Return to Avalon; Part 1

Silver Dragon;

I watched the comings and goings in the main terminal. I was docked at the lower belt station. It amused me how well they had accepted my appearance. It had started as a joke by Lily, but the idea had merit. The people of this system seemed to trust me more as a dragon then as one of their own. For a chuckle, I had redone one of the unused storage bays as a cave.

No one had even questioned me.

Such were my thoughts, when I spotted a woman and her cat walking towards me. I recognized her immediately. I couldn't help but smile. One of the rare bright souls in this alternate.

Shannon;

Shannon had, for some unknown reason, clicked with the entity known as Silver Dragon. He reminded her of a friend from her youth, oh so long ago. Perhaps he was the same man "reborn"? She had spoken with him about her shapeshifting cat, Cassandra, recently. Because of her unique physical and mental situation, she couldn't take her to a Doctor. So she had asked SD if he might see if he could communicate with her. She seemed to have some empathic and telepathic ability, although they were still developing. Perhaps as she got older they would get stronger. Shannon walked into the cave where SD and kitten were.

"Hi guys. I brought my little friend to meet you." She stroked the head of her small bobcat creature. "This is Cassandra."

Shannon walked up to SD and touched his face to get his scent on her hand and then offered her hand to Cassandra to smell. SD remained curled around kitten, sensing that the best move right now was no move at all.

With a gentle rumble to his voice, "Well hello, Shannon and... Cassandra?"

Kitten cuddled up to SD, "purrrr all better"

A small puff of smoke escaped his mouth as SD asked, "What can I do for you today, milady?"

Shannon thought that perhaps Silver Dragon had forgotten their conversation, "You remember I was telling you about her the other day, SD?"

SD thought back, the other day... Oh yes.

He gently scratched behind kitten's ears with one claw.

Shannon began to explain, "Well, she recently had a...I guess you'd call it going into heat," as she remembered her encounter with Kane she blushed, "and now she's pregnant. I want to make sure she's healthy and her baby or babies are okay."

Silver had never seen Shannon uncomfortable before. This was strange, why would Shannon blush?... Then again, who knew? But why come to me? I thought back and could see no time when I had slipped... "Um, Well I suppose I could look at her, but I am no doctor..."

Shannon sighed, "I know that, but no ordinary doctor would be able to deal with her unique situation, SD. Also, she's empathic and I'm trying to send her friendly feelings so she doesn't get frighten."

Silver Dragon stared at Shannon in shock... how could she know? "So you wish for me to link with her?"

Cassandra seemed to be investigating her surroundings including sniffing kitten. Shannon sighed, as if a heavy weight has been lifted from her, "If you can?"

It could blow my cover... but... I was a dragon. Maybe they think... Yes. "Um... That is something I don't want generally known, Milady..." If I could get this behind closed doors... "Would you care to join me on Sorceress?"

Having more than her share of secrets, she understood SD's reluctance to trust, "I will keep your confidences Sir Dragon as long as they don't threaten me and mine. I hope you can understand the need for the qualifier."

What was she uneasy about? Wait, put yourself in her place.

Silver Dragon lead the way to his heavily modified ship. Immediately upon entering, Shannon was struck with the difference between the Sorceress and the High Priestess. Even in dock the HP has some noises. This ship is deadly quiet. The decor is a pleasant surprise, done mostly in black with silver gray carpeting. There was recessed lighting and a smell familiar from her youth.

She filled her lungs with the well loved flagrance, Shannon exclaims, "Oh I love the smell of sandalwood. Takes me back to my youth." She remembered the sandalwood fan her guardian gave her.

Silver Dragon moved gracefully, fully at ease within his ship, "Dear, I do not have a crew as such... just my AI."

An image formed in the middle of the deck, a 5'2 young woman with long blond hair. "Welcome to Sorceress, milady." The AI's voice was lovely and lyrical. "Milord, we have guests?"

Instinct from her youth kicked in and Shannon curtsied, "Thank you M'lady!" She blushed, "Oh, that was your AI, wasn't it? Reminds me of a dear Lady that I knew a long time ago." She sighed "All gone now."

Silver seemed uneasy somehow, but there is nothing all that unusual that Shannon has seen as yet.

Silver decided that the best action was to act normal, "Ann, this is Shannon and Cassandra."

Ann bowed gently, "An honor to meet you both."

Thank the lords she had clothes on. I smiled to myself. But then again, she was aware of strangers from the time we had entered...

Shannon smiled at the image of the young woman, "A pleasure Ann. Perhaps some time you could meet my AI. He has a wicked sense of humor. It's his revenge against me since I'm always tinkering with him. I call it improving." She laughed.

Ann curtsied, "If master will allow."

Silver Dragon;

My curiosity aroused, I studied what looked like a bobcat, but there was something that didn't feel right about it. It's eyes were knowing, intelligent. I curl up on the flight deck to get down to her level.

~You are Cassandra...~

I felt Shannon send soothing feelings to Cassandra. ~You're a good girl~

I was shocked to feel Shannon do a partial link with the creature. I wondered to myself if she realized that she was an empath? Well, we could look into that later.

Again I attempted to contact the cat creature, ~Cassandra?...Can you hear me?~

As she looked around, Shannon can't quite put her finger on what was missing, "Your ship is very different Sir Dragon"

From Cassandra ~question?~

I felt an almost soothing caress. I smiled to myself then I heard a word. The thing was intelligent! Masking my surprise, I decided to sidetrack Shannon. Buy myself some time to think. "Well, I had some things changed for me, it isn't... stock."

Since Shannon didn't seem to hear Cassandra, I took a chance. Reaching out with my mind again, I tried to follow the link to her mind, ~Cassandra, how do you feel?~ She reacted by sniffing me and sent funny thoughts to me. Ah, success, I'm getting something from her, ~funny, not all me~ She sniffs at her belly. So she knew intellectually that she was pregnant. I glanced up at Shannon... how much should I tell her? Ah, well, in for a penny. Turning to face Shannon I gave her the news as I understand it, "She seems on the surface to have animal thoughts, but... there is something else... deeper."

Puzzled, Shannon was worried by this turn of events. "Oh, is there anyway to tell what it is? She was altered by the AI council."

Cassandra looks at SD, ~hungry...sleepy~

The AI council? What the heck? Sighing, Silver decided to do what he could, "Well, I will give it a shot, if you wish, milady..."

Grateful that he was willing to help, "Yes please, Sir Dragon, as long as it won't hurt her."

~Cassandra... feel my thoughts... Cassandra... talk to me...~

Cassandra locked eyes with Silver Dragon, ~Yes Friend?~

~open for me, show me the other...~

She looked confused, ~How do I do that?~

Suddenly, I could feel her reach out.

Growling softly, I motioned to Shannon, "You may wish to stay back, there is something of power here..."

Shannon watched in wonder as the cat changed shape to a smaller version of the dragon, "Oh my I didn't know she could do that!"

Reeling a little at this unexpected turn of events, Silver watched in wonder, "Ohhh kay... Um, that was unexpected..."

~Cassandra, why did you do that?~

Shannon stepped back, surprised, "This is larger than anything else she's changed into, SD."

The miniature dragon stares into Silver's face in a way that no other creature had ever done, ~You are different. I want...power~

This is like looking in a small mirror. Completely in an uncharted territory here, Silver Dragon thought.

~Cassandra?~

"Shannon, Has she ever mimicked what she has seen before?"

She shook her head in denial, "No she has turned into a monkey and a tiger but not what she sees."

His concern level was raising, but for right now, Silver was willing to take this a little further for Shannon. She had been a good friend to him...so far. "She says she wants power... I wonder..."

Worriedly, Shannon voiced a thought that he himself had, "Is it Cassandra that wants power...or the 'other' that you sensed?"

~Cassandra, do you need power for your kits?~

The cat creature started to pace. "No." Her mind was filled with confusion.

Turning to Shannon, Silver answered her question, "I do not know yet, but I think she may be smarter that we've given her credit for."

~Cassandra, do you know what I am?~

She went for broke, throwing all of her concerns, like cards onto a table, "What concerns me is that Kane got information that she was genetically altered by the AI council. There is no telling what they've created. She seems for the most part to be fiercely loyal to me."

He stroked his muzzle with a carefully trimmed claw, "Well, this doesn't seem hostile, it is just... different. And I think it can see me."

Looking confused, Shannon asked, "What do you mean, it can see you? I can see you!"

I look up at Shannon. I hadn't thought before I spoke. Well, if this little creature is under her care, then she needs to know. She may not believe what I have to say otherwise. With a heavy sigh, Silver Dragon decided to reveal himself, "No, Shannon, you can't."

He morphed to human form. Shannon took a step back in shock, but quickly recovered. Since acquiring Cassandra she had begun to quickly adjust to weird happenings.

The now human appearing man asks, "Are you alright?"

Shannon laughed as she assessed her mind and found it still there, "Oh my, You weren't kidding about you had secrets, were you?”

Oh, Shannon, if you only knew. Still, we had better get back to business. Sigh. Well, that was actually a pretty decent reaction, considering. "What she is seeing is the power that surrounds me."

She smiled at the slightly older gentleman dressed simply in black with a long ponytail of dark brown hair, "Sir Dragon, you were a handsome beast but you're a devilishly handsome man."

At this return to her normal flirty self, Michael smiled. "This is my true form. I am an old sorcerer...visiting... this um place." He still looked uneasy.

She sought to reassure him on one point, "I'm fine, I think. Do you have a human name, Sir Dragon? I feel silly calling you that now."

A slight smile crossed his face as he answered with a name, "They call me Michael or Tracker back at... home."

Shannon thought about the secrets she had, and decided that she had been blessed to win this man's trust. She smiled, "Tracker, I like it. Thank you for showing me your true form, Tracker." She curtsied.

Tracker smiled and bowed, "Which leaves our little beastie here."

Returning to the problem at hand, Shannon wondered what she's gotten herself into, "Okay so you think that Cassandra or the 'other' can see the power surrounding you."

He thought for a moment, "The question is, what would she want with it? She can already shapeshift."

This is getting way more complex than she expected, she thought. "Can you even transfer some of your power, Tracker? And can it be safely done? I'm worried about her baby or babies. We don't know if it would hurt them."

Concentrating on her mind, Tracker sought the answer to the all important question. ~Cassandra, why do you wish the power?~

Shannon continued to send soothing thoughts to Cassandra, "Can you tell how many babies she has? Can you sense that or... I don't know what abilities you have."

Glancing up at Shannon, No dear, you have no idea.

Cassandra met Tracker's eyes. ~To get bigger...... like you~

Tracker shook his head as this thought came through. "She has three, milady, two males and a female, they are yet unformed... Strange, almost no form at all, just intelligence..."

"Well, I wonder if that's because they've inherited the shapeshifting ability from her? The male is a pure cat creature from what I understand," Shannon wondered.

It finally sunk in... bigger.

Tracker strove to explain what he got from Cassandra, "To get bigger, like me??? Sorry milady, those are her thoughts..."

"Hum, that's odd. Why would she want to get bigger? To be the size of your dragon form, maybe? Or your human form?" This is getting very worrisome, indeed. What had she gotten her friend into.

Very good question my dear.

Rubbing his head as he thought to himself, is this a good idea? Well in for a penny, in for a pound. "She copied my dragon form... but... Well, her kits are well, I will monitor them as I attempt this..."

Shannon watched fascinated as Tracker returned to his dragon form, then curled around Cassandra.

~ready littleone?~

Cassandra relaxed the tension from her body and curled up in Silver Dragon's tail

~yes~

A glow enveloped both dragons, lighting the whole cabin... then slowly faded.

~yes~

Shannon stepped back as Cassandra stretched and expanded to a full sized copy of SD

~yes~

Silver Dragon has been monitoring the kits the whole while, "Her children are all right, but I have no idea what they are... other than their sexes."

Cassandra morphed to a copy of human Tracker, then to a copy of Shannon. Silver Dragon watched the creature change. Like it was trying the possibilities. There was a tickle in the back of his mind that worried about this. I may have just given the AI council the keys to the kingdom. I shrugged it off.

Silver Dragon looked down on the two women before him and addressed the one he knew to be Cassandra, "So Cassandra, can you speak now?"

She shrugged, "yes, I can." She dropped to one knee before Silver Dragon, "Thank you!"

Silver Dragon morphed back to human form, "Then let us have a seat... ladies."

Cassandra sat on the floor at Shannon's feet. Tracker took a seat at the helm and swiveled it to overlook the cabin. "I think we need to talk."

Shannon was little stunned to see a copy of herself sitting on the floor, "Um this is a little awkward."

Tracker chuckled at the look on her face, "More suitable than a pregnant copy of me."

She sighed, "I suppose you're right Tracker. Right, well, I guess the first question is why did you copy us?"

Cassandra shrugged from her vantage point on the floor, "Easier to talk than think at you, Mistress.

Silver Dragon;

I felt the tingle of a forming veil... oh lord, not now!

There was a pulse in the room and Elerith appeared, "Milord! Sinimia
wants....... who are... um."

Oh, no. Not now. Well there is no help for it...

Tracker sighed, then bowed to the inevitable, "Elerith, this is Cassanda and Shannon... Cassandra and Shannon, this is Elerith... Lords save us."

Shannon fell back on her early training and greeted the newcomer congenially, "Oh hello, Lady Elerith."

Elerith realized that she has revealed her existence, ergo, the existence of her home world. She backed away, then stopped.

Cassandra nodded at the newcomer from the floor.

Elerith looked up at me in panic. Thank the lords that Shannon cannot read her.

Tracker waved a hand at Elerith in dismissal, "Elerith, I will be along shortly, as soon as I finish here..."

Sensing that Tracker was uncomfortable with this newcomer coming into contact with them, Shannon decided to give him an out, "Tracker, if you need privacy for a chat with your friend, um I guess we can move to another part of the ship."

At that moment a veil formed in front of Elerith, "Milord, we await your return." Then she stepped though it and was gone.

She was definitely through the looking glass now. She blinked and said, "Okay, that was different."

Now what to do? This opens a can of worms that would I rather not deal with. I let out a breath that I didn't realize that I had been holding, "Well... now you know much more...," He shook his head, "would it be inopportune for me to ask that you not say anything?"

Shannon laughed, "I am beginning to feel like Alice and since I'm not even sure what I just saw, I think discretion is the better part of valor, Tracker. You have my word."

I scan her mind, lightly, she was not developed enough to detect it, thank the lords. She had an honesty about her, and she was sincere. Well she knew this much, I may as well tell her the rest, her curiosity could no more damage than the information.
Deciding to trust her, Tracker explained, "Um, milady, I am not from around here... and yes, before you ask, that was an elf."

She sighed, understanding that she really did see what she thought she had seen, "I heard stories growing up of the wee folks as I originally come from Ireland back on earth, Tracker. Are there others of legend where you come from?"

Damn she is quick! He stared at Shannon for a long while, then sighed, "Yes, I come from the world that they fled to, when man came into power, along with the wizards of that time."

She smiled, "Ah, I'm glad. I used to dream of...well," she blushed, "you'll think this is funny..but I dreamed of riding a pegasus. It's nice to know that there is a world where the legends live. Thank you Tracker for that."

She actually took it in stride, with no thought of profit... I think I can trust her.

He was lost in thought, "That could be arranged..." Shannon watches him as he stared into space.

Cassandra reached up from the floor and tugged on Tracker's robe. Glancing down to her, Tracker smiled, "Yes, Cassandra? I didn't mean to slight you..."

Cassandra thought carefully of what she wished to say, searching Shannon's mind for the right terms, "Máistir, may I visit you again?"

Shannon reeled back in surprise at this was a gaelic term for a student to use for her teacher. Cassandra could only have gotten it directly from her mind. Obviously her mental powers have increased along with her shapeshifting powers. How far could Cassandra invade her mind?

Tracker raised his eyebrows while looking at Shannon and she said, "It means Master in my native language, Tracker."

Master! What the...

He reeled in shock, "Master?" His eyes look up and lock, "where did you..." He sighs, "no matter... Yes, when you desire, I will be here. I return every ten to twelve days..."

Cassandra got up and stood in front of Tracker, "Is that not correct? I wish to learn more, Master."

Her curiosity was genuine and open, I could sense her better now.

Tracker could see the advantages of keeping Cassandra visiting him, "Why do you wish to know this little one?"

She struggles for the right words, "I want..to protect my kits..and the Mistress."

Tracker was convinced that Cassandra was speaking the truth, maybe no harm would come of this. Maybe. Memneth could probably do a better job of teaching her, and probably be able to tell better than I, if there is a hidden threat. But that would mean...

He stared into space, not really seeing. "Milady Shannon? Are you up for a field trip?"

She wondered what he was talking about, "Um, what did you have in mind, Tracker?"

What do I have in mind? Oh, finding out if I have inadvertently betrayed my planet, nothing major... Tracker decided that he had to be sure, to protect his charges. It was his first duty after all.

He smiled to reassure Shannon, "Well you wanted to ride the pegasus..."

She clapped her hands in delight, "Oooo, yes please? What do I have to do?"

I cannot tell her the truth yet. I have to know...

After a long pause Tracker spoke to himself softly, "what am I doing?" Then directing his voice to the AI, "Ann put us two diameters from Camelot, stationary orbit."

Yep, she was definitely through the glass and out the other side, "Camelot? Arthur's Camelot??"

We were in stationary orbit around my home. I started to open a veil to the surface, then stopped. Cassandra was pregnant. I had no idea how that would effect the kits. I sighed. "Take us down Ann, put us out far enough that we don't crush anything."

Shannon braced for a landing after making sure that Cassandra was strapped in. Shannon thought, perhaps this wasn't a good idea but what the heck. Life is for living and this is an adventure!

The ship drifted down and I felt the matrix take over. We were now being brought down by the power grid for the planet. There was a shudder as the engines shut down. We were being dropped so smoothly that there was no feeling of motion and the ship was dead quiet. I jumped as Ann announced, "Milord, we have touched down. Shutting down major systems. Power on standby." I let out a breath that I did not realize that I had been holding.

~Dad? What the hell are you doing?~

I sighed. ~Sean, I have a couple of guests, calm everyone down and make sure everyone is decent. I will meet you outside the ship.~

I turned to Shannon. "Milady, My son will be waiting for us outside."

Shannon stood up and helped Cassandra with her belts. Walking to the door, she stepped out to meet the new world awaiting her. Cassandra followed close behind. Shannon turned back to Tracker and asked, "Is there anything special I should know about this place now, Tracker?"

"Shannon, this is where the wizards of old earth fled. There is every type of creature that you can image here. Just enjoy yourself, no harm will come to you."

We stepped out of the ship to see our welcoming committee. Sean did not look happy. Elerith and Kisselia were there as well. Sean spoke first. "Would you join us for an audience in the castle?"

"I would be honored, your highness." I replied.

Shannon started as Tracker called the young man highness, so her early training kicked in and she dipped a curtsy. "Your Highness, should we come too?" She gestured to take in Cassandra as well as herself, she awaited an answer.

My son turned to Shannon; "But of course, milady, we have much to speak of." Then he turned back and led the way through town.


Shannon and Cassandra followed along, both curiously looked around. This seemed a beautiful and peaceful world but looks could be deceiving. Shannon had decided to wait and see what happened next. Tracker was a good friend and if this was his son, he must be a good and worthy man too. We had drawn quite a crowd. Mostly elves, but there were a few dwarves and fairies too. A few young centaur foals were watching from behind the crowd. I glanced up and noticed that the dragons were staying up high. I didn't mention them to Shannon. I was trying to let her get used to what was in front of her first. Shannon was noticing the myths and legends of her youth come to life. Taking a step forward to Tracker's side, she took his hand. "Thank you so much for this. No matter what happens next. Thank you." She smiled joyfully at him.

I couldn't help but smile. She was happy to see the people, but had no idea of the magnitude of her being here. I was pretty sure she would not say anything, but then there was Cassandra. I needed to make sure that she was not 'programmed' to return to the AI council with a report. The thought of anyone from that alternate finding out about Avalon, chilled me to the bone..... They did not know it, but they had the technology to reach this place. All they would need was someone who knew where it was. I shook those thoughts from my head. "You are quite welcome, milady."

Cassandra was watching curiously. Taking in all the scents in this body was very muted so she shape changed back to her common form of the bobcat. Ah, that's much better, she thought. Now all the smells are loud and clear. There are many animals on this world she was not familiar with. She felt the other begin to stir in her mind. She gave a small growl which caused Shannon to look back at her. Shannon placed her hand on Cassandra's head and sensed her distress. "What is is, Cassie?"

Suddenly I heard a bellow in the sky.

~Father, there is something strange about that one~

I looked up as Memneth dropped out of the sky. His wings were tucked against his body and opened at the last moment. At least he was far enough away that we were not going to get knocked on our asses by the back blast.

~What is it, son?~

~I do not know, father. It just awoke when the creature shifted her form.~

Then there was a rumbling boom as Archimedes veiled in over the castle. This was going to get out of hand quickly, he thought.

~Calm down, all of you. She is in my care, I will let no harm come to any of you.~

I tried to project calm, to hide the nervousness that I felt.

~We are going to the castle to talk, Memneth, meet us in the great hall.~

Lords, what have I done?

Cassandra jumped in front of Shannon protectively with her claws ready for a fight, growling deep in her throat. Shannon turned to Tracker as she sensed a connection between Tracker and the other dragons. Since he seemed to be able to shift to a dragon form, perhaps this one was not an enemy. She put her hand on Cassie's head and sent soothing thoughts to her. Cassandra settled somewhat but seemed to be tense still.

I lightly scanned Cassandra... there was something there that had not been before. Well, panic was not a good idea, so I turned to Shannon.

"My son was a little worried when she shape shifted, he will meet us in the castle and we can talk this out. You must understand, these people are not that trusting of strangers. They have lived in peace for over a hundred and fifty years, but they have long memories."

I felt Memneth veil to the castle. Archimedes was circling overhead. I could feel tension in the gigantic black beast. He had long ago set himself up as protector of my human son and took his job very seriously. I knew that it would do no good to try to placate him, so the best course would be to work this out as quickly as possible. Now was not the time to be antagonize these people, Shannon thought. "Cassandra, please shift back to human form." Cassandra looked up at the dragon then back to Tracker, seemed to nod, then complied with Shannon's request. They walked along quietly the rest of the way to the castle.

Tracker breathed a sigh of relief upon entering the castle. So much for a little visit. I did not notice our walk down the great hall, our steps echoed between the marble pillars and the huge archways that lined the hall. My son had redone the roof into one enormous skylight and I flinched each time the sunlight was blotted out by Archimedes. We finally entered the great hall. It was large enough for my son Memneth to stretch his wings and not touch the sides. Since he stood a little over three stories high at the shoulder, it was not a misnomer to call it a great hall. I noticed that Lily and Angel had made an appearance as well. Great! Lily was a might over-protective of me. Save myself, she was the most warlike person on the planet. I could feel the energy crackling around her and see the blue haze.

~Lily, stand down. These are my guests.~

She did not like it, but I felt a little of the energy dissipate.

Shannon was very tired from the long dusty walk and thirsty but waited for an indication of something further to happen. These people are very nervous about their visit. She thought, I wish I knew how to reassure them that we mean no harm to them. Cassandra stepped up beside her, also watchful. Even in human form, she seemed to rumble in her throat with her concern. "Mistress, how do we proceed here?" Shannon turned to her, "I don't know yet, but please be calm. I'm sure that Tracker wouldn't have brought us here if it was dangerous to us, especially in your condition, my dear."

Sean had plopped down on the throne. "Ok dad, what the hell is going on?"

Michael smiled, "Would you believe a harmless visit?"

Sean smirked, "Yeah, right. They are here, they are still alive, which means there is a reason for them being here. I know you old man, you don't do anything without a reason."

Michael ran a hand through his hair, "I got caught. The littleone there, great, I am being rude. The little one there is called Cassandra. Cassandra, this is my son and king of Avalon, Sean. The fiery one there, is Shannon. Now Shannon, Cassandra, this is my other son, Memneth." The huge silver dragon bowed.

~It is a pleasure to meet you, miladies.~

Shannon started as she heard the rumbling voice in her mind and turned towards the very large dragon. "Do I speak to you out loud, Sir Dragon or can you hear my thoughts?" Cassandra is intrigued by the dragon and she sensed that he is more than he appeared to be. Shannon turned back to the King and dropped into a curtsy worthy of her early training, remaining low with her head bowed.

Sean chuckled. "We are out of the masses, you don't need that here... Shannon is it? I have Dad's most excellent memory for names."

Michael could sense a link forming between Memneth and Cassandra. There was not any hostility on either side, so I let it be. "As
I was saying, I got caught. Cassandra saw through my alter ego and probed me, she is very intelligent. There is something quite strange about her and I figured that the truth would be better than unanswered questions."

Sean grinned a cockeyed grin. "And?"

Damn it. "Lady Shannon wanted to ride a pegasus."

Sean laughed. "Got you wrapped, eh Dad?"

Shannon blushed to the roots of her hair. She had not expected her childhood desire to ever be fulfilled, but liked even less the idea of it being bandied about as if she were a fool. "Sean is it? I admit to being intrigued by the possibility of fulfilling a childhood fantasy but that's not why we're here........... Cassandra here was altered from her natural state by the AI Council on our...." she looks to Tracker to supply the correct term, "Alt," "Ah thank you, Alt and we don't know what other effects that it's had. She has recently gone through heat," again she blushed to the roots of her fiery red hair, "and is pregnant. As much as I care for her and I believe she cares for me, I can't have an unknown danger to my people. We must know fully whether or not it is safe for her to continue to be in our Alt."

Sean smiled in amusement. "Milady, we are family here, my pardon if Dad and my jabs at each other offend. What you probably weren't told, is your entire alternate is a threat to this world. As of this time there is no standing army in existence anywhere on this world, unless you count the dwarven honor guard that they insist on having." Sean paused to let it sink in. "There has been no real violence on this world for well over a century."

She decided to set aside her pride being bruised. Shannon smiled at Sean, "I can see that you are right to be disturbed by our visit. What can I do to allay your concerns? Know this, as much as I care for Cassandra, if it turns out that she is a threat to all that I hold dear, I will find a way to remove that threat," she paused and sighed..."even at the cost of her life." Cassandra dropped to her knees and presented her throat for the killing stroke to come. Shannon lifted her to her feet and hugged her. Seeing the very true affection that Shannon had for Cassandra gave the men pause.

Sean looked over at me. "Well, so how do we sort this out?"

Michael looked at the two women, "I figure that Memneth is our best bet here."

Sean still looked troubled. "But if she is a threat to Shannon's people or ours for that matter..."

I laughed. "I figured the solution to that is obvious. The only threat to either group would be if she went back. She cannot report to the AIs or anyone else while here, and she cannot be a threat to Shannon's clan from here either." I looked at Shannon. "One of the reasons that I need to keep your people away from here, their first answer is always violence."

Shannon sensed that they had passed a turning point. Perhaps all would be well after all. "Tracker you may or may not believe me, but I was raised on Earth in a more violent time. I was born in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Three Hundred and Sixty in Ireland. I'm still working on figuring some things out about myself, but suffice it to say, I'm not what most would call a normal human being. I can and will, of necessity, defend those I consider under my protection and those I love. But my first response is rarely violence."

I smiled at her, "Good then. I see no reason for Cassandra to come to any harm one way or the other, If it turns out she is a threat, she can stay here. She would not be confined and would have the entire planet to roam if she wished. Memneth, why don't you take our little friend for a flight and show her around?"

~And see if you can figure out what is going on with her~

"Shannon, I think you were wanting a ride?"

~Apollo, would you come here please, I have a favor to ask~

There was a muted thump as Apollo made his appearance. A white pegasus with a slight hint of rainbow hues in his wings. "Yes, milord?"

Shannon stared in wonder. He was beautiful, she thought. Why would mankind have wanted to hurt such a magnificent creature? Ah but far too often mankind killed what it did not understand. Had she herself not had a noose around her neck in the seventeenth century just for being an outsider? It was very hard to wait to see what would happen next. If only Mac could see all this. Her friend had the gaelic heritage and love of the old legends. She would appreciate the opportunity to see these creatures for herself.

"Lady Shannon, this is Apollo, Apollo this is the Lady Shannon. She was wanting a ride, if it pleases you."

The pegasus dipped his head as if in a bow, "But of course milord. Milady, I would be honored."

Sean laughed from the throne. "Just a ride, you flirt."

Apollo managed to look hurt. "But of course, your highness." Then looked wistfully at Shannon and sighed. "Just a ride."

For a moment Shannon thought about just diving into this experience but there were some things bothering her. "Tracker before going, may I ask a few questions? Neither you nor Sean have introduced the ladies here. Are women unimportant in this Alt? And secondly I think I'm not appropriately garbed for this ride." She gestures at her long dress. "I'd hate to cause damage to such a magnificent creature........... May I change into some pants and a blouse, perhaps?"

A musical laugh cut though the air. "Master, I believe she has a point." Angel's french accent had not left her. "You must pardon the brutes, they never entertain..."

I watched as Lily tensed then relaxed, a slight smile on her lips.

Angel swayed down the line. "This is Lady Kisselia, the mother of all of the sects in the region." As she indicated the white haired elf. "This is Elerith, mother of the sect that is of Michael's castle, formerly Merlinius castle." She swayed over to Lily. "This is Lily and I am called Angel, we are Master Michael's pets. Oh, you know him as Tracker."

Lily chuckled slightly at her introduction, then spoke. "If you would care to come with us, we will see what we can find that would be more suitable attire." She opened a veil...........

Shannon quirked her eyebrow at Tracker about that 'pet' comment. He was fairly certain that she would not let that go. Still she followed through the veil and into a chamber where a sunken bath awaited her. Stepping out of her dusty garments unselfconsciously, she sunk into the hot water and sighed. Angel began lathering her long hair and another woman she had not met yet, took a sponge and began soaping her shoulders and back.

• I watched as the veil closed with a sigh. "Ok dad, what is going on?"
  

I looked at him, he had matured so much since coming here. "To be honest, I don't know. That creature that she has, has been genetically altered by their AI council. Does that sound familiar?"

He looked at me. "The stone."

Michael nodded, "Well, I scanned it as best I could, but I couldn't find anything. I figured that since Memneth has had some experience with genetics, I would let them play together. She wants to learn to use her powers."

Sean asked, "So why didn't you just set the controls in place? I have seen you do it before. Hell, you did it with me."

Michael sighed, "Because I don't want her to have full control until I have a better idea of whether she is a threat or not."

Sean paced for a while. "What of Shannon?"

I looked at him curiously. "What of her?"

He turned and smiled at me. "She is a beautiful..."

I laughed. "Sean I have a whole planet full of beautiful women."

He grinned back at me. "Yes, but you never did limit yourself."

I sighed. "For one, I doubt seriously if she would be interested in me, for another, she is empathic and may have other talents. I have no interest in opening that can of worms."

Sean nodded at this, "So what have you found out about the AI thing over there?"

Michael said, "I am starting to put together a picture that is not pretty. Either they destroyed the earth over there, or someone controlling them did."

Sean looked at his father, "How do you figure?"

"They were firing asteroids from the belt and two of them collided by accident."

Sean looked at me in amazement. "They believe it was an accident?"

I smiled. "Yep."

He shook his head. "I take it no one has ever studied ballistics over there..........."

Yes, he had matured.

The little elf with the sponge was doing a good job on her shoulders. Shannon moaned a little as the tension eased. She didn't realize that she'd laid her head back until she felt the sponge on her breasts and stomach. Angel had finished washing her very long hair. Shannon was trying to figure out so many things that had happened to her. She felt that Tracker/Michael could be trusted. Basically she had given her life into his hands for as far as she knew, without him, she could not get back home. She sighed at this thought as she did not like to be at someone else's mercy, even someone she trusted.

Angel chuckled. "Milady Shannon, you can trust Tracker with far more than your life. I have known him for close to two hundred years. I was one of his first. We are the ones that trained him on how to keep us. We gave ourselves to him. He united this entire planet without killing anything except some constructs that were made to test him. He cares not for wealth or power, yet he has both here."

Shannon quirked an eyebrow, "Ah, look I'm still trying to get used to all this. I mean no offense, Lady Angel, especially with my thoughts. So much has changed for me lately.. I am worried about Cassandra. She is carrying three babies and we are very far from home. Please bear with me as I try to sort this out in my mind. I do trust Michael, else I'd have never come here." Shannon smiled and climbed, nude from the tub.

Angel grinned. "I didn't mean to intrude, milady, but you were worrying needlessly. Memneth will see to Cassandra and we can worry about that later. You have a ride to take. Oh, and make Apollo mind his manners."

Eschelle knelt before Shannon. "Mistress, would you care for a brandy?" She offered a glass of a golden liquid.

Shannon took the glass and sipped it. "Oh yessss. I needed that. Now I believe that I need some pants and a blouse for this ride. And how do I make Apollo mind his manners? I learned to ride before I could walk in Ireland, but I'm out of practice." She took a few moments to quickly french braid her long hair to keep it out of the way.

Angel grinned. "He is a flirt. Just make him behave. You will see."

Eschelle opened a veil and pulled a pair of snow white jodpurs and a billowy emerald green blouse. "If it pleases mistress?"

Shannon smiled, delighted, "Oh emerald green is my favorite color! Thank you so much.' Shannon quickly dressed. The clothes fit perfectly as if they were made for her. Laughing at her reflection in the mirror, Shannon felt as if she has slipped back to the days of her youth. She hugged Eschelle and Angel.

Back in the great hall, Sean was talking with Apollo. "You make a pass at her and I will personally geld you!"

Apollo smiled, ever since the incident with one of his highness' ladies, he had gained a reputation.

"Sean, he will behave, I am sure." Tracker said.

Apollo's head jerked around. There was something in the tone of the warlord's voice that sent a cold chill down his spine. "Yes, milord, your highness, I will treat her as gold." As he tried to put a little distance between himself and Tracker.


Suddenly a veil opened. Shannon stepped through back into the main hall. She grinned at Tracker and Sean. "The ladies were so helpful and I must admit that getting clean always puts me in a better mood." She dashed up to Tracker and hugged him, laughing gaily, then spun around, showing off her new clothes.

I was stunned by Shannon's hug and stood there frozen. She had hugged me in my dragon personna, but this was on a different magnitude. I glanced over her shoulder to see Angel standing there with a smirk on her face. I frowned and she dropped the smirk immediately. Shannon was a vision in a billowy blouse and those tight pants.

Shannon turned back to Michael as if seeing him for the first time. "I...I don't know why I did that. But I don't regret it. I think I've wanted to for awhile now." She blushed and turned away.

"I... Umm." I was at a total loss for words. Fortunately I was saved by Apollo.

"Mistress, you were wanting a ride?"

Shannon turned back to Apollo, "Oh, yes, of course, I didn't mean to rude! How do I get up onto him? Will someone give me a boost please?"

Apollo knelt down to the floor. "That won't be necessary, mistress, just sit across my shoulders with your legs just in front of my wings. You can hold onto my mane if you wish, it will not hurt me."

Shannon climbed up gracefully and took hold of Apollo's mane firmly. "Whenever you're ready, Apollo!"

Apollo rose from the floor. A veil formed in front of him and he leapt forward, his wings catching the air. They reappeared about a thousand feet above Camelot and Apollo started to circle.

"His highness has done much for the people since he arrived, on the hill above the castle, you can see the windmill farm that supplies power to this region."

Suddenly, a red Chinese dragon circled up from below, moving like a snake though the air.

"Ah, the gentleman coming up to visit is called Yao Min."

Shannon waved at the red dragon, hoping that he was friendly. "Should I be concerned? I mean, he's a dragon after all."

Apollo laughed, shaking Shannon on her seat. "My pardon, mistress, there are no intelligent creatures that are violent... With the possible exception of the warlord and his pets..."

~Greeting, I am Yao Min. Please feel free to ignore the uncultured one.~

There was a chuckle in her mind, and she noticed that he spoke with a British accent. "Oh, hello Yao Min. I am known as Shannon. I'm sorry, I'm still getting used to all the thinking at me!" She laughed just a little at herself. "And how are you, Yao Min. And what is there to do for fun around here?"

~I am sure you will have your fill of that tomorrow. His highness has declared festival. He wanted you to see whatever you wished first.~

The bright red dragon was doing slow loops around the pegasus and it's rider. "I am sure that you have a suggestion on her tour agenda." Apollo smirked.

~Not at all, I will leave that to you. I just wanted to welcome Lady Shannon on behalf of all the creatures.~

"Oh thank you Yao Min. I hope to meet all of the various creatures in time. I grew up on the legends but never dared dream that one day I would meet all of you living somewhere. I...I am overwhelmed. And also sad that so many had to flee from the violence of old earth. I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to protect all of you from harm."

~Lady Shannon, do not worry about protecting us, just relax and enjoy yourself. If you have needs, let one of us know, even the one you are riding can contact us.~ He laughed in her mind. ~I am honored to meet you and fare thee well.~

"Very well, I think it's time to fly, Apollo. Show me something interesting would you?" Shannon laughed from the sheer joy of living.

"Mistress, due south of us is Tracker's Castle. Would you care to see it?"

"Oh yes, I would be delighted to see his castle. Do you supposed he might join us there?" Shannon shifted position so that she could see Apollo's eye, "And could you tell me why the ladies told me to make you behave?"

Apollo froze for a split second and then recovered. There was a slight lurch as they dropped a few feet in the air. He remembered quite clearly the warlord's not so veiled warning and now he was on the spot.

