((Follow the Braid everyone)) The Arival pt 2

She was loosing her temper. For once everyone listened to her, of all the times. Oh yes, she was aware of what she had told them, and she would remember everything she said or did later as well. She hadn't put her memory in the diamond.

Dre pushed her back down, and what a dirty way to do it to. And how could he talk to her like that? She was his mother. {1} "Dre, bébé, arrêt svp. Vous me blessez fils. Et comment allez-vous parler à votre propre mère qui manière?"

She tried to fight againts him, to no avail. {2} "Je sais qui vous des types êtes. Ce qui est pourquoi je suis étonné que je suis tellement fortement retenu. Vous trois êtes en tant que têtu et le porc dirigé et moi suis. Vous n'écoutez jamais." She tried moving back and fourth to get free, didn't work.


Kahn was busy working his way down her left arm. He was thankful for Dre restraining her a little. It was helping. Her speaking French was not helping. But he continued to chant and remove the scars. While doing her fingers he found her wedding ring. Her flesh had melted over it.

He paused to touch the ring, but didn't stop chanting. Then he shook his head and continued. He finished her hand and moved on. he was going down her body. She was not being still. She was trying to get Dre to let go.


Gawain shifted back ... with clothes on? She was shocked. {3} "Shame, j'avait espéré que vous seriez aussi nu que 'Il." She felt the air wrap round her and she freaked. She was good and bound now. There had to be a way to get out.

The pain was unbarable. {4} "Veuillez me laisser vers le haut, j'ont un présent pour toi Gawian." Yep bribery, she was resorting to bribery


It wasn't working, they were acting like they couldn't even hear her. She struggled against her restraints to no avail. She was stuck. And Kahn was continuing to rub that paste on no matter how much it hurt her for him to do so.


(( {1} "Dre, baby, please stop. You're hurting me son. And how are you going to talk to your own Mother that way?" {2} "I know who you guys are. Which is why I am surprised that I am so heavily restrained. You three are as stubborn and pig headed as I am. You never listen." {3} "Shame, I had hoped you would be as naked as I" {4} "Please let me up, I have a present for you Gawain." I promise I will get back on as fst as I can to finish this. Dre-mun, Gawain-mun, go ahead and post if you want to.))

Gawain snickered as he held the weaves tightly, peering over to Dre for assurance. He would need to borrow some strength soon, but he, being the always-hardheaded wolf-guy, hated to beg. His eyes wandered over to Venis, and with a grin, he spoke. "{See footnote}Mon habillement , cher fireball , tenir maintenant. MOI érudite quelque truc tant que J'étais loin. Vous devez être plus de soucieux autour de les l'usine thanksggiving ça c'est pas les unique voie MOI can tisser Aérer." This to Dre. "Okay, this goes against everything I can think of, but, if you have a spare, could you place a hand, or paw, or whatever on my shoulder? This is getting....quite taxing. The Power takes it's toll after awhile, and while it never gets weaker, I do. I'm only a conduit for Saidin, the male half of the True Source, and I am, I fear, semi-mortal these days. Well.....I think. Just...help a brother out, please?" Gawain said please, you are not seeing things. Yes, even he has manners sometimes.


{Footnote-My clothing, dear fireball, stays now. I learned a few tricks while I was away. You should be more worried about the fact that this is not the only way I can weave Air.}

Kahn had been married to Venis long enough that he did know some French. He understood things like 'vous' meant 'you', 'moi' meant 'me' or 'I', 'mon' meant 'my', 'cher' meant 'dear', 'amore' meant 'love', little things like that. She didn't speak it enough for him to pick up a whole lot. But some of those words she used a lot when talking to him. She liked telling him that she loved him in French.

He continued to chant and it was working, she was starting to look like her old self again. He felt a little odd caring for her more personal areas in front of Dre and Gawain, but it had to be done. As he worked he got an odd sensation from certain areas, