Akaron Corvus Cometh.

Flashes of memories filled his mind. Grooming Agdar, his brush gently purging the jet black feathers of accumulated filth, cleaning the gore off his talons and shining his mighty horns. Flashes of battles fought, some won some lost. So vivid he could smell the tang of blood and sweat and the acrid odour of death.

Where am I? Why do i feel so strange?

His eyes opened slowly onto an unfamiliar sky. He turned his head and viewed an alien landscape.

His roar filled the air.

Sitting on a nearby rock was a woman dressed completely in black. She had black booted heels, a black (slightly ruffled) skirt topped with a long, open sleeved black shirt. She had laced up leather gloves that ran to her elbows and a strange, wide brimmed hat.

Her hair beneath the hat was long and flowed past her shoulders to meet the base of her spine. Her skin had an alabastor quality and her lips were the colour of red roses. Her teeth flashed white as she smiled at the roaring Riada.

"I have not seen your kind around here before," she stated in a silken, soft voice. Gentle but commanding at the same time. "Calm down, Warrior. My name is Wraith. What would you be called?"

It was clear that his fiercesome nature did not affect her in the slightest.

Akaron rose from the ground, still consumed with rage. But this rage was somehow different from any he had experienced before. It was an almost concrete thing, he could feel his muscles pulsing throbbing, clearly energized by his white hot fury, his being filled with a bestial desire to rend and tear. But some spark in his mind allowed him to harness his rage, force it to bend to his will. He looked down at his body, and found himself to be much further from the ground then he remembered. He examined his arms and hands, it seemed impossible, but he was clearly far larger and more powerful then he had been in the past. He looked toward the mysterious, and enchantingly beautiful woman and spoke in a voice much deeper and more animal then ever he had spoken in before.

"Who are you? Where am I? Why am i changed so?"

A dark eyebrow lifted and red lips quirked up into a smile. "Easy there, Warrior. One question a time is all I can answer, though I shall do my best," her voice was gentle, though her tone was one of warning. It seemed that she was no stranger to such meetings and that she felt in control, no matter how big or enraged he felt.

She sighed and settled her skirts around her as she frowned in thought. "As I said before, I am called Wraith. I am... what you'd call a caretaker, I suppose, of this place you see around you. Well, not here exactly, but close."

She frowned again, thinking back onto the questions he had asked earlier. "You are in what I call Illusion Vale." Again, red lips twisted into a somewhat sardonic smile, "Just some trivial thing I decided to name it. Its true name has escaped me, all these years..." she trailed off, her eye turning glassy with the recollection of something distant in her past.

Though she looked quite young, she held herself with an assurity and maturaturity that belied her apparent age. There was an indefinible aura of power pulsating around her, yet her red lipped smile put him at ease and her gentle, swaying voice lilted calmly over his ears.

"As to you I am not sure. I can only say that you are different than what you were before. It happens to some of us." She paused, "The people that get brought here. Sometimes we remain the same, but others..." she gave a tiny lift of her shoulders in a delicate shrug.

Her sharp, dark eyes lanced into his gaze and her voice rose firmly, "Breathe easy, Warrior. You will not be harmed here."

Then she smiled once again, fluidly graceful as she arched another eyebrow up in question, "So, I ask again. What would you be called?" Her tone gently reminding him to be polite.

He bowed his head, "Akaron, Akaron Corvus, Commander of the Ravenwings, son of Lillith of Ravenshold." he said, his eyes cast to the ground.

"I apologize for my manner, but one minute I am grooming my raven, and next i am in a new world entirely, its a bit of shock."

Wraith didn't pretend to know what the titles he had stated after his name had meant, but she politely nodded and kept that warm smile of welcome upon her reddened lips.

Her pales hands, under the dark elbow reaching gloves, clasped together as she gave him a familiar grin, "Yes well, most people get a shock when they first come here."

She tilted her head, considering something as a strange light came into her eye, "Seeing as you seem to be of a hardy sort, I will settle a few things with you first."

She began to tick of fingers as she spoke clearly, yet slowly, "First of all, you cannot go home. At least not yet. I've yet to work out exactly how or why people are sent here and how to get them back."

Sighing, she continued, "Everything you know may have just been turned around. For example, you may be different from what you were in your old world. This doesn't just mean physically, this means mentally and in terms of abilities. You may have forgotten some of your old techniques, warrior and have been forced to relearn or to learn new ones."