"Um, There was an incident. The female was, um, quite interested... and I, um... Well the story got out and I got a reputation... I rather enjoyed the attention, so I did nothing to... um, set the story aright... I have received several... invitations since then."

He paused, the next part came out in a rush. "Milady, I have no intentions... I mean... I wasn't... Oh, lords I am so dead."

Shannon laughed and patted Apollo's neck. "Look, it's all right, I won't tell on you. I just wanted to make sure that you understand, that while I am enjoying this ride, I'm not interested in another kind of ride. Apollo." She felt the winged horse relax underneath her.

"Up ahead, you can see the warlord's castle."

There was a dark spot in the distance that slowly grew. It looked strange somehow, Not really foreboding, but still... As they grew closer, Shannon picked out what looked strange about it. It had windows... Large office type windows. The effect was a mix of modern and medieval... somehow, though, it didn't clash. There was a small town outside the castle and she could see a couple of trucks coming into town on the paved roads. It was a very curious mix of the old and the new. A green dragon rose up and flew off to the west.

Apollo circled the castle once then descended into the courtyard. The children that were playing there scattered. It looked like a school playground except for the ears and an occasional tail or two. There were two elves waiting by the entrance, one of which was Elerith.

"Welcome to milord Michael's castle. I thought to join you here to do introductions, if it pleases you, milady."

From atop Apollos' back, Shannon nodded, then climbed gracefully down. Leaning close into his ear, she whispered, "I'll keep your secrets, Apollo." Then she hugged his neck. Stepping forward to meet the ladies, she dipped her head in a respectful gesture. "My Ladies, may I ask a few questions about your planet's history? How you came to be here? How Michael came to be here?"

They looked at each other, then Elerith spoke. "This is Veraina, and we welcome you. Come this way and your questions will be answered." There was a shimmer in the air, and they stepped through.

Shannon followed behind into a much cooler space. She looked around, very interested in her surroundings. She was in a round room, about twenty feet across, with four archways that looked to lead outside. Then she noticed that the perspective was wrong. She was in the tower. In the middle of the floor there was a round polished stone sitting on a small pillar, about two feet tall.

"This stone has the image of Merlin imprinted within it. If you wish to know, touch the stone and ask." Elerith motioned towards the stone.

Shannon stepped forward and placed her small hand upon the stone. It was intelligent! she thought. She cleared her throat so she could ask, "Would you please share with me, those parts of the history of this planet and these people that will help me to understand better their situation?"

There was a chuckle in her mind. ~I will do more than that, oh pure soul.~

She felt a tingle in her mind, kind of like fingers massaging her brain. It stopped after a few moments.

~You now may speak with your thoughts. As to your request.~


An image appeared in the air before her, It is of a war torn land. There are four men in the middle of the devastation. They are surveying the scene.

"It would appear that they are getting more powerful." said one.

"We should destroy them now, while we still can." said the second.

There is a dead unicorn in the middle of them.

"There is no mercy in them. They do not deserve this world." said the third.....

They all look to the fourth. He had a tear in his eye for the innocent that had been wasted. "No... I think not." He looked up. He had white hair and silver eyes. "We would be no better than they..."

"What do you suggest?" asked the first.

"We should strike now!" said the second.

"No, Mearlien is right..." said the third.

"We will leave them to themselves. They will either learn from their violent ways or destroy themselves. But we will be free of them."

Merlin opened a portal and the image faded.


Shannon lifted her hand from the stone and stumbled a bit from the images and changes in her mind. ~Can you hear me?~ She directed her thoughts to Elerith.

~Yes, milady. Are you satisfied or is there more that you would know?~

Shannon shook her head. ~I think that there is much more to learn~ She placed her hand back on the stone.

Finally the scene shows a study with a slim man in an easy chair. He was smoking a cigar and sipping an amber liquid. This one was different as if taken from the man's thoughts...


It was a rather mild summer night. A light breeze seemed to flow into the window, bringing with it the scent of honeysuckle. It was late in the evening and I was sitting back with a cigar and a scotch. I was about as relaxed as I ever am on this side.


Which is not very.


Later on, I went to bed thinking that I was getting totally bored with the way things were going, I had a fairly decent job and a place to live... but it was boring. I do not do boring well. My mind drifted back through the years and I wound up where I always did... Maine. I had been a sorcerer then, in the prime of my power. I had three lovely ladies wearing my collars. I was incredibly stupid. I had lost everything, including most of my power. Oh, to turn back time.


I figured that tonight I would go exploring again. I had gotten too used to the other worlds that my mind visited. They were beautiful, and sometimes surprising, but there was no one there. As antisocial as I am, I wanted some interaction. Preferably not mundane. So I figured to try something different tonight. I would seek for signs of life over there.


I suppose that I should explain. There are other dimensions, at least I think that is what they are. I was shown them by my son, the one with scales. The places that I always have visited up to this point were the ones that he had revealed to me. There is a world of mists that will materialize images of whatever you are dreaming. A world of crystals that sing. Normal looking ones that have no life other that the birds and strange beasts. I knew of about a dozen. But none that harbored anything remotely intelligent.


I was lonely.


I closed my eyes and relaxed. I felt the drift that comes just before sleep and pulled myself away and down. I was floating in a star field. I started to drift, knowing that my body was firmly anchored back at home. I have been told that my life signs drop to next to nothing when this happens. I do not know, I am never there. I halted my drift and just listened. I let my awareness expand until I felt as if I was stretched across eternity.


Nothing.


I sat back and pondered... there had to be something. Someone.

I sighed, oh well, I figured I would head to the crystal world tonight. Then I heard/felt it. It was like a tugging at my being. Like something was calling to me. I followed the feeling. It was farther out than I had ever gone before. I paused and checked to make sure that I did not wind up lost. No, the connection to my body was as strong as before. So I continued.

I was drawn to a world, eerily like earth. It seemed to have a greater likeness than any of the other worlds that I had been to. The closer that I got to it, the stronger the pull, almost urgent now. I came upon an island in the middle of an ocean, a rather large island. It reminded me of England. I sped towards it then across it, drawing ever closer to land. I felt like a bird. A very fast bird. When I saw it, it shocked me to my core. It looked..., hell, it was an old castle. It was not one of the Hollywood castles either. This one looked as if it could stand up to a major pounding and laugh at the enemy. This one looked functional, almost as if it had seen use recently. But as I drew closer, it also looked deserted. The gates were thrown back and the portcullis was open. I found that I was being drawn to the tower in the center of the castle, surrounded by the main building. I had never seen anything like this in any of the castles that I had studied or visited. It looked out of place. As I glided over the roof, I noticed that it was in good repair. I had never in my travels, seen a castle in as good a shape as this. Approaching the tower, I was drawn inside.

I found myself in a room at the top of the tower and I was not alone... It seemed that my perspective was off however, the female standing there looked too small. Her head was down and her hair, long and blond, covered her face. She was standing before a pillar, about two feet tall with a round stone ball, about a foot in diameter, sitting on top of it. I was coming to a stop directly on the opposite side of it, facing her. Then she looked up. My heart stopped. A very narrow face, quite pale, full sensuous lips... And pointed ears.

I felt a strange sensation, like I had something flowing into me. This flowing continued for a while as I stood there paralyzed. The ‘elf’ stood there and watched. Finally it stopped and I looked down... I was there! I felt a wave of nausea wash over me as I realized that my body had joined me. I reached up and touched my face. I felt numb.

The scene faded. Shannon stumbled back and sighed. Now she was beginning to understand how things had come to be on this planet. ~May I return later, please?~ She sent the request to the stone.

~You need not return unless you wish too. You can now communicate with this entity anywhere you wish.~

Shannon turned back to the waiting ladies. ~May I be taken somewhere to rest and refresh myself please?~

~But of course, milady.~


Shannon felt a tingle as the veil was opened this time.

Reaching out with her mind, she tried to determine why this time was different than before....ah, the stone had done something to her mind. She was linked to it somehow. Could she do the veil herself? This was very interesting.

Elerith lead her down a long hall to the very end and opened a double set of doors. The room was very large with tall narrow windows across from the door. The floor was polished and looked like dark gray marble. Midnight blue curtains were pulled back to show a view of the inner courtyard. Off to the left was a huge four post bed with a midnight blue spread.

~There is a shower through the doors on your right~

As she turned towards the right she noticed a broadsword with a round crystal in the pommel, hanging above the fireplace. Stepping up to the mantlepiece, she admired the beautiful workmanship, then yawning, stripped off her clothing. She found all the comforts of home in the shower area. Turning on the hot water and just a little of the cold, she hissed as the steam rolled off of her body. It had been a rather strenuous day.


Back in Camelot.


"You took her where?!!"

Elerith knelt before me. "Master, I thought... She is not... Milord, forgive me." She started to cry.

I knelt down with her. "El, their customs are not as ours. It will be alright, I will stay here at Camelot. You did not know."

"May I stay with you tonight, Milord?" She looked so sweet and innocent.

"Of course you may, pet. Of course." There was no way to be mad at her.

"She wants to dine with you tonight."

"Then go back and set an even meal in the hall, she might as well meet everyone else." I replied with a sigh.


Michaels Castle.


Elerith was waiting as Shannon stepped from the shower. She decided to try out this new telepathy.

~I hate to ask but after showering, may I have some clean clothing to dress in for the evening meal?~

Elerith looked embarrassed. ~Right away milady~

Elerith opened a veil and pulls through an emerald green ball gown, trimmed in gold. It's bodice looked like it would fit like a glove. It had a filigree design that ran from the low cut front down to the waist and then continued as a wide belt around the waist. Elerith held it out, refusing to meet Shannon's eyes.

"Elerith, it's beautiful!" Shannon exclaimed. "Would you help me get into it please and if you don't mind help me with my hair?"

Shannon sat on a nearby stool and turned her back to Elerith to allow her to brush her hair out. "Ah, that feels soooo good."

Elerith's hands were very talented, twisting and pinning her hair in an artful arrangement, then holding the gown up, as Shannon stepped into it, then lacing the back up.

"Milady... I am so sorry..." There were tears in the little elf's eyes. "I did not understand... Please don't be mad at master... It was my doing... I am sorry..."

Shannon took the little elf into her arms and rocked her.. waves of distress were pounding into Shannon's head from off the poor frightened creature. "There, there, now, what's wrong? Whatever you've done, it can't be that bad. And I've seen no problems. Talk to me, honey."

"I just... I... thought you... were with Tracker... this is his room... I am sorry... I just thought... He is going to stay in Camelot tonight now... I... didn't know..."

Shannon wiped the tears from Elerith's face and hugged her. "Elerith, I want to be with Tracker, but maybe it's not the right time or even possible. But you did nothing wrong. Now, dry your tears, dear and give me a smile. You have nothing to fear from me. And as to whether or not he stays in Camelot, well that's his choice. Perhaps he's afraid to lay with me. I am a bit of a handful." Shannon smiled mischievously as she leaves the room to go down to the evening meal.


I veiled into the hall, the meal was already set. My thoughts went back to a time when my arriving like that would have brought about broken pottery. I walked to the table and sat down, greeting Gavin as I did.

"Milord, I heard you brought us guests." He was grinning.

"Yes, and I just hope I haven't brought us trouble."

I noted that about half of the sisters were already there, more than a few looking hopeful. They enjoyed my times at home. I sat back and watched as the villagers and a few more sisters drifted in. Then it got quiet and I looked up towards the entrance. Shannon stood at the entrance to the dining hall, looking towards the people waiting there with a smile on her face. She walked forward towards Michael and swept into a curtsy with inimitable style and grace. She was beautiful. I wondered, in the back of my mind, how she managed to catch me flatfooted so damned often.

"Please, milady, join us."

Elerith walked in after her with a very guilty look on her face. One of the villagers fetched a chair for Elerith and she sat next to Shannon's place. I glanced up to see Sinimia and Tinimia prowl into the room. They made a bee line for me and curled up at my feet.

Straightening from the curtsy, Shannon swept forward, extending a hand to Gavin. "My name is Shannon. I am so please to be here to meet all of you." She swept the length of the table, speaking to each of the beautiful elves in turn. A smile here, a word there and all seem happy to see her. Shannon had shown no surprise at the two elf-cats at Michael's feet. They seemed happy after all, so who was she to judge?

I watched Shannon captivate all of the people in the room. I was amazed. But then again, I knew nothing of her history.

~Then maybe you should keep her.~ Sinimia chuckled in my mind.

~Behave, minx!~

~Milord, I am not a minx, I am a cat.~

I rolled my eyes. Elerith was still looking downcast.

