Shadow turned hearing his named called, he looked over at Remus inquisitively. He tried to turned around, but there was no room and his body was to long. But Shadow was curious and this was only a minor set back. Rearing up on his hind, he was able to pivot and turn, about as he leaving large slash marks in the wall from his claws as he steadied himself on the down.

The young dragon clicked his tongue and grunted as he once again strode up to Remus and looking for more sweets.

Shadow perked up and looked to the stairs once more... he heard and smelled the water. He tilted his head curious as to how water could get into the this place?... little lone how did it travel up stairs? He looked back at Remus, not really sure what to make of this old mage... other than he fact that he seemed to have an unlimited supply of sweets.

Knowing the damage done could be repaired with ease, the old man sat on the chair, which was now hoovering after Shadow, and chuckling every now and again at the things the dragon did. He really was a charming fellow, all fun and spark, not the least bit boring, until the normal pets he had kept for years. Maybe he'd invite Arila to stay for a decade or two. That thought made him laugh even harder. Her? Stay? Ha. She had barely been able to stay her apprenticeship.

"Shadow is your name right? I'm Remus," the old man told the dragon, doubting he was listening, but still wanting to establish that he was Arila's second teacher. It had been a great pain and pleasure at the same time.

Just as she had thought, her room was up in the third floor and there was a bath chamber attached to it. She smiled at the memories that she had made in that room, knowing that her master had kept all of it just for her.

She went into the room and found a jar with water that was the right tempurature and tilted it into her bath, with some soap. The water poured out endlessly, until she lifted it up. Disrobing she stepped into the subs and sank down, sighing in pleasure and hoping that Shadow hadn't eaten her master.

Shadow looked over to Arila, he didn't want to be left alone. He moved quietly up the bottom of the stairs and snorted as he was instructed not followed. But then something else caught his attention, he turned finding the old man had been tampering with his treasure. He cracked his long whip like tail on the floor loudly, causing the walls to shake and the picture frames to rattle on the walls.

Shadow quickly went over to investigate it, he however was then distracted by the sweets being tossed his direction. The young dragon thrummed quite thrilled with the attention he was getting. He wondered over the mage and circled about looking expectantly for more sweets... that was until something else caught his attention.

He looked over at the pen moving across on canvas seemingly on its own accord. Shadow leaned intrigued. He quickly snatched up pen and dropped it next to his Chandelier. He then looked back up the stairs longingly for his keeper, as he was gradually losing interest in the sweets the more concerned he got about Arila.

Shadow slowly began ascending the stairs, his long claws digging into the wood as wings knocking pictures off the wall. Shadow groaned, halfway up and looked down over the rail back to the chandelier to make sure the old mage hadn't touched it.

Her master began to mess with the crystal and soon had it all bundled up so that Shadow could carry it with ease, which surprised Arila, since he was usually so greedy that getting a penny to buy a snack with was something to write down. Then she remembered her master had always wanted the chance to at least study a dragon so Shadow must have seemed like a blessing to him in his old age.

Standing up, she said to her master, "I'm going to get in a bath. Shadow, I'm going up the stairs, so I'll still be in the house, but you can't follow me in that form. You'll wreck the house. I'll be back soon. Don't worry. I'll find my own way."

"You always have," he replied, not looking away from the black dragon before him as he drew Shadow with magic, trying to capture the things that stood out to him. The mental image the dragon created was more important to him than how it actually looked, though he used magic to capture his actual image too. Every few minutes he would go to fetch more sweets to toss to Shadow.

"You're the worst!" Arila snapped

Shadow wasn't really able to keep up with the two mages. But he did like the crystals like the old man had said and he loved the sweets.

"Did you have to destroy my master's home? I'm already in debt to him."

The young dragon lowered his head as his keeper scolded him, though he felt it was well worth it, he just wanted to look sorry in order to get more candy from the box of sweets. He looked over to the elderly man once more, for more sweets.

"Don't worry, my dear. I'll die before you can pay it in full."

Shadow waited patiently for Arila to set the sweet box down, lingering behind just bit and then promptly doubled back and devoured the sweets and box all in one bite, leaving no trace of it behind.

Shadow then hastily went back over to what he thought was now his chandelier and laid down next to it, watching Arila quietly, hoping no one noticed the sweet box missing.

To Arila, it was justice that Shadow had torn down the chandelier, since her master either had used magic to form it or magic to earn it and it was wrong and against their practice. her master, however, took it with a laugh, the stupid jolly old man, so she thought. He tossed one of the sweets to Shadow and asked, "Liked the crystal huh? I guess you won't be able to tell the real deal from the fake stuff until you're older, though I have to admit, I was fond of that piece. Maybe I can resecure it."

"You're the worst!" Arila snapped at her master with a laugh. Her eyes were hard as she turned them to Shadow and asked, "Did you have to destroy my master's home? I'm already in debt to him."

He patted her hand reassuringly and told his pupil, "Don't worry, my dear. I'll die before you can pay it in full."

She moaned in disappointment, but mostly it was just in jest with her master, since he seemed to be in such a good mood. Getting up, she went to the table, as her master went to examine the damage to his front hall; quietly, she went through the sweets until she found her favorite, and then happily, she popped it into her mouth.

To Shadow utter humiliation the old man laughed at him. Shadow's let out an indignant hiss and plopped himself down on the ground and glanced up at his keeper.

"Stay within the magical barrier, but you can go back into the forest. My master is protecting us now. Try not to kill anything that looks precious."

Shadow blinked raising his head up with concern, but he stayed put by the door waiting for her to return.... well sort of... he waited three minutes.


Shadow was able to fit through the door way, but only just. He hand to crawl low in order to squeeze himself through. The hardest part was fitting his broad shoulders and his massive black velvet wings through. Fortunately his scales were very smooth and glided along course surfaces with ease.

Sound of click, click, clicking created of long knife like claws digging into the wooden floor echoed throughout the vast entry.

The pendent he hand been carrying fell out mouth and his eyes went wide he young dragon had never been in a house quite like this before..... he was absolute paradise! there was so many shiny objects!

But behold! Shadow looked up and there hanging from to the ceiling was great chandelier shining with light and sparking with crystals!

Shadow could not resist the temptation, he reared up on his hind legs stretching his neck to its full extension.

--

Just about the time when the old man had opened his box of sweets, there was a loud crash!

Seconds later Shadow showed up in the study dragging the priceless chandelier behind him... of which he had just ripped out of the cieling... The young dragon dropped his treasure on the floor, and perked his head up.

He looked first over to Arila and then to her master... very much interested in the sweets he was holding in his hands.

For a moment there was silence and the old man stared at Shadow and then he roared with laughter, roughly clapping Arila on the shoulder, so that she was jolted forward a bit, but she also smiled, perhaps a bit perplexed, so he explained, "He-he reminds me of you, when you were younger. All challenge and malice. This is truly the workings of Fate. You have to deal with a dragon form of yourself."

"I wasn't that bad!" Arila protested, even though she figured that he was right, and the old man would have none of it. He laughed her off, before turning and entering the house, saying over his shoulder, "Come on, let us talk business my dear."

Arila looked at Shadow, before following her master, as said, as she placed his clothing on the top step, "Stay within the magical barrier, but you can go back into the forest. My master is protecting us now. Try not to kill anything that looks precious."

With those words in parting, she turned and followed her master into his home, which was richly furnished, as if an old lady had done it, but she knew her master was unwed and unwanting of a bride. He settled in a plush chair and Arila sat on a couch across for him, arching an eyebrow as she asked, "Might I inquire why I had to hasten here, master?"

"Ah yes, well I was figuring I could throw a little party and have you show off your magic, but seeing as how you have a dragon, just camp out here for a bit. I have some nonmagical enemies that I want to frighten a bit," he replied, going through boxes of sweets on a table beside his chair and Arila laughed. He wouldn't answer anymore of her questions, past experience had taught her that, so they traded stories of recent times.

Shadow snorted seeing that Arila refused to even thank him for flying her all this way.

He followed her, though at a distance, he knew she was angry with him. But she had started it first, it wasn't funny to talk about leaving after what had happened. Seeing her toss the pendent aside, he quickly snatched it up in his teeth, planning on hiding it later.

He looked about at the mansion and grunted, disapproving of being so close human buildings. But he followed Arila anyway despite his discomfort.

His timidness all but vanished when saw the old man at the stairway. He raised his head and puffed out his chest trying intimidate the elderly man.

"How have you been? Doing a bit of this and that?"

"Yes master.

Shadow tilted his head a bit perplexed that this old man was her master. The young dragon loomed over Arila, his dark blue eyes fixed on the man.