Smiling, to take the sting out of her matter of fact words, she continued, "And lastly, but most importantly. I will not tolerate fighting of any sort in the Vale. I am the caretaker here, I created everything you see around you and I will not have that ruined or touched by violence. You may keep to your arts, but don't push them onto others."

Her glance changed, her dark eyes pinning him to the spot as her voice became harder, "Be assured I can deal with any difficulties that arise, warrior. Be it by your hand or others." Her voice low and her tone unmistakable.

Then she brightened and gently smiled again, "If you have further questions, I suggest you ask them of me, though others will be willing to help you. Once they get to know you, of course."

Then she stood, "This sun is wearying me, lets walk and I'll take you to the town center."

Akaron absorbed her words but could not understand all of them. "How is it there is no fighting? it is the nature of peoples to fight, are there no weapons in this place?" he asked, as he followed her toward the town center. "If there is no war, how does one earn honour and glory?"

She tilted her head to the side as she considered her answer, "Of course we have weapons to defend ourselves, though they only serve to drive off unwanted animals."

She glanced at him and smiled, "Glory and honor can be had without bloodshed, warrior. Have you a certain skill? Can you weave, can you dye? Can you dance?" She laughed, "All things that can be contributed to our world, new things, improved ideas... things that help us to live can give you as much honor and glory as killing can,"

She shrugged, "Besides, who here are we going to fight? We need to survive and with out one another, we cannot do that. There is only so far I set you on the path, the rest is up to you," she shrugged.

Glory through death had never been a good point with her, being no stranger to having to kill to survive, it left a bitter taste in her mouth, though she would not have this warrior think her weak.

Akaron looked surprised at her explanation. "My only skills are in death Mistress, whether in the hunt or at war. I was born to warriors, raised a warrior, and i had hoped to die a warrior, but now who knows? Can i die as a warrior if there is no war to die in? It doesnt seem so."

"You can die protecting one you love," she mused, quietly to herself, though her tone was distant and it seemed that she wasn't actually speaking to him.

Then she turned her dark eyes his way and once again her reddened lips curved up in her all too pale face, the wide brimmed hat flopping slightly in the breeze, "You can hunt animals? You can protect us from predators." She shrugged delicately, "There may be a way you can fulfill your self chosen destiny, warrior, but as to that, I cannot say just yet. You will have to wait. The Vale goes by its own pace, I've learnt and now I'm loathe to rush it,"

It wasn't exactly clear what she was talking about, but at least she sounded sure of herself and in control of her own words.

"Do you know of weapons? Can you smith?" she suddenly asked, her piercing glance striking him from the side.

Akaron shrugged, turning away. "i have been known to work in the forges, but i know little more then how to effect repairs on my weapons and armor. It was all the smithery i was allowed to learn, being made to focus on my duties as a Knight."

Wraith gave a little inner sigh and gently brushed his shoulder plate with her fingertips, "Do not worry, warrior. We will have need of you and perhaps you shall have your destined death? Just do not expect me to bless that it shall be any time soon, hmm?"

She gave him a full smile, her unconscious sexual aura pulling on his nerves. She did not make any further comment, nor did she look directly at him for a long time. She had learned that staying as physically and mentally distant from a person could help assuage the unconscious pulling power she had recently discovered she possessed.

"Come now, its a long walk," she said at last when she could not stand the silence any longer, "Tell me of your world. I do not believe I have ever greeted one of your kind before. Your titles do not seem familiar with me."

There was something strange about this woman, something about her that called to his primal urges, he felt as if he should pounce on her and behave most irrationally. He suppressed the feeling as best he could, such thoughts did not befit a Knight.

"My world? Well, i come from a land called Garlyn. My mother's name is Lillith, and she is the Countess of Ravenshold, my home. My father's name was Baryn, and he was from Stormgarde in the north, and his brother was Alleron Talarus, Duke of Stormgarde. He is my uncle. My sister Brigid is the elder, and she will take my mothers place as Countess. I was commander of the Ravenwings. You see, long ago, my ancestor Corvus formed a pact with Jhad, the raven-king, and ever since Ravenshold has been the home of the Raven Knights. So called because we ride elder ravens into battle."

Wraith absorbed the information in silence, keeping quiet for several moments after. Even to the point when her lack of speech became uncomfortable. Then she suddenly cleared her throat and patted his shoulder, "There is much to be said about home. Least of all the more important people in your family. I will do my best to return you to your world, I give you my word."