~Elerith, stop blaming yourself. You had no way of knowing of their culture...~

~I still feel bad, milord. I put you in an awkward position... Besides she does want to sleep with you.~

I suddenly hoped that my emotions were not making it to my face. Elerith looked at me curiously. I was completely stunned by Elerith's little tidbit.

Shannon stepped back down to Michael's side and asked, "Where shall I sit, My Lord?" Her eyes sparkled with life and laughter. She seemed genuinely happy to be here in this place and time with him.

I absently motioned to the chair on my right. It was usually Elerith's but she had moved down so Shannon could have it. I noted all of this while in a daze. She wanted... good lord, now what am I going to do? Thank the lords she couldn't read minds.

Smiling, Shannon seated herself gracefully and placed a hand upon Michael's for a moment. His confusion, desire and weariness came through that brief contact. She hoped that soon this empathic sense would be more controlled. Perhaps Michael would be willing to help her strengthen and control this new aspect of herself? She looked up with a small smile at him just as the food began to be served up and down the table.

I forced myself to focus.

"Milady, have you enjoyed your stay so far?" It sounded lame in my ears, but it beat staring blankly into space.

"I have indeed. So many new and interesting things to see and learn about............ I couldn't have imagined when I got up this morning such an adventure awaited me." She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling again, perhaps with a challenge. "My Lord, might you show me around your castle after dinner?"

Lords, she did it again...

"But of course, Milady. I would be delighted."

I could hear the two kittens at my feet laughing at me.

~Behave you two.~

Shannon smiled at him, then startled him further by sending a message to him privately. ~Perhaps you can teach me more about this talent that I seem to have acquired since coming to this world, too?~

I heard a pounding in my ears... oh that is my heartbeat... hmm, close your mouth... Now tell yourself you were imagining things... Nope that didn't work.

~How did... what? Cannot be happening.~

Shannon smiled at his confusion. ~I thought you had ordered this done. Your magic stone seemed to put this ability into my mind. Is that a problem, Michael?~ Her mind seemed to purr over his name.

I was digesting that news when the room went silent again. I looked up as a couple entered the room. It took me a few seconds to figure out what I was seeing. The young lady looked like Shannon, but was dressed in a gown that was silver. The young man looked like Sean, but he had glowing red eyes.

~Memneth? I didn't know you could shapeshift.~

~Lady Cassandra taught me. Her 'other' entity is the Dark Lady from their alt. It has a special interest in Shannon and was disturbed when she disappeared. The AI's only modified her body, they either didn't or couldn't alter her mind. And it is growing, at an extremely fast rate.~

Then I noticed that they were holding hands. Their body language suggested a closeness. Lords, what next!

Cassandra dipped a curtsy towards Michael and smiled with a self satisfied little smile. ~Thank you so much for bringing me here, Máistir. I have learned so much already. May we join you?~

Two of the villagers scrambled to get them chairs, but were rather confused on where to put them.

~One between Shannon and Elerith, the other between Gavin and me.~

Memneth escorted Cassandra to her chair and held it for her, kissing her hand before going to his own. I was quite bemused as I watched this. It would seem she took after her mistress in more than looks.

I sighed as I tried to sort all of this in my mind. Memneth was not really a problem, he could make his own decisions... The main question was whether Shannon was wanting a fling, or something else? The other, was whether I would let it go as a fling, if that was what she wanted. I had a habit of keeping my girls. Then again, what would she think of my lifestyle? I had met a few on their alternate that had kept "pets", but on the whole, it was viewed much as it was back on old earth. Tolerated, barely. Spoken of, never. I wondered to myself, why people would deny their own sexuality, in favor of some popular opinion? Then again, what was I doing by hiding mine from Shannon?

~Michael, I really want to thank you for bringing us here. We...Cassandra and I...have gained so much from our visit. And I hope to learn more before we have to return to our Alt. These people seem so happy and healthy. You should be proud of the way you have handled the situation. You are a good man.~

I smiled at her. ~If you can be gone for a whole day over there, we can stay here for thirteen days. Do you think you can learn what you wish by then?~

Shannon smiled at the thought of spending almost two weeks on this marvelous world. ~Yes, I can spare a whole day over there. I did tell Sparks not to expect me back today. And there is so much to see and do. It's such a marvelous adventure and your ladies are so nice. But I'm sorry that Elerith seems upset. I couldn't seem to reassure her that I wasn't mad at all.~

~Elerith, stop it. It was an honest mistake... and it is not like I haven't made a few.~

Elerith looked up and smiled. Then frowned. I caught an image from the aftermath of the attack. The one that had happened so long ago. I was glad that she had no idea what went on in the pirate's alt.

Shannon smiled and laid a hand on Elerith's to reassure her. Her touch sent the sensations that Elerith was feeling into her brain. ~Elerith? What's wrong? Please don't be upset on my account. You have been nothing but kindness to me.~

~I am sorry, mistress. I was remembering something unpleasant.~

Shannon gathered Elerith in her arms and sent soothing energy to her. She hoped that she was doing it right. This empathy thing was still so new to her.

Elerith snuggled in closer to Shannon and then looked up. ~Mistress?~

Shannon looked down. ~Yes?~

Elerith reached up and pulled her into a deep kiss. At first Shannon was a little shook by this turn of events, but the little elf was beautiful and boy could she kiss! Forgetting that they had an audience, Shannon slipped her hands to Elerith's face and deepened the kiss. She nipped at her lips and sighed into her mouth.

I watched Elerith kiss Shannon and waited for the fireworks... that didn't happen. I let out the breath that I did not know I was holding. I watched as Shannon pulled her deeper into the kiss. Part of me relaxed. Maybe she would be able to accept us... and just maybe I would not be staying in Camelot tonight after all.

Shannon broke the kiss and suddenly remember the others watching. She blushed bright red. "Um, I don't usually kiss in front of an audience. My apologies." She sent a mental message to Elerith. ~That was amazing! Do you think we could talk later? Maybe after dinner?~ She sat down at the table.

Elerith smiled as she sat down. ~I look forward to... talking with you, milady.~

Memneth looked at me. ~Father, why are people surprised by their own desires?~

Leave it to him to ask the easy questions. ~I do not know son, maybe because they hide them so much, even from themselves.~

~But you do it too, Father.~

~Hmm? What do you mean?~

~You want Shannon, yet you do not take her.~

~Memneth, she is her own woman. I doubt she would care to be bent over the table, like the elves.~

~As you say, Father.~ His tone sounded doubtful.

I looked to the beautiful woman to my right. She had surprised me time and again, since arriving. I was worried of offending her, yet she kissed Elerith, in front of everyone. Maybe I was assuming too much. One of the things that I found attractive about her back in the other alt, was her free spirit. I had assumed that she was open with me because I was a dragon over there, so therefore, safe company in a system full of predators. I sighed as I noticed that somewhere along the line my dinner had disappeared. I chuckled to myself, I wonder if it was good?

Shannon hoped that she hadn't offended any one with her behavior. While she certainly enjoyed sex, she'd never done anything like that in front of other people. And yet, she couldn't help but realize that she had felt a little guilty pleasure over meeting Michael's eyes and seeing the burning ndesire there.

Our eyes met and I felt a heat there. ~Milady, I think we need to talk.~

~Certainly Michael, do you wish to go somewhere private for this talk?~

~If you wish milady. I was just wanting to clear a few things up. I suppose it is time you learned a few more things about Avalon.~

Shannon smiled. ~I am entirely at your disposal, dear.~

I stood up from the table and offered my hand to Shannon. A glance told me that Memneth was grinning and so was Gavin.

"Elerith, would you care to join us?"

Elerith's face lit up. "I would be honored, milord."

Smiling at Cassandra and Memneth before leaving, she swept from the room holding Michael's hand. His desire was quite strong. But she sensed some weariness and confusion as well. Was this wise? she thought, I would hate to lose him as a friend. Could they remain friends after this step was taken? Bah, the future is every changing, let it be for now. Wait and see what happens next.

"I have a question, milady... are you easily shocked?" I asked as we strolled down the main hall.

"I have seen many things in my life, Michael. I usually wait and reserve judgment. Intolerance, well, you might not want to believe me, but it once got me killed and I'm talking about before regenabots. So, I tend to try to be tolerant of other peoples wants, needs and desires. Does that answer your question?"

I sighed. "Alright then..." We arrived back at my room. I went and closed the curtains. "Elerith, show milady Shannon your normal dress."

Elerith smiled. "Thank you milord. These clothes are much too stuffy."

Elerith stripped out of her gown to show her normal attire... A black leather thong, a small pushup bra, stockings and heels. She walked over to my desk and took her collar and cuffs from the drawer.

"May I put these back on too? I feel naked without them."

Shannon smiled at the little elf as she sashayed boldly across the room in not much more than a couple of scraps of lace. I would love to introduce her to Stefan. He would really enjoy dressing her, she thought. Well, she would wait and see what happened next. But regardless, this was definitely not going to be a boring evening.

"This is what caused the tension that you have probably been feeling. This is how most of the sisters prefer to dress. They will all be relieved to get back in their collars. We did not know how you would take it, so we decided to wait and see."

I walked over to Shannon and pulled her close. "Now, milady, how do you prefer to dress?"

Smiling I turned my back to allow Michael access to the ties on my dress. "While this gown is beautiful and I like it, I think I'd like to be out of this get up, but I'll need some assistance. Do you mind?"

I untied the laces and Elerith helped her with the front... It took quite a while.

Michael awoke the next morning snuggled into two warm bodies. It was good... then I remembered who one of them was! I cracked open an eye and saw blond hair, so it was Shannon that was tucked against my back. I nudged Elerith to wake her and we both slipped out of bed. I figured that Shannon could use the extra sleep. She looked younger, so the energy she was now tapped into, was probably regenerating her. I would have to have a talk with Merlin about that. It was not that I minded, I just hate surprises. I thought to scan her, but with the new power and her natural empathy, it would probably wake her. Elerith and I slipped down to one of the communal baths and played for a while in the water. I wondered absently if Shannon would like to do the next part of the tour on dragon back. I was quite sure that Cassandra would love the idea. But first we had a festival to attend.

The next morning the sounds of the castle stirring to life awoke Shannon from a sound sleep. Stretching, she looked around the room to find a lightweight day gown that looked very comfortable. Striding au'natural to the bathroom, she took a quick morning shower and dressed to go downstairs. She met a few of the castles inhabitants on the way down to the main hall and smiled at each in turn. As she reached the front room before entering the main hall she noticed the front doors were open to catch the morning breeze. Off to one side in the courtyard, Cassandra and Memneth, both in dragon form, were curled around each other in a rather cozy manner. Well, she thought, if she's happy, why not? Perhaps later though Michael could scan the kits to make sure they were alright. Cassandra was a lovely shade of silvery white, which seemed to make Memneth's silver hide gleam all the more. Could the two of them produce offspring? What an interesting thought. Well, no matter, until her kits were born, that shouldn't be an issue.

Greeting one of the elves in the kitchen, Shannon asked if she could have something simple for breakfast. The elf smiled and brought her bread, ale and cheese. She quickly broke her fast and went outside. She sent out a mental call. ~Michael?~

I was just wondering how long Shannon would sleep when she called to me.

~Yes Milady?~

Amused at how easy this mental telepathy made things, she reached for him again. ~Is there somewhere I need to be this morning? Apollo mentioned a festival yesterday. What can I do to help?~

I couldn't help but laugh. ~Milady, we will go back to Camelot after morning meal. As for helping, there has been a steady stream of people arriving at Camelot since it was announced. They have more help then they can handle.~

Spotting him, she walked up and hugged him good morning. Then tipping her head back, she offered her lips for a kiss. ~Then whatever shall I do in the meanwhile, Michael?~

I laughed, then kissed her. "Didn't you get enough of that last night?"

She shrugged. "I am a very affectionate person. I care for you, so I offer you hugs and kisses. In fact, the one thing I can not live without is touching. I am very tactile. If I don't get touched occasionally, I get cranky."

I picked her up and opened a veil. "Well we certainly can't have you cranky.................."

Laughing, Shannon didn't even look around to see where they were. She was totally surprised then to find that they were in a room with a sunken tub................. As he pulled her gown off, she stripped him of his shirt.. Ah the man had a beautiful chest! She laid her hand on it and felt his steady heartbeat accelerate just for her. She laid her head on his chest, just reveling in the ability to touch him like this.

I finished undressing and carried her into the tub, easing her into the hot water. When she was nice and comfortable, I switched on the jets. "Isn't it amazing what the elves, with access to several worlds databases, can do?"

I kissed her before she could answer.

She threaded her hands through his long hair and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss.

