experiences in the past in order for her to adjust to the new form and all it brought.

Now, it seemed to tie it all together. She watched Zenithe's demonstration closely, memorizing his movements and pattern so as to repeat them herself, even if it wouldn't be as smooth from experience for a time. She decided to try something. One thing she had learned long before when relying on instincts and senses was to disregard sight. It only got her so far. When she had first met Zenithe, she remembered his challenge for her to catch him as he darted between shadows and moved more lithely than any other she had encountered -
besides herself, of course. Then, she had relied on a blend of scents, sounds, and instincts as she had followed him through the city and eventually wound up discovering his true form atop one of the many buildings. She smiled pleasantly at the memory. Shortly after,
their intrigue had grown into a passionate, fiery love that couldn't be denied between them.

Now, she knew she must do the same. With her eyes closed, it forced her to do exactly as he had said. To feel and only rely on her other senses. She waited, familiarizing herself with the flow of the air-currents around her. The feeling was pleasant, blissful even. Truly,
dragons were Lords of the Sky, as he had said. She imagined it somewhat sad that those who couldn't touch the heavens would be missing out on such a glorious experience.

Jolene focused her mind, removing her tangent thoughts and trusting souly her instincts. Her wings beat in rhythm, giving her altitude and she shifted currents, learning more and more about the sky and its nature through its feel and sounds. Once she had gained momentum,
she first tucked her her wings tightly against her, flowing with one of the higher currents and twisting, revelling in the rush of feeling it created. She curved her neck, her body following and shifted currents again. She wasn't even aware of time passing any longer.
There was only her and the flow of the wind passing by.

She let the currents and her momentum carry her and then she propelled herself into a spinning dive. Part of her wished to open her eyes,
but she refused, knowing she would be better of for it in the progress of her training. Her body spirraled, and the air moved faster and faster about her. She grinned to herself, desperately curious as to the speed she had acquired. Now, she needed sound and scent. She recognized the spray of the sea and the saltiness in the air and nearby was the scent she knew the most: Zenithe. She curved again,
her wings bursting open to slow her flight and with a powerful flap, she zoomed skyward once more, bending backward in a loop until she stopped herself. Only then did she open her eyes, taking a moment to reassess her position. "Wow!" she exclaimed, feeling exilarated.
"Zenithe, your description was perfect. Everything makes so much sense." She flew toward him, delight dancing in her fiery eyes. She couldn't wait to learn more, and begin to incorporate magic as well.

[Xenoxice]

Both Zenithe and Seionax observed as Jolene had followed Zenithe's instructions. Seionax giving nods of approval in silence as a smirk cracked across Zenithe's mouth. "Magnificent..." Zenithe muttered under his breath. "I told you she was a fast learner. The naturally curious side of her as well as the determined aspect will greatly assist in her training." Seionax looked towards Zenithe as Jolene continued to fly per Zenithe's instructions. "I agree. I've seen several marriages of non-dragonkin to a dragon but none have learned to shift nor fly to the degree as she has in such a short time. I'm not easily impressed... but that is quite something indeed... so it makes me wonder..." Seionax's voice trailed off as his eyes narrowed, watching the rest of Jolene's flight in silence with those bright green eyes until she stopped before Zenithe, Seionax slowly lowered his altitude a bit, headed towards the ground. "I knew you would understand it. Hold onto that feeling. There's no better way to master flying than to practice in the way which you did. To condition your mind and body to realize there are no restrictions in the air. No obstacles to run into. Nothing to dodge or avoid. It hones your other senses and more importantly, intuitive reaction and instincts, far faster than using sight to fly. Undistracted by anything below you. You did great Jolene." Gazing down to Seionax who continued to head towards the ground, Zenithe gave a small narrowing of his eyes.  "It would seem my brother has some other training exercise in mind right now.... and I think I know what it is." With his statement he turned those deep crimson eyes back to Jolene and gave a small sigh. "I don't know much about that dagger of yours. But let's hope it acts like a natural source, much like my own, and can be replenished. And if it's external and can only be used for a limited time before requiring a special means to refill the reserve... well.... then it looks like Seionax wishes to push the schedule a bit and discover what form of magic our marriage has birthed within you for you to use." Zenithe gave a sly and playful smirk with a small flick of his tail to trail under Jolene's chin. "It never fails. All outsiders who have mated into a line of dragons with magical abilities gain one of two things. A secondary affinity if they already had one...." He pauses for a moment to look back down to Seionax who had now landed at the top of the rocky cliff below. "Or a completely new one if they had no magic at all."

