It Is Time

[Cotnar]

The beast followed the smoke as best he could but eventualy lost it. But he would not give in. The hound could not find him through scent, the hawk could not see the diffrence between him and smoke. With yet another atempt to be victor the spineless python scanned the area. Not only could snakes see with their forked tounges but they could somehow see diffrences in heat as well. It was how they were such capeable hunters. The life of the child held much more heat within it than simple smoke. And besides, with this snake body, perhaps there was a way that he could use that could not be beaten. It was a strong risk, but he was willing to take it. The wide-headed python weaved it's way over the stones of the floor flicking out his tounge every few seconds to ensure he was going the right direction. This would have to wirk if nothing else did.

[Damian]

Damian watched the snake. What on earth was he planning now? He took them up higher in the fireplace, eventually floating up to the ceiling of the enterance hall, still within the group of normal smoke, watching the green snake down below them. He couldn't get them from the ceiling! What in the name of fire was he trying to do? This is redicules. Thought Mian. What could possibly be acheived through this? If the snake tried to swallow them, they would simply become fire. He coudn't constrict smoke, and if he tried to climb the fireplace it only meant that he would have to go through the fire to get to them, burning himself in the process, and by then of course, Damian and Galen could have moved to a new location. This was stupid.

[Cotnar]

The snake continued his consistant speed knowing he would reach them. Stronger than most snakes simply because he was a changeling he stretched his body out to twice it's original size so that his head ant tail could reach the ceiling. He stayed there for a long while, perfectly still and staring at what the heat around him told him was the boy's eyes. Not a mucle on him moved. Then, with perfect acuracy he struck clamping his jaws over the child alone. The boy was young, not much bigger than a rabit, prey easily swallowed whole from a beast of his size. But he was careful and quick to ensure none of the sprite's body entered his own. The moment he was certain of it he curled into a ball and became a belstone. The demon's impentrable skin would protect him from any fire he could throw at him, the only flaw was that he was rooted to the spot to keep his sheild. But on his enemies bad side, if they tried to sway him for too long the child inside him would die.

[Damian]

Damian flew down to the demon, placing one smokey hand on him. Becoming not smoke or fire, but heat itself, he seeped into the beast, emerging with the baby. Would he never apreciate the powers of a Fire Spirit? He was not a sprite. He was a Spirit. Learning now, Damian flew with Galen once again to the ceiling, in the middle this time, where the snake would not reach them. The Fire Spirit watched. Was their fight over? Now what was the demon going to do? Damian had proved himself against everything that was thrown at him. What else would the beast do? Would he really be that foolish enough to keep going?

[Cotnar]

The demon searched and searched for an answer and realized his mistake. He had spent to many years among the humans and lost sight of his traning. He now understood what he had done wrong and what needed to be done. The boy could be a spirit, drifting in and out of the world becoming heat and smoke. But he could do the same only with his elemental opposite: Water. With the two spirits pitted against eachother they were evenly matched. His body spread throughout the entire room, his size increasing as he did to ensure he was not spread to thin. He had become the very air itself. Then his body began to absorb, making the oxygen in the air be pressed to a single place. Without the fuel of oxygen fire cannot survive.

[Damian]

Damian realized what was happening. He flew out the window, flying far across the sky and into the forest. It was there that he materialized once, let the baby be himself of a mere moment or two, before turning into smoke again. He sailed across the atmosphere, away from the demon, and probably unnoticed unless he had been spotted from the window. But here, in the wide outdoors, was too wide for even a shapeshifter to fill up the whole space. They were safe out here. And in the dark, nothing could see them. They were safe at last.

[Cotnar]

The battle had dragged on for a long time. The air became a chemira and he leaned over to lick his stomach. He would never admit to being outwitted by a boy, but defeated was something his people should have understood. a being over a hundred times younger than he was was expected to have a stronger life force. But he wasn't outsmarted. He shook himself off and padded towards the forest with a strong gait, as though nothing ever happened.

[Damian]

Damian watched from his birds-eye view. When he was satisfied that the beast had left the battle, he brought the baby to the rooftop. There, they still sat as smoke, and they would remain as such until morning. After that, the Fire Spirit would bring him back down to his mother and father. But for now, safety was the most important thing, even if that meant being more careful than he had to be.

[Cotnar]

The beast moved away from his wreckage of the castle knowing that the several broken walls will probalby lead to the collapse of the castle itself. Even if he had failed to take control of the boy at least the royal family would be forced out of house and home. Just to be sure he destoried another few walls having no shame for himself. He sprouted wings and flew to where the boy held his new wife in his arms and touching her where he knew she had reserved for Caspian alone. At least one of them had not failed. But he would always strike again. There was no end to his being so he had no reason to be afraid. One way or another, one generation or the next, he would win.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len watched from the tower. She didn't want to be involved in another fight just yet. She needed a reason to help. After the child was taken she ignored everything else but the safety of the child. Something seemed to stab her through her magic. Could it be that the child that lived was the one whom she placed some of her magic in? Len's heart bounded loudly in her chest. She could sense every place where the child went. He was in danger. Len took off in search of the Spirit that had the child. She found them very quickly. Here ears picked up the sound of the child's sobs. She walked along the roof as she approached the fire spirit. "Give me the child. I can help him. My name is Len, I am the witch who serves under the King and Queen. I helped that child many times and he knows me. Please let me help" She pleaded with a hand outstretched.

[Damian]

Damian looked up at her from his smokey eyes. He searched his mind, running back in his memories. Was she speaking truth? Yes. He could remember seeing her a few times around the Castle, but they had never actually met. Her voice didn't sound deceiving, and neither did her expression. "Alright." he said, materializing briefly before turning both himself and the babe into smoke again. "But we must wait for the demon to leave. He'll find us if we stay human. The Prince is safe like this." he said, but the baby did need some help. Galen had been put under too much stress for a little guy to handle. His heart beat was fast, and his tiny stomach growled ferociously. Some of the acid from the snake's insides also was lying on his skin, probably making him itch and burn. "You may help him once we are somewhere safe." Dami told her. "I'm Damian, one of the warriors of the military." he introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len watched the child. She could sense the demon near by. "I have dealt with the demon before. At least let me help him some what. Some of my magic runs through him so it would only take a sec. As one magic user to another it is important to the Prince's health" She said. She used some magic to create a mist around herself and the roof. Thankfully the weather called for it.

[Damian]

Damian thought for a moment. "Alright." he said, materializing for good this time. He held the baby in the mist, but still low enough that they were hidden by the roof's archer stations. Galen cried softly, and the Fire Spirit felt bad for him. The poor child was only hours old, and he was already in more trouble than he should have had to deal with. "Here he is." The boy squirmed slightly in his hands, frightened that he couldn't see anything. But the good thing was, no one could see him, either.

[Lamont]

Lamont looked from his bride to the beast that hung from his window. His presence at his wedding was an unexpected maneuver, something that rarely occurred around the beast who planned his every move almost perfectly. And to make matters worse he did not carry the child. But if it was not in his possession then it was in someone else's, or it was truly dead. In either case if it somehow did survive Susan could not know. He gripped her arm tightly and took her to the changeling. "I believe it is time for us to leave now."

[Queen Susan the Gentle]

Susan looked back one last time towards Caspian pleading for him to save her, though she knew he couldn't, at least not not now. He had already married them now and there was nothing he could do about it. She mounted the monster that had killed her sister, shivering as his skin touched hers. "You don't have to hold me so hard."