~Yes it is amazing.~

He could feel her amusement at the ability to continue the conversation while kissing. She had been very giving of herself last night. Willing to explore new things and new options. She seemed to instinctively know just where to touch and how to quicken his heartbeat.

We could have stayed in the hot tub all day, but duty called. I would hate for my son to throw a festival and not have the honored guest show up. Even if it was for such a delightful reason. So we finally crawled out of the tub and veiled to my room. Once again there was a new outfit there as if by magic.

Chuckling just a little at her own astonishment, Shannon pulled on the lovely black pants, and royal blue blouse. And of course they fit perfectly. She picked up the Irish harp necklace from the table by the bed and put it on. She french braided her hair to keep it out of her face. The braid still fell well below her hips. Looking in the mirror she was surprised to find that her face looked younger.

I watched her as she reacted to her 'new look' in the mirror. I had been wondering when she would notice.

~You are tapped into the energy that surrounds this planet, milady. There will be other changes as well. Sorry, no pointed ears though.~

Laughing she hugged him. "That's alright. While they do look cute on the elves, I'm not sure how I'd react to seeing them in the mirror every morning. But if I"m tapped into the energy, does that mean that I can do magic, too? Or is that something only for wizards?"

I thought about it. I knew they would be essentially useless to her, but then again, if she ever got into trouble... I shuddered at the thought of her getting hurt.

"Are you sure that you want to?"

She looked puzzled, "Why do you ask? Is there a cost to this magic business?"

I sighed. "The cost is keeping it hidden... at all times, at least in your alt. What do you think would happen if the AI's or the SoE's found out about the power?"

She shrugs, "I have kept my secrets for hundreds of years and many lifetimes. What's one more? But I don't feel the need for this magic, if you are uncomfortable teaching me, that's alright."

"I was thinking that it may help you if you ever got into a scrape... or you could use it to visit Avalon when you wished."

She smiled at him lovingly. "I would enjoy returning to Avalon whenever I wished it. And I will do everything within my power to protect this place from harm."

I suppose it was time for her to learn the truth. "I have a confession. This world is not in danger." I sighed. "The danger from your alt finding this one is that they would be destroyed if they entered the system. I do not want to spill their blood, even if it is to protect my home. So I need to keep them from knowing."

She patted his arm, "I sensed that something wasn't quite right with your answers. Don't worry, we all have our secrets. This world is too precious to be exposed to much of that alt. I completely understand your decision and appreciate your willingness to share it with me."

I smiled at her, then focused. I gave her the ability to veil and to heal. I gave her finer control over her empathy and telepathy. Then I made sure she could defend herself. I gave her the focused energy and molecular manipulation. I taught her how to form it into a shield. When she went back, she would be capable of taking out a enemy with a thought. She could withstand a direct hit from a blaster and reflect back if she wished. I withheld nothing.

Her mind whirled as she took it all in. It seemed so simple! And this wonderful man had shared this with her! What could she share in return?

~My dear, You owe me nothing. There is nothing I need or desire. I have become quite close to you and wish for you to be safe.~

Shannon set aside the new information for later examination. This would take some getting used to.

~Alright. I appreciate the gift. So what do we do while the people are setting up for the festival. I get the feeling we're just in the way. Can you show me more of your world?~

"Would you like to go for another ride? Stonehenge is not far from here."

She smiled at the thought of seeing more of this beautiful planet from the air. "Of course, I'd love that. Perhaps we could take a picnic along?"

I chuckled. "If you want my son to try to scalp me, sure. We are suppose to be at Camelot before lunch. I just figured to pop down for a peek and then head up to Camelot."

"Well we can't have that, Michael. Very well, I am once again at your complete disposal, milord."

~Memneth, do you think you and Cassandra could give us a ride?~

There was a brief pause. ~We would be delighted.~

I escorted Shannon down to the courtyard, where our mounts awaited. Cassandra and Memneth were touching snouts as Shannon and Michael approached. It was obviously that the two of them were together. This pleased Shannon as she wished happiness for her friend.

I opened a veil and brought though a couple of blankets. "Just spread this out and sit on it. It will keep you from getting cut by her scales. Don't worry about falling off, they hold you in place." I smiled as I saw her look up at her two and a half story tall friend.

Shannon took one of the blankets as Cassandra offered a bent leg for her to climb up on. Feeling as if her tree climbing days of yesteryear were not in vain, she scurried up from Cassie's leg, to her back, then spread out the blanket. Adjusting her seat, she signaled her readiness for whatever was next.

I smiled as I watched Shannon climb. At least she did not cut herself on the scales. I suppose I should have told her to veil, but I was so used to using it myself, that it never crossed my mind. I veiled to Memneth's back and spread the blanket. With a hard lurch we were suddenly airborne. I had also forgotten to tell Shannon it was like riding a mechanical bull the size of a freight train.

Seeing Michael veil to Memneth back, Shannon sighed. Well that would have been easier, she thought. After they took off, she had to learn how to keep upright as Cassandra bobbed up and down with each wingsweep. Goodness, this was nothing like riding Apollo!

I watched the country side lurch by. Dragon riding is not what it is cracked up to be. We got height finally and Memneth dropped into a glide. It hardly looked like we were moving, but the countryside was changing as we watched. From the wind hitting my face, I figured at least sixty or seventy miles an hour.

Shannon was enjoying see the countryside go by so quickly. It reminded her of riding in an ambulance back in the 20th century to some extent. But hopefully they would arrive soon as her butt already was aching.

It didn't take very long before I spotted the speck in the distance.

~Milady Shannon, just up ahead.~

I watched as they grew, then we were circling them. It was strange after seeing the ruins back on earth, to see them here completely intact. They were a glorious sight.

~This is Amazing!~

He could even hear the excitement in her mental voice. She was laughing like a school girl. Memneth and Cassandra began the descent to land.

Off to the east we could see the ruins of the sister's keep. It was a casualty of the war against the 'alien' threat. Part of the stone's original test program. I had managed to get all of the sisters out, but the keep was a total loss. It was now an overgrown ruin. We turned back to the clear cut stones in all their glory. I hoped that Shannon would not ask about the ruins. Veiling down from Cassandra's back, Shannon looked at the intact Stonehenge. "They're beautiful! I've seen pictures of the ruins when I was in the 20th century, but this is astounding."

Keep going like this and you could have the manuscript of a space fantasy novel.

Edit: A good one, too.

I have visited it before, Michael thought, but it has never lost it's fascination. As with most relics in this world, it was a focus of the power. It was probably a good thing, I reflected, that the mundanes looked at the power as magic. But they were getting closer to the truth. Quantum physics, string theory, each a step closer. I sighed, that was a problem for another day, for right now, enjoy this one. Still the thought of them with even a crude control of the power made me shudder.

Shannon cleared her throat, "Michael, I was thinking while we were riding the dragons here. There is something I would like to share with you, if you don't mind. I told you that I was born in the 14th century and that I'm fairly certain that I'm not a normal human being, but I don't know what or completely who I am. I thought since I have these new mental abilities....well, would you mind if I share my memories with you? Then perhaps you might be able to determine what kind of creature I am."

"I see no problem with that. It is a fairly deep link though. Do you want to do it here?"

She sighed, "It really depends on how much time it will take. I want to see this beautiful place and you said we have to be at Camelot for lunch. So....what do you think? We can always do this later, I suppose."

"It shouldn't take more than a few seconds. It is rather intense though."

She locked eyes with him, willing to trust this man with more of herself than anyone else, ever. "What do I need to do then?"

"Nothing, just relax" I smiled a her. "This won't hurt a bit."

I was wrong, at least in my case. I felt like I was falling and being ripped apart at the same time.

Images flashed before me. I felt myself/her getting shot... stabbed... Farther back playing with a wooden doll. Farther... I fought to hold onto my sanity as I was assaulted with several lifetimes. And it went on.

Everything went black for a moment then we were back at Stonehenge... but it was... wrong... The colors were too bright. Then I felt a presence and looked to the center of the circle. I thought at first that Shannon was there, but a second look told me that, whatever it was, it wasn't Shannon.

~Greetings Mage... Greetings Iníon...~

~Dia duit?~ We replied. I knew from Shannon's mind that this was hello...

~I welcome you Mage... You have brought me to this world where I can be whole again... You have done a great service.~

I felt Shannon separate from my mind.

~Who are you milady?~ I asked.

She smiled at me. ~I am sorry, mage, I am Gaea and this is my daughter.~

Shannon rocked back in shock at this pronouncement. ~Mathair? ~

~You are shocked iníon? You have had my hand upon you for a long time. Cinniúint has watched over you as well, or as you know her, the Dark Lady...~

"I....I think I remember you. You sang to me when I was a wee bairn." Shannon's Irish brogue was thickening with her emotional walk down memory lane."Why did you leave me?"

~My time was ending. So few believed. After the grand wizards abandoned Earth, I and a few others stayed to watch over our people. The power was disrupted upon their flight, so we were at the mercy of the people who would help us. As their support faded, so did we, until we left our bodies and existed as pure thought. We had no way to escape our trap, until your mage summoned me.~

Shannon seemed to be coming to grips with what's happened. "And now you're here. Will you stay here on this world, Mathair? These people are special and if you stay here, I can visit you. I.....I think I'd like that."

~I will remain here iníon, I am wanted here. When you are done, you may stay here too. However there is still much for you to do.~ She turned. ~You also mage. Your path lies with hers for a space. Yet you cannot help her on her path. Cinniúint has chosen you as her plaything, much you will see, yet little can you do.~

~Why do you call me mage, milady?~

I heard a chuckle in my mind, like laughing bells. ~You prefer sorcerer? I admit, tis a lovely play on words, since you play with the foundations of reality. You are an anomaly, an accident of possibilities. Cinniúint's plaything. You are the outsider that has the power to change everything, yet knows that he can do nothing. I do not envy you. Your time is close, though, you shall make a difference.~

She returned to Shannon. ~Your path will be easier and yet more difficult. Your steps will be easy to make, yet hard to choose. Everything back in your home will depend on what you choose to do.~

"You talk in riddles, Mathair. But I know that life is all about choices.. Some easy and some hard. I have sensed that a turning point was coming."

~My child, if ye tell a man a storm is coming, he will drink until it gets here, but if he sees it himself in the distance, then he will fix the roof.~

Michael caught himself chuckling at her choice of words. ~I suppose it makes it easier to enjoy the day, without worrying about what hasn't happened yet.~

Gaea laughed. ~If I were a few millenia younger, I'd be wedded to ye, mage.~ Then laughed harder as I took a step back.

She looked back to Shannon. ~Ye may want ta keep an eye on this one, lass, he is tricksy for a youngster.~

Shannon looked at Michael and smiled. When she had offered to share her life's memories with him, she did not think either of them could have anticipated anything like this. But still she could not be sorry she had done it. He was very special to her. "We shall see this through, Mathair. I think we are both strong people that may be up to what the future may bring." Hesitantly, she stepped forward, wanting to be touched by Gaea, as she had last when just a wee child.

I watched as the mother and daughter hugged. Then Gaea started to fade and Shannon took a step back. The unnatural light left with her and we were back at Stonehenge. I walked up and put my arm around Shannon.

"Are you going to be all right?"

She laughs with delight, "All right? I'm better than all right!" Twirling in a circle before the druid stones, she laughed and danced with glee. "She loves me. She didn't want to leave me! I thought she left because she was afraid of what I am. But what does she have to fear from me?" Stopping before him, her chest heaved with her exertions. She met his eyes, hers blazing with desire.

"Michael, I wanted to give you a gift. And instead you gave me the greatest gift of all. My Mother back. Thank you."

I grinned at her. "Twas my pleasure milady. Now, would you care to go to a party?"

Linking her arm through his, she smiled. "I'd love to. Do we ride Memneth and Cassandra back?"

"No, I thought we would take a shortcut back." I said as I opened a veil.

I brought us out just outside of town. The festival was already underway. Music, dancing and games all around the town. The castle Camelot was in the background like a proud father watching his children play. She clapped with delight, watching the people enjoying themselves. The smells of food cooking, the young elves at play, it was all so perfect. Just like those rare festivals from her youth.

It brought me back to the birthday celebration that the elves had thrown for my birthday... when I had first brought my son over to be king. Elves hung out the windows playing music while the ladies danced in the street. Food and drink were everywhere. We stopped to watch a game that looked like a cross between football and soccer. We had been there for a while, when the dwarven guard found us.

Captain Trag bowed before us. "Milord, the king requests your presence in the main throne room."

"We would be honored." Shannon followed Michael, occasionally being distracted by all the merriment of the people. Then she would catch up to Michael, take his hand and smile just for him. How wonderful all of this was. And how truly blessed she was. He had shared so much with her. She was not the same person who had met Silver Dragon to ask his help with Cassandra. She smiled a secret smile. Neither was Cassandra!