Shaking his head in slight annoyance, Zenithe turned his eyes once more to his love and gave a sigh. "I don't know why he wants to push this aspect of the training to this moment, but I suppose I can see where he's coming from. He noticed your natural ability to learn and master flying so he figures you can do it anytime and still progress faster than normally." Zenithe started to chuckle to himself. "I have to be honest and admit... this part even I was looking forward to." He quirks an eye toward Jolene and as he turns a slight smirk into a smile. "I know you desire for and thrive on challenges. So how do you feel about pushing your magical abilities to their limit? Figure out what you've gained for an affinity and even see how we can combine ours into singular abilities with exponentially higher capabilities than are possible separate? After all...." Zenithe stopped once more to turn his neck upwards and back as he let himself flip backwards into a dive as he shouted back to Jolene playfully. "You're a fast learner right? Now's the time to prove it if you dare!" He bolted towards the ground and slammed into the ground with great speed unlike Seionax who had landed slowly and gently. Rocks from the side of the cliff fell to the sand below with loud thuds as he shifted back into his human form.

Clapping his hands slowly Seionax applauded Zenithe and spoke in a slightly sarcastic although genuine voice. "Well done Zenithe. You certainly did inherit mother's intelligence. Able to deduce what my intentions were so quickly after knowing me for such a short time. Perception and wit were always mom's strong points." Zenithe gave a nod with both a brotherly playful and slightly annoyed expression. By this time the sun was setting beyond the tree line creating ample shadows among the grass on top of the cliffs even though the sky was still plenty bright enough to see everything, clearly in the transition stage to all the bright oranges, pinks and dark blues in the sky. "Perfect." Zenithe stated as he held his hand out so a shadow from a distant tree branch fell upon his hand. Summoning forth a small and simple, ever swirling cloud of black smoke in his palm, awaiting for Jolene to land before he would speak again. "Alright. Now is the time. Shift to human form. We know your dagger allows you the use of fire but what we don't know yet is if the dagger itself contains the magic or if it draws it from you and acts as a catalyst for you to use your own magic with a little more ease so we'll end up with one of two results here. Result number one is you follow these instructions and it turns out the magic is within the dagger and not you, so you'll find yourself holding a single affinity in your hand. Result number two is the dagger is merely a catalyst and you will find yourself holding two affinities. I'm not sure what your level of knowledge with magic is but you will immediately be able to tell your affinity before you even know how to use spells. If you follow my instruction you could possibly end up with a multitude of outcomes. If embers slowly rise and blow into the wind from your hand your affinity is fire. If ice crystals begins to blow like snow then it's ice. If a green fog appears then it's poison, if a rock coalesces in your hand it's earth and so on for each element. A bright miniature star is light element and of course..." Looking down to his own hand still holding the orb of swirling black smoke, he resumed. "Black smoke is dark element or rather shadow magic. Now, close your eyes and do the following. Concentrate on your inner life-force, the place where magic is born and channeled. It resides in the core of your body, just above the bottom of your spine and under the rib-cage. You'll feel a slight pulling sensation. Simply will that sensation to move into your hand and push it out into your palm. Your elemental affinity will rise from your hand and reveal itself, possibly two elements.  Of course if you end up with two, they will not be direct opposites as the nature of magic simply will not allow it... though that does not hold true when it comes to combining attacks.  Let's see the moment of truth."  Zenithe more so than Seionax, anxiously awaited to see this effect of their marriage.