Her voice had dropped a few decibells, her manner changing slightly as she quickly withdrew her hand, realising her presumptuous mistake before it could make an impact on the male that walked by her side, "Many people here have lost too much family. It has taken me too long to find a way from this place," a note of disgust entered her voice but she stopped talking abruptly, as if she had just realised what she had said aloud.

"I'm sorry..."

"I appreciate that, but at the very least, this is a new quest, an adventure that none have even imagined. I would like a sword though, i feel naked without one."

Wraith nodded, almost absently, "I'm sure we can find you something, warrior," her smile was almost secretive, almost seductive. Or was that simply the effect her sexual aura was giving? It was truly hard to tell. Her beauty was something that could stop men's hearts.

"We are here," she said, stretching a hand forwards and sweeping it around in a delicate yet grand gesture.

They had just crested a sand dune. Before them, in a valley of sorts, was a long stretch of land hidden amongst the dunes. Under the moonlight, swaying treetops were discernable. A rather large village, yet a rather small town wound its way through the trees in a dotted manner. It reminded one of the buildings to found during the stone age on Earth, yet Akaron would not know of this little bit of information, having never been there.

"The Vale," she stated, smiling and then making her silent way down the sand dune. Strangely enough, her feet didn't seem to disturb the sand beneath her in the slightest and while the winds had picked up lightly and filled Akaron's clothes with itching, scratching grains of dirt; Wraith herself remained suspiciously clear of such treatment. Her clothing immaculate, the sand not seeming to touch her.

He stopped a moment as she smiled at him. He felt his heart quicken and those strange feelings from earlier return redoubled. He cleared his throat and refocused his mind. Such thoughts were not appropriate.

the wind had picked up, and he felt coarse sand all about him. But not on Wraith, she was still immaculate, it was most odd.

He looked down upon the vale, seeing a village not dissimilar from those in the vale of bharkad around ravenshold, or like the towns in the frozen north around his uncles home in Stormgarde. he instantly felt a strange connection with this small land and a smile crossed his face.

Wraith looked back to see the smile that was on Akaron's face. She smiled back, waving him forwards and continuing on her way back to The Vale. She glided easily over the sand, sliding down the side of the dune.

"The Vale is by no means a replacement for your old world. I simply made it comfortable for people when they stay here. It sort of becomes a second home, but please, don't think I'm keeping you here. I just don't want to see people perish in the harsh desert beyond."

She looked back and smiled hopefully, "This is the only sign of civilisation that I know around here."

He looked at her, "it just... bears a great resemblance to any normal village around my home." he said as he walked toward it.

She smiled, "Good, then perhaps you won't feel so far away from home?" her tone was hopeful and her smile was gentle, though her eyes held a misgiving note.

"There are plenty of people that you can bunk with while we get a place ready for yourself. Or if you'd like, there's a communal house over there," she pointed over to one of two long houses that could be seen from their vantage point.

"I can take you to the smith if you'd like. Perhaps he's got something for you?" she shrugged as they reached the outskirts of town, turning around and placing her hands on her hips, waiting for his decision.

"The smith would be most fine," He said, looking around the village. "And i can stay wherever you like madam, I do not need much."

She laughed, "Oh don't call me madam, it makes me sound so old!" she grinned, "Wraith will be just fine, or caretaker, if you wish."

She began brisquely walking in a certain direction, "I'm sure the Smith will still be up at this hour. She has quite a lot of things and orders to keep up with what with being the only smith. I'm not sure of the apprentices though, they'll probaby be abed by now," she shrugged delicately and continued to walk.

Just as it happens the smithy was on the opposite side of the village the had come in on.

"As you wish milady." he said bowing. They walked through the village and saw all types of creatures, but no humans. "Am i still human? or have i changed into another type of creature?" he asked Wraith as they approached the smithy.

She took a sidelong look at him. He appeared human enough, however, his scent and his aura was something definitely non-human. At least, in a way that she supposed humans to look like, not actually ever having seen one.

"People that come here often look as you do, and as I do, but they are more than what they seem. There seems to be no exception to that rule." She smiled and kept an easy going pace, in no hurry at the moment.

"I may look human, but I assure you. I am not." She smiled gently once again, quietly wondering what his world would have been like. It sounded so similar to the fantasy worlds she had created as a novelist when she had been back on earth. She smiled wistfully at that thought, but did not voice it.

"I know you are not human milady, there is something different about you, you are like a dhampir, but you are kind, and dhampir are all evil. But your beauty is unnatural, and so the dhampir" he said, as they approached the smithy.

"Is there a mirror about, i would see what i look like now, i feel as if i now have horns."