We walked hand in hand down the grand hall. It was not empty this time. Lined with elves, dwarves, fairies and just about every other creature that would fit, it was packed. We entered the throne room to see Sean on his throne, with Kisselia at his side. To his right was Memneth and to his left was Cassandra. Both towering over the throne. The light shown down on the two dragons' scales and cast rainbowed refractions all over the room. There were representatives from all of the races as well as the sisters. It was a breathtaking sight.

Shannon was so amazed. These marvelous people had gathered here in honor of her or perhaps Michael? The legends of her youth were all here. She really wished that she had time to change into something more appropriate for such a grand gathering. Still she was not dusty at least. She turned and smiled at Michael.


We stopped at the foot of the broad steps that led up to the throne platform. Sean smiled. "Welcome this day, Warlord and Milady." A cheer went up from the crowd. "Especially you, Lady Shannon. You have brought another legend back to this world."

With that Gaea appeared, there was a shocked silence from the crowd. She was no longer ethereal and you could see that the daughter took after the mother. I glanced over my shoulders to witness every being in the room kneeling. "Gaea, we welcome you also, this world is yours now, let no one turn away from you or your wishes."

Gaea smiled. ~Your son takes after you, mage.~

I chuckled at that.

Then her voice rang out though the room. "My people, I am here for you, together we will nurture this world and make it grow."

Turning to Sean. "You have done well by my people and I am truly grateful."

Then to me. "You also, Michael." She laughed. "May we never need your services again."

I just bowed slightly and smiled. I totally agreed with her.

Then she turned to Shannon. "You, my lovely daughter, have a place here, whenever you wish, for as long as you wish. I know that you have duties to attend to, but I do request you visit often."

Shannon swept into a curtsy, then ran up the steps and hugged her beloved Mother. "Thank you Mathair." Tears ran down her face, tears of joy. "I will come back whenever I can, I promise."

"We have time, Iníon. I will remain here, now, till the sun no longer rises. Then we will all move on. You will be free, once your people are released, then you can join us."

I watched as the mother and daughter quietly conversed. ~Sean, how did you know about Gaea?~

~The surge in power caught everyones attention. She showed up here shortly afterwards and introduced herself. I must admit that I never expected to meet the earth-mother.~ He chuckled in my mind.

~So what is this all about?~

~I wanted everyone to know about Shannon. It will make her being here a lot easier. Besides, it looks like there may be wedding bells in the future.~

~Oh?~

~Yeah, I think my brother has the hots for Cassandra.~

I watched as he fought to keep from laughing.

~I do not have the hots... I merely enjoy her company...~ Memneth sounded irritated.

~My son, you have no need to explain yourself.~ Trying to keep the amusement from my thoughts.

He must have caught it though. ~Hmph!~

I heard Cassandra's musical chuckle in my mind. ~A Grá, they are teasing with you.~

Hmm, love? Cassandra seemed to know what was happening, even if Memneth didn't... or didn't want to admit it. I truely hoped that it would work out. He deserved someone to call his own.

Shannon smiled sweetly at Michael. Nothing could have prepared her for all of this. Finding her Mother, experiencing love with Michael and seeing this wonderful world. Laughing, she launched herself into his arms and kissed him in front of everybody.

Lord she was a handful. I could not resist and held the kiss probably far longer than was appropriate.

~Ahem, um dad...~

Reluctantly, Shannon slipped from Michael's arms and smiled at him with a promise of continuing that kiss later. She looked at Sean and sent him a private message.

~My apologies Sire. I am just so overwhelmed by all this.~

Gaea chuckled at her daughter.

Oops. I reluctantly broke the kiss. But then I got caught in her eyes. This was not the way I had expected the afternoon to go. Then Sean stood up and raised his hand. The silence was immediate, like someone threw a switch.

"People of Avalon! This is Shannon! She is of us now and may go and do as she pleases! Is there any that say nay?"

The silence was deafening.

"Yay?"

I was sure that the roar of the crowd could be heard back in her alternate. I couldn't help but smile. Sean looked back at her again.

"Milady, we bid you welcome. This is now your home if you wish it. Now let us enjoy the day!"

A young elf maiden came up to her with a floral wreath for her hair. Kneeling at her feet, she allowed the child to place it carefully on her head, then she hugged her in thanks. Spritely music had began and someone tapped her on the shoulder then whirled her away into a fast paced dance. She laughed as she was passed from partner to partner, until she found herself in Michael's arms again. He looked happy to see her.

She looked radiant. I twirled her around, then pulled her into a kiss. It lasted longer than I thought, because the music had stopped when I finally came up for air. Then everyone started clapping. I glanced across the room to see Angel fingering her collar with a smirk on her face.

~Don't even go there, littleone.~ I frowned.

Sighing as the music ended, Shannon had thoroughly enjoyed dancing with Michael, and especially kissing Michael. He had made her so happy She would never forget any of these people and how they had made her feel welcome. Slipping her arm through Michael's, she walked over to talk to Sean.. "Sire, this day has been magnificent. You can't imagine the joy that I feel over everything I've experienced and seen since coming here. Thank you so much." She kissed him on the cheek.

I watched as my son's face turned beet red. I could not help but chuckle. Thirteen sisters that would do whatever he wished and he still got embarrassed by a kiss. He sputtered for a few moments, so I figured to come to his rescue.

"Milady, would you care for something to eat?"

Grinning at Sean's blush, she turned back to Michael. "I'd love something to eat. Lead on MacDuff!" She laughed.

~Dad... she's...~

~Quite the handful, don't you think?~

~I was thinking evil.~

~Naw, she is just a little free spirited.~

~A LITTLE?~

By this time I had led Shannon into the dining hall. The elves had outdone themselves as usual. I just hoped that she did not ask what half of this stuff was. I had only learned the names of about a quarter of their dishes... and they kept dreaming up more! One thing about it, I had yet to taste anything that I did not like. I snagged us a brandy each from a tray as we went past.

Shannon was amazed at the variety of dishes. "Everything looks delicious. Would you help me to pick please? I don't tend to like spicy things." She took a plate that an elf handed to her and look eagerly at all the delicacies. She wondered if she could recreate any of these dishes at the High Priestess.

I looked at the table and tried to remember what was what. I knew that the elves had picked up my taste for spicy foods, so some of it was hit and miss. I will never forget the scrambled eggs that they made for me one morning... I thought that the spoon would melt.

"Um, you might want to take a small taste of whatever we pick. The elves like to try different things on occasion."

Shannon walked along, taking a nibble of this and a tiny taste of that. Everything was so yummy! And slightly intoxicating. There were smells in the air and sounds that set an enjoyable mood. She sipped some of the brandy that Michael had handed her, she completed the circuit of the table to find that her plate was full. How about that, she thought, I don't remember filling it. Giggling just a little at herself, she waited for Michael to join her.

It was a lot easier for me. I was used to the elves cooking. It was a wonder I was not fat. I had to load up on a few of the dishes. I just hoped that Shannon had not grabbed any of what I was having. I finally met up with Shannon and checked out her plate from the corner of my eye... it looked... safe. So I escorted her to a table. I was about to sit down when I heard;

~Dad, get your ass over here!~

I looked over to the main table and he was staring at me.

~You two are not guests here, get over here and sit with me.~

"Um, milady, I think we have been invited to the royal table."

"Of course, milord, I shall follow you." She liked the view from behind.

We joined my son, sitting to his right. This displaced Rolfe who, for some reason, looked honored to give up his seat. While we rarely ate together, when we did, I usually sat across from Rolfe. He had the airs of a butler, even though he ran most of the affairs of Camelot. He would be considered a governor back where I hailed from. Shannon sat to my right, and Rolfe took the seat across from me. Most of the sisters were out so most of the table was deserted. It provided a rather intimate arrangement.

"Milady Shannon, I wish to apologize for putting you on the spot earlier. After talking with Gaea for some length, I decided to put the peoples minds at rest as soon as possible. I should have warned you though." Sean looked decidedly uncomfortable.

Shannon smiled at him. "Sean, you are the king here on this world. You did what you thought best for your people. I can certainly understand that. I have to do things sometimes that aren't always what people want me to do, but that are what I feel are best with the information that I have available to me at that time. The leaders of men and woman must make the hard choices. As far as I can see, you have done well, so you owe me no apology, Sire."

Sean grinned. "What little I have had to do... Dad pointed out early that if I was going to make a ruling, to put myself in the place of the one who it would effect the most. Most of our conflicts are resolved by moderation, rather than by making laws. Of course, seeing that the people are not in competition helps."

I took a sip of brandy as I listened.

"Of course we do have one major problem that we have been addressing for a while. Dad does get bored easily."

I choked.

Shannon laughed and slapped Michael on the back. "Does he really? Now, that could be a problem. So what do you suggest is the cure, Sean.....more women......more variety of lovemaking?"

I sputtered as my son continued.

"Dad was the protector here, some call him the warlord... for a reason. While he doesn't care to fight, he is damn good at it."

I looked him in the eye. "Sean..."

"Oh, dad, you know that you are." Turning back to Shannon. "Go look in his library next to his room, There are thousands of books on history and war."

Kisselia had come to the table, I had not noticed her till she spoke. "He turned back an attack before his highness came here. Three groups of four fliers. He managed to save everyone that was threatened, with only the loss of the Stonehenge keep."

Great, I thought to myself, they would bring that up. I saw the gleam in Shannon's eye and knew that she would not let it go.

"As for lovers..." Kisselia continued. "He has a world to choose from. There is a competition each year for the chance to serve at his castle. The winner gets..."

"Ah-hem!!!" This was getting out of hand. "I doubt the Lady Shannon would be interested..."

Peels of laughter erupted from Shannon. "Your people don't give you much in the way of privacy do they, Michael? But it's obvious that they love you and need your strength and guidance. My Mother is right, you've done well here. They were lucky that it was you that was pulled into their world."

My mind suddenly went back to the discussion at Stonehenge... "Cinniúint has chosen you as her plaything." Gaea had said. Fate, the dark lady, Cinniúint. Was it luck? Then again, what was luck? The web of events that lead to this meeting were so improbable as to be ridiculous. I forced my mind back to the present, I could think on that later.

"Um, yes milady, I suppose."

"Michael, don't worry about that now. Let's enjoy our time together. No one has a guarantee about tomorrow. Frankly even with regenabots and now your magic, every day is so precious to me. I will never take my time on this plane for granted. So let's eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow may never come!" She lifted her glass and drank the brandy down swiftly.

I watched as she downed the brandy, shaking my head. I knew that it packed quite a punch, but it usually snuck up on you if you sipped it. I tried downing a glass once and the world was fine... till I tried to stand up. I sipped my glass and fetched her another. Someday, I have to find out how they make this stuff, I mused.

She had been enjoying the evening. Now she did not feel quite right. Holding a hand to her head, she tried to stand and found herself sitting down abruptly. Giggling she fell over into Michael's lap. "Oh dear, are you alright, Michael?" Something about that statement set her off into gales of silly laughter again. Looking at Sean's consort, she thought of something terribly funny. "Your name has kiss in it!"

Sean and I looked at each other and I shrugged. She had been sipping brandy since we got here and that last glass she downed must have put her over her limit.

~Sean, I am going to take her back to my castle and put her to bed.~

~Don't worry about it dad. I will take care of things here.~ He smirked at me. ~Be sure to tuck her in good.~

I shot him a dirty look as I picked Shannon up, cradling her head so it did not wallow about.

~Are you going to end this tonight?~

~I doubt the elves would let me, as keyed up as they are, this could last a week.~ Sean replied.

~Well then, I will see you on the marrow.~

~Take care dad.~

I summoned a veil and stepped through to my bedroom. Shannon murmured against Michael's neck. Then she started nibbling delicately on his ear. "Why you read my mind Michael." Taking his face in her little hands, she slipped her tongue into his mouth and moaned.

She continued to surprise me. Such a delightful armful. I scanned her mind to see how intoxicated she was, no sense in starting something we couldn't finish, and found that she was not that drunk, but definitely in a mood to play.

Well, who was I to disappoint a lady?...

The next morning Shannon was awakened by Michael's kiss. Smiling and stretching, she slowly pulled herself up in his big bed. Oh what a glorious evening! She didn't usually indulge in heavy drinking but that elven brandy was intoxicating. Still, the mild headache this morning was unpleasant. Perhaps best to stick to sipping it next time. Ah well, the night had been worth the morning bill, she thought. She laughed at herself, but then moaned as her head throbbed.

"How do you feel, Milady?" I couldn't help but smile, she looked stunning.