[Relairah]

Jolene grinned with a confident sort of pride at Zenithe's praise, though eyed Seionax as he descended. She listened closely as Zenithe explained what was happening, and what he had in mind. It would be foolish to say that she hadn't known this part would come. But she wondered if she were truly ready. She knew they were right - she was a fast learner, and she did love a challenge. She was never one to back down and would face anything head on. It was the reason she had often gotten herself in trouble in the past. Yet despite that, she sometimes struggled with knowing her true strengths.

By tapping into the magic reserves she had, she had been able to sustain her energy thus far and push the training. She only hoped that it didn't backfire on her and end with her passing out for several days again. She brushed it aside. If she didn't fully yet trust Seionax' judgement, she trusted Zenithe's.

In truth, her dagger had become so much a part of her, she rarely consciously thought of it or questioned it. As Zenithe suggested the possibilities, it did make her wonder. Before possessing the dagger, Jolene had possessed no magic that she had known of. Although she hadn't exactly attempted anything more than transformations. In fact, her entire discovery of anything beyond normal for humans had always been rather accidental - until she'd met Zenithe. She had witnessed magic elsewhere, but hadn't much explored it for herself other than the use of her dagger.

Now, she truly wanted to know. She swooped downward, landing delicately beside the impact Zenithe had created. She may have chosen the dragon form - but her natural cat instincts wouldn't be erased, even if the form itself was gone forever. She didn't dwell on the thought. Jolene already knew the dagger possessed two magical abilities. Was it possible that it of itself was a source and would at some point have to be replenished? She had never entirely exhausted the dagger. At the same time, she remembered on discovery of it, that she had felt drawn to it inately. As though it had been made for those like her - of her kind. Or perhaps had to be bonded with a certain type of magic to work. That she knew of, no one else had been able to tap into its power other than herself.

She shifted to human form once more, feeling somewhat more comfortable. It was her most familiar form, afterall. After rolling her muscles to work out the remaining aches, she closed her eyes once more and stretched out both of her hands, palms skyward. Her first instinct was to reach for the dagger. It was familiar and she knew its power well. But she remembered Zenithe's instructions, and shifted her focus to her core, searching for the feeling he had mentioned. Her brow furrowed, her mouth tightening. At last she felt that small pull, and she grasped for it. It felt elusive, yet she willed it to come to her and flow outward.

At first, she kept her eyes closed, entirely focused on drawing out the magic. But then, curiosity got the better of her and she peeked open one eye and was taken aback.

From one palm flowed bright embers, sparkling and then fading away. Yet from the other palm was something entirely different. Something Zenithe hadn't named, and something not quite clear. Though within her own self, she knew what it was. Twisted and blended tendrils flowed in varying colors though prominently golden, light blue, and brown. Flecks of green and other colors scattered in tiny bursts outward and the tendrils wrapped about her, Zenithe and Seionax rather than drifting aimlessly. She clamped her palms shut, opening the other eye. She mentally lost the felt connection to the pulling sensation. The first was obvious. Flame.

The other was both ambiguous and structured. Free-flowing and yet distinct. Within it, she had seen the flow of seasons, the movement of the world, and simultaneously the focus on a single individual. Time. She gasped softly, reaching for Zenithe's hands to grasp them. "Did you recognize them?" she asked. If he didn't she would tell him. And another realization drifted through her mind. If she had such an ability... in combination with the two others before her... Sidrith wouldn't stand a chance.