Meet Shadow,"

Shadow let out a small growl his blue tongue licked his dagger like teeth trying to scare her master... which if he did, would be disaster for Arila.

Her heart has leap, seeing the ground so far away, but it had been with joy, not fear as she had expected. She had rolled with the landing, like so many other times, and ended up on her feet. As she dusted herself off, she didn't look at Shadow. Her pride was wounded, but also the knowledge that he didn't respect her left her steaming with anger.

Not a word passed her lips as she set off walking again, her chin held high. As she moved onward, towards her goal, as if she had never lingered on any other path, she reached up and took off the pendant that she had worn since retrieving it from the vampiress. Her foot falls slowed as she looked at it, but still not hesitation. Holding her hand away from her, she dropped the pendant, now useless that the magic had been used and pointless to be carried around.

It wasn't long before she came to the magic barrier, which she passed through and felt the warm embrace of her master's magic. Memories flooded her mind, mostly when the warm touch of magic had become a hot slap of rage from her mistakes and pranks and idiocy. She had had a good apprenticeship with this master, all and all. He was a pleasant fellow, whom was quick to laugh, but quick to scold. Right was right and wrong was wrong in his opinion. Even if he didn't see the shades of gray that colored Arila's world, she enjoyed his company.

The cabin came into view as they rounded a bend in the forest path, and just as Arila had predicted, it had grown into quite a manor. The wood looked brand new on the walls and the black shingles looked like they were freshly washed from the rain. It was three stories, with a balcony on the second story, over looking the grand yard, decorated in a luxurious fashion. The black, wood front door swung open as Arila headed up the stairs and the old man embraced her and didn't let get until he was certain she wouldn't hug back.

Pleasantly, he asked her, "How have you been? Doing a bit of this and that?"

"Yes master. Meet Shadow," she gestured behind her indifferently, though a pair of sparkling white-blue eyes locked onto the dragon curiously.

Shadow smirked hearing her growl, he didn't feel fighting distanced them. Being a young wild male dragon he was combative by nature. But this was not fighting, he was merely getting to know his keeper, seeing what he could get away with.... could he out right defy her? what would she do? he had no doubt she cared for him, but there was much more he wished to learn about her.

- -

"Fine! Wait here the fortnight that I am with my master. I've traveled alone before."

When shadow heard this, his eyes narrowed into angry slits and he rose to his feet. Such things were not to be joked about, he turned himself in such away she would face his back side unable reach his head or hug his neck.

"Once dark falls, I'll enter town. You can fly over and we'll meet up in the forest on the otherside. Make yourself scarce until I find you, understand?" Arila asked

Shadow only glared at her, he said nothing, he had nothing to say. He did not know words to speak of what he felt.

"Do you think one or two hours without me will be more than you can stand?"

With out so much as a sound , the you dragon spread his massive black wings and reared up and and lunged into the air, in eerily silent take off, as his powerful black wings propelled him into the sky. For a moment it looked as if he was leaving, as soared through the air going higher and higher, but this was not so... Shadow circled around gracefully.

Suddenly Shadow altered course and came plummeting downward and came swooping down, snatching her up into the air with his claws.

Which was rather disgraceful manor for any keeper to be carried in such away... as it was the way most dragon's carried there young...

In a matter of minutes he was flying her over the the city where he set her down rather roughly in the middle of the on clearing the opposite of the city there road met up with of forest once more.

Shadow landed a few feet away, making no apologies for dropping her like he did ... he had made his point.

Arila growled at his stubbornness, literally growled, and her mind spun as she thought up various solutions to the problem. Fighting back a smile as she came up with the perfect plan, she snapped in feigned frustration, "Fine! Wait here the fortnight that I am with my master. I've traveled alone before."

Turning her emerald gaze back to meet his azure orbs, she watched his reaction, before walking over and rubbing his nose gentle. Shaking her head, she murmured to him confidently, "Don't worry, don't worry. I won't leave you."

"Once dark falls, I'll enter town. You can fly over and we'll meet up in the forest on the otherside. Make yourself scarce until I find you, understand?" Arila asked him, hugging his neck playfully. She didn't like fighting with him, because it made them feel distant, but playing with him wasn't something she was certain of how to do yet. In a teasing manner she asked, "Do you think one or two hours without me will be more than you can stand?"