"Um, I have a slight headache but otherwise great." Stretching again like the sleek predator she felt like, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him good morning. Now that was the right way to start the day!

As I kissed her, I let the power flow from me and corrected the imbalance in her body that was causing the headache. "Does that feel any better?" I asked when we broke the kiss.

Smiling at him, she answered, "Oh yes, thank you. What's on the menu for today's activities?"

"I don't know. From what my son says, the elves are planning on the party lasting for a few days. So when we get hungry we can drop back in to Camelot. I figured that you might have a few things that you want to see, in the meantime."

She cocked her head to look at his handsome face, "Michael I put myself into your hands entirely. Whatever you think best to do today, I'm game for.. Just tell me one thing, what outfit is appropriate for whatever we are going to do."

Hmm, she had put me on the spot with that one. Then it hit me, the perfect outing. Something I knew that she had never seen before. "You will need some slacks and a loose blouse. If you swim, bring something along. If you wear a suit that is." I chuckled. "Just visualize what you want and open a veil. It will probably go back to your ship, since that is where you are familiar with. I will show you my old homeworld later, and we can go shopping there."

Shannon visualized her bedroom closet and a veil opened up in front of her. She pulled some tan slacks and a white loose blouse from the drawers and her favorite emerald green bikini. She smiled remembering the last time she had worn it. Dressing quickly, she turned ready for anything he wished to show her.

I opened a veil and we stepped though, the sea air hit us as we came out. We were on a high platform looking out over a large island. Down the hill from us was a town made up of square white buildings. Farther out was a seaport. There were six rings in a concentric circles around the island, broken only by towered gates. The gates were offset by ninety degrees, making for a maze to get to the island. It was all glistening white.

"Welcome to Atlantis, milady."

Spinning around to face Michael, "Atlantis? The fabled island city that sank beneath the waves, that Atlantis? Where marvels far advanced for ancient times were commonplace?"

"If you go by Plato, yes. The mage Poseidon came here and did this, albeit on a smaller scale. Needless to say, there were no wars here, as there were no men in power to make them. I honestly don't have a clue if the accounts of earth were true, but here, it is quite real. This is the home of the mer-people, children of Poseidon, his creations. By the time I got here, the mer-people were quite primitive. They lacked the guidance of a mage to give them direction. So this has become Angel and Lily's pet project."

While we were talking we had been descending the steps towards the town. It was quite a trek. I watched as the rings disappeared one by one. We were close enough to see the lithe forms of the towns people as they went about their business and as of yet, we had not been spotted.

Shannon asked,"How primitive are they now? Can they speak or use telepathy?"

"They are on par with all of the people, as there are no secrets on this world. There is a local branch of the university here as well as most of the other major locations on this planet. They can speak as well as you and I, but prefer to use telepathy. It is a habit they picked up from living underwater. There is another whole city under this island at least four times the size of the one that you see. The town topside is just used to interact with most of the other races."

By this time we had been spotted and there was a flurry of activity.

~Milord, have you broke fast this day?~ Came the echoing sound of one of the Atlantians.

~No, we thought to dine with you, if it is no bother.~ I replied.

~We would be delighted as always, is the female joining us also?~

~She is my guest, her name is Shannon.~

~Milady Shannon, you honor us with your presence.~

One of the Atlantians was coming up the steps to greet us. Oh how handsome a people they are, she thought. ~Thank you for your gracious welcome. May I know your name?~

~I am called Hactor, milady. We have heard the whispers of you, daughter of Gaea. We are honored by your visit. Come and be welcome.~

He looked like the average mer, slightly bluish tinge and sleek. He was as tall as I and compactly muscled. As he turned to lead us, he seemed to glide on his feet. I caught a brief glimpse of the gills on his neck.

What new marvels awaited her this day? Shannon thought. Taking Michael's hand she followed behind, picking her way carefully over the steps. It was obvious that they weren't in constant use as here and there, grass grew up around them and a few were broken. Ahead the city was so beautiful.

~Milord, milady, would you care to dine up here or in the city proper?~

She looked at Michael for approval and his nod gave the choice to her. ~I'd love to see the city proper if that's possible.~

Hactor smiled and led us to the center of town. There was a two story building in the middle of an open square. Like the rest of the buildings that we had passed, it looked as if it was carved out of one huge block of white marble. It was round and about fifty yards across. Upon entering we saw that there was no rooms, just a pool that was about twenty yards across in the center. Hactor moved to a wall and took down two small masks. There were two bumps, about the size of golf balls on the front of each mask. I started to strip as Hactor handed me mine.

Watching Michael undress was a treat. He had a delicious body and sharing it had been very pleasurable. Well, when in Rome as the saying goes. She began to strip too. After all, he'd already seen everything...... And it wasn't as if she was particularly body shy. Folding her clothes, she slipped them into her pack and left them outside the building for later retrieval. Slipping on the mask she dove into the water, feeling right at home as she had always loving swimming.

~The masks are rebreathers. They are good for a few days. I don't have a clue how they work.~ Michael's mental voice came through her mind, making her smile.

We started down. After a few yards, there were lights in the side of the walls. There was still no evidence of stone work to be seen. We kept going down for about fifty feet, then a glow became evident in front of us. As we cleared the bottom of the pool, it opened into a vast cavern with a rather large city at the bottom. These buildings bore no relation to their cousins up top. There were spires and towers, all shapes and sizes. Hactor swam ahead of us, leading us to what looked like a large dome with a glass top. We swam to the bottom of the dome through one of the arched entrances, then back up. We came out of the water next to a circular platform that was about fifty yards across. There were stairs surrounding the platform that led out of the water.

Climbing out of the pool, Shannon turned to Michael. ~I'm enjoying the view, but I was wondering, will there be clothing here?~

I couldn't help but chuckle. "My dear, with the veil, there is clothing wherever you wish it to be." I opened a veil back to the entrance room and brought my clothes back through.

Smacking her own head, she turned and pulled her pack into the room through the veil. ~Bear with me love. I'm still getting used to all of this.~

After we had dressed, we made our way to the table. I had always found the mer's cooking delicious.

"Um, milady? I forgot to ask, do you like seafood?"

Laughing, she said, "Yes, I do. I raise lobsters on my planet because I enjoy them so much. And because it gives me enjoyment to see others eating food at the High Priestess that they can't get anywhere else. Now that I've visited your world perhaps some day you could come visit my world. It's a small planetoid that I found capable of raising sea life on. I had found five living lobsters in an aquarium on an abandoned ship, so I took them back to my ship and when I found this planet, I staked a claim and seeded the lobsters that I'd found. They've prospered quite a bit since then. I also built a cabin there. I think you'd like my home there."

"I would be honored to visit your home... by the way, you could add to your menu, you know." I pointed to some of the platters of food that was being brought in.

"If you 'found' another aquarium, you could add a few other things. I am sure the mers would help you 'find' something." I said with a grin.

She smiled, "Ah, I think I see what you mean, love. This should be interesting. Should we just dig in or would you like to introduce me to the mer people first?"

I smiled. "One of the things that I had a hard time getting used to was introductions. You brought it up before, now I suppose I should let you in on our custom. See the girl that just brought came in? Reach out to her and you will know her name. It is how we get know each other."

I concentrated on the lovely girl who had brought a platter with what looked like a shrimp dish in it. ~I am Marissa my lady.~ She smiled shyly at me. ~I am called Shannon dear child.~ An older merperson came up and placed a hand on her shoulder. The resemblance gave me to suspect that they were related. Reaching for her, ~I am Malika, Marissa's mother.~

I smiled as Shannon practiced with her new powers. I just hoped she did not fall into the same habits as I and forget that introductions were necessary to mundanes. This would also give her an advantage when she got back to her alternate. I smiled again as I thought of the hell she could raise when she got back amongst that group.

Seeing Michael smile, she felt a warm glow inside. He had made her so happy with all that she had seen, done and encountered. And the visit was not over yet! Sighing, at that thought, she knew that eventually she would have to return, as she had responsibilities there. Still, this was a great break from normalcy.

The rest of the meal went quickly. While I would not like their fare all of the time, the dishes that they made were fantastic. I learned, though, long ago, not to ask what was in them. We sat there for a while afterwards, sipping brandy and chatting. Unlike the locals, I didn't want to chance the bends if I did not have to. I could fix it, but why ruin a good time? I figured a tour of the underwater city then we could head back to Camelot and socialize for a while.

Slowly finishing her meal, Shannon savored the very different flavors of the new foods before her. Several of the merpeople smiled shyly and introduced themselves to her. ~I'm Mika~ another ~Julianna~ and ~Freesona~. There were a lovely and friendly people. Seeing Michael standing and their host, she stood as well, ready for whatever came next.

I turned as Shannon rose from the table. I had been talking with Hactor about a brief tour of the city. "Milady, are you finished? We are in no hurry today, please take your time, if you wish." The Mers had outdone themselves and the vast expanse of food had barely been touched, even though I had stuffed myself silly.

"I couldn't possibly eat another bite, my love. It was all delicious, but I'm afraid I'm feeling like a stuffed trout." She laughed as there had been a stuffed trout on the menu. "I'm ready to see more of the scenery if you are." She slipped her hand into his and smiled up at him.

I pulled her to me and into a hug. I looked into her eyes then our lips touched. I lost myself in the moment. When I looked up we were alone in the room, but I heard giggles from down the hall.

Shannon purred into his mouth. It was so easy to forget everything else when she was in his arms. He was like a magnet for her. All he had to do was touch her and she was his again. A slow smile crossed her lips. She seemed to have a similar affect on him it seemed. Hip to hip, the evidence of his desire was clear. She laid her head on his chest and took a deep breath to steady herself.

I held on to her for a few more moments, savoring the feel of her body against mine.

~I still say you should keep her master~ Came a musical chuckle in my mind.

~ She is her own women, minx, and stop eavesdropping.~

There was a purr, then. ~Master, I am a cat, not a minx... and if you don't want everyone to know, you should turn down the power of your thoughts some. You woke me out of a nice cat nap with Elerith and Eschele.~

Oops, now that was more than a little embarrassing. I glanced down at Lady Shannon to see if she had heard. Shannon took less than a second to confirm that she had caught that exchange by throwing her head back and laughing heartily. "Well, you did say there were no secrets here."

I stared a her for a moment then the laughter caught me up. I hugged her tightly then released her. Wiping a tear from my eye, I started to strip down. Hopefully a swim would cool me off some.

A gleam in her eyes, Shannon watched for a moment, then she concentrated and her clothes disappeared and were replaced by her favorite emerald green bikini. While she was not shy about Michael seeing her nude, she did not feel completely comfortable being that way in front of the young merpeople just yet. "Now where are we going next?" she asked Michael.

I was dumbstruck... almost falling over, as I had one pants leg halfway off. "Where did... how, who showed you that?" It did not take long for me to figure out how she did it, but the idea had never occurred to me, or anyone else as far as I knew.

She laughed. "You might find this funny but I remember my Mother doing that when I was very, very small." Apparently seeing her again has unlocked those early memories. "So what do you think?" She modeled her bikini for him, turning this way and that, doing a little pirouette.

I smiled as she turned. She actually fit in this world better than I did. I wondered to myself if she realized how the people were falling for her. She had a way of simply captivating you and taking you with her as she enjoyed life.

Smiling, Shannon reached out and took Michael's hand. "Shall we go then?" She laughed with glee, enjoying the adventure of a lifetime. Too soon, the routine world would have to be put back on like a coat. Still the memories of this journey would be a bright spot. Perhaps there would be more trips to Avalon in the future, she thought.

This roleplay was taken to this point a little over a year ago. It was interrupted, sadly, by Shannon's ban. While the story was never finished, it has always been one of my favorites.

This holds the dubious honor of being the first RP that I had ever done. For those of you who may be wondering, Avalon is taken from a story that I had previously written. Regrettably, the original story cannot be shared with anyone under the legal age, as it is QUITE explicit. (I never claimed to be an angel) As a matter of fact, it probably would not do for some adults, as it touches on various aspects of the BDSM scene.

Upon coming to Star Pirates and discovering RPing, I found that I could not fit in to the mainstream RP community. (most of the rooms were too small for a dragon) After discussing this with Lady Shannon, we decided to merge one of the RP's that she did, where she and Cassandra had a little adventure, with the world of Avalon. After a few days, we decided to try it. The response on the initial RP in the shout box was so great that we decided to continue it. What you have read is the result of a months worth of Emails, PMs, IM's and phone calls.

I hope you enjoyed this little romp. It was a blast to write and I hope as much fun to read.

Already over, all good things have an end it seem. I was hoping to see some developement about the AI problem, or maybe a glimpse at the true motivation of the SoE(as you saw it). It's over, but it was fun while it lasted.