[Xenoxice]

Zenithe and Seionax both stood to watch Jolene as she followed suit in Zenithe's instructions. They awaited somewhat anxiously to see, Zenithe more so than Seionax, which magic or magics Jolene would display. Zenithe couldn't help but crack a small grin at her slightly contorting face due to her concentration. But at last, the results were displaying themselves. The embers that burst forth showed Zenithe at least one thing he had hoped for. Fire was a powerful element to have indeed. The bright glow of the embers proving only to Zenithe that her spells would in fact be quite strong once mastered. But Seionax was more focused on what seemed to be revealing itself from Jolene's other hand. His pupils dilated and his eyes widened, his mouth opening slightly in shock. "Zenithe!" He exclaimed to get his attention. Zenithe's concentration broke from the flowing embers to look at her other hand, his reaction was nearly identical to Seionax's. "Is that...?! It can't be!" Zenithe's eyes grew brighter and focused intently on the ever shifting and twisting form that came forth. "How...?" Zenithe quietly asked himself. The clasping of her hands interrupting the magic caused Seionax and Zenithe to stare at one another. Zenithe turned his gaze away first towards Jolene as her voice brought him back to his senses. "Wha..? Oh... Yes, we recognized it alright. But... how did you come to have THAT type of magic I wonder? I've researched plenty of magic before and that is no ordinary nor common type. Time.... I've read before that it's very rare to be blessed with such magic and most are normally born of mage families. There have been a few cases in my studies of people born outside of mage families to have that but.... it's nearly been deemed a myth they're so exceptionally rare..." Zenithe's words trailed off as he still seemed to be in a state of shock. Seionax seemed to have his wits more about him however.

"Shadow, Flame and Time. The three most powerful magics when used in conjunction with one another compared to any other magical trio. The very few cases that have been reported of those being used together has earned itself the title 'Trifecta of Death'. I don't know whether to call it an extraordinary coincidence or destiny that our little group here would end up with such a combination of magic..." He was right however. "The greatest threat to the inhabitants of the planet comes along, and we receive the greatest team of magic. Quite lucky to be s.."

Zenithe interrupted his brother as his gaze never left Jolene. "It's not luck Seionax." He stated it matter of factly and boldly. "I always knew you were special Jolene... but I never would have known you'd inherit something like this. There's only one draw-back to this development however.... Seionax nor myself can help you control that magic. It's in a league of its own in both difficulty and skill required to properly wield it and I'm afraid we do not know anymore than what we've just mentioned. There's nothing in any books to explain how to use time magic unlike the other elements. It's simply that powerful and complicated. But I believe in you. Seionax can help you with Fire however since he has the same element there. If.. or rather I should say when, you awaken your Twilight Guardian form Jolene.... your magic reserves will multiply exponentially in size much like mine as well as enable a few new abilities regarding spells. For example the spell I used to defeat Xavelthius I could never use before and can only use in that form. Due to the vast amount of magical energy required, I cannot use it any other way. And I believe I can confidently say Sidrith will have himself a highly lethal threat to face." A confident grin crept across Zenithe's face as he thought of the possibilities of what would come of combining their magic together.

Seionax turned to Zenithe momentarily with a slightly quirked brow and a small grin. "I know what you're thinking. And don't get too excited just yet. She has to learn to master the control of her magic first before you can do that. And even then you can only develop three combination techniques and you will have to practice.... A LOT to get your magical energies in sync to execute them effectively." Zenithe gave a small snarl and narrowed his eyes at Seionax, speaking in an ever so slightly irritated tone. "How is it you can pretty much tell what I'm thinking just by looking at me? You really know how to ruin someones day don't you?" Seionax's gaze turned towards Jolene as he crossed his arms. "I can say the same for you, Zenithe. Family trait I suppose." His voice was coy and somewhat badgering in nature but it was all in good sibling fun. "At this point there's only a few things left to cover. It's best not to stay on one thing too long as you only gain so much doing long sessions of a single exercise. Sort of a plateau if you will. From what I can think of.... somehow awakening your Twilight Guardian form, practicing magic control now that we know your elements and good ol' fashioned physical training are the only three things that remain. After we go through those we may do whatever you wish in whatever order you please until you master it all. We have time to spare at the present so we can make good use of it. Break training every day into sections. Flying mastery. Physical Training. Magic Control and Shifting mastery which I recommend after awakening your form. And the grand finale which I cannot have any partaking of..." He turned his gaze back towards Zenithe, allowing him to finish. "The bonded magic techniques..." Seionax nodded as he turned back to Jolene. "That will be the longest and hardest training for both yourself and Zenithe. Now..... take your pick of what to do next."

[Relairah]

Jolene looked between Seionax and Zenithe, her eyes reflecting conflicting emotions. She was both a little uncertain,
but equally excited. She listened as Zenithe spoke, questioning how she could possess such magic. Auburn locks fell into her face as she bent, retrieving the dagger from its hiding spot on her person and gripping it. "Zenithe, I think it's time that we discover more about the dagger." She paused. "I need to show you something."

Jolene didn't need to close her eyes or concentrate for this spell. It was practiced and all too familiar. The same swirls of blended colors began to dance, but they were visible only to herself this time, though perhaps Zenithe might see bursts of color and light from the dagger itself as he was her spouse. She wouldn't know. As the spell was activated, for Jolene the world would appear entirely slowed,
almost frozen, but not quite. Jolene moved from Zenithe's side to several feet away, turning, and then she released the spell, the dagger appearing as if nothing had happened. To Zenithe and Seionax, but a moment would've passed and Jolene would have appeared to teleport with no shadows at all in broad daylight.

She tucked the dagger away once more. "I discovered this dagger burried within an old mansion long ago. I've no idea how old it is,
but I've suspected for a long time that its history is..." she paused, searching for the right word, "full." It holds secrets that I've not yet discovered, even with all that I know and can do with it." She paused, moving toward Zenithe once more. "The odd thing is that as far as I've been able to tell, I'm the only one that can wield it. Before, I thought I didn't have magic at all. But I've grown to believe that it taps into a magic that is older than me, yet still tied directly to me. Perhaps my original bloodline." She knew that Zenithe would know what she meant, even if Seionax didn't.

Part of her wished she could visit the ancestors she had seen when she had died. Yet she knew that wasn't an option. At least... right now. It suddenly occurred to her that if she had been able to see them once, it might be possible to do so again if she learned how.
But at the moment, she had no clue.

Once she'd finished, Seinoax was talking about their combination of magics as well as eventually learning how to combine them into powerful spells. She had to agree that Sidrith had it coming, and had no idea what was in store for himself. He had chosen the wrong dragons to mess with. But despite all that, her mind was still in a torrent. Something else had occurred to her in her thought process,
and she now had an urge to test it. What if her connection to time was partially what allowed her to learn so quickly? What if somehow,
it had something to do with her being a culmination of knowledge from that of her ancestors. Or maybe even more than that? She felt as though she had released something enormous that was begging to be further discovered.

She looked toward Zenithe, silently desiring to discuss things, explore things, even learn more of magic with him alone. Seionax was still new for the two of them... thus far they had gone through their adventures together. At the same time, she couldn't deny that Seionax would perhaps be even more helpful if he were involved. He was older and had much in knowledge and experience, which had become clear quickly.

"I think before we continue training, we have some studying to do," she said.

[Xenoxice]

Indeed it seemed logical enough that Jolene would want to discover more about her dagger. Zenithe silently nodded to himself as she had bent down to retrieve it from its hiding place, although whatever it was she wanted to show him, it certainly intrigued not only himself, but Seionax as well.  Quite the feat they both witnessed as it seemed to them she had managed to teleport without even trying.  It was apparent to the both of them that this would definitely be a type of magic that could turn the tide of a battle in a flash.  They both listened as she explained how she had found it and her thoughts on the matter.  Zenithe's brow would furrow in thought as he tried to work things over in his mind.  "Perhaps.... It could possibly have been made by one of your original ancestors and crafted to only respond to those who carry that blood within them.  It would explain why you would be the only one who can use it."  His own thoughts were soon interrupted once again upon hearing Jolene's voice.  But before he could respond, Seionax seemed to kick in.  "This all sounds very intriguing to say the least and while it seems hard for me to believe that what you managed earlier was an instantaneous teleportation, I'm assuming there's quite more to it than simply vanishing and re-appearing where you please to others?  Perhaps to us you seemed to speed yourself up so quickly your movements just have the illusion of teleportation.... or is it the other way around and you slowed the world around you down to a crawl?  This is what fascinates myself about this time magic.  Is it simply perspective that changes what one sees or in which manner are you truly warping the fabric of time around you?  In either case I have no qualms about taking a training break to study.  I myself after witnessing that little maneuver wish to fly down to a few of the mage libraries and take a little stroll in their..... restricted sections... See if I can't find anything useful or of interest to bring back and let us look over.  There are several within a distance of here so it may take me a quite a while.  What will the two of you do?"

Zenithe looked towards the ground for a moment, arms crossed as he thought of his next move.  "Perhaps Jolene and myself can travel to the location in which she initially discovered this unique artifact.  There may be some information about it lying close by to where it was that may have been missed.  We can try to find a few leads to follow to get more details about it."  Seionax nodded in approval before shifting into his dragon form once again in a mere moment.  He turned his back and flared his wings out as he looked backwards towards them.  "That sounds good to me.  We will meet back at this spot in two weeks.  That should be enough time to travel and try to find anything of use as well as allow you to follow any leads you may find.  Until then.... stay safe you two."  With that sentence Seionax bolted skyward and headed south over the forest in the distance, headed back towards the city they had originally come from.

Zenithe let a sigh of relief from his lips as he watched his brother shrink into the distance, turning his gaze back to what mattered most to him.  "I don't mind my brother... I can tell he will be very helpful.... but I'm glad it's just us again for a while."  Slowly moving closer to Jolene as he reached out to hold her hands and lace his fingers with hers, his crimson eyes staring at her intently as they occasionally glanced behind her to the ocean.  Listening to the sound of the crashing upon the small shore below and onto the cliff face.  He felt the spray of the water blowing up in the wind towards them and took a slow deep breath.  "For a moment I forgot how peaceful it was here without all the commotion."  His voice was soft and tender, almost lost in a trance it would seem.  He blinked slowly as he continued to look at his beloved wife.  "We don't have to leave right away.... After everything that has happened recently, perhaps we could use the rest of this day and night to wind down.  It would surely help us on our venture to be well rested, something we have not had in a long while it seems."  He gave an ever so gentle smile to her as he awaited to see what she wished to do.

[Relairah]

Jolene fell silent as the two conversed, considering her own ideas as well as the possibilities what she had shown them posed. When Seionax questioned what exactly had happened, she interjected her own knowledge - what little it was. "I slow the world around me. It's as you said - perception. I'm able to slow time for you, while keeping it the same myself." The moment it left her lips, she realized how incredible it really was. She wondered what the limit was for her to use such power. In her gut, she knew that it was not limitless.

Not long later, a plan was set in motion, and a deadline, and Seionax was gone as suddenly as he had come. She glanced to Zenithe as he spoke, smiling as his fingers laced with hers. She giggled slightly at his comment about the commotion. "I was actually thinking the same thing," she said with a grin. She glanced toward the ocean also, remembering the reason they had initially come to this spot. Before Seionax had interrupted, they had come with full intentions to recoup for a while. Now that she thought of it, they really had been through so much since they'd begun. First their actual bonding, then Xavelthius and all that encompassed, including awakening the Twilight Guardians, and finally leading up to Sidrith and how he almost took Zenithe away from her - and in turn brought out her dragconian form.

Meeting Zenithe's eyes, she reached to brush his cheek with her fingers. "A little time to relax sounds amazing," she spoke aloud. "I think we both could use it." She paused "I also think I've thoroughly seen the area," she said, indicating the time they had just spent training and flying about. "Would you mind if I stayed in human form until it's time to go?" She felt even shifting would be against this idea of resting they were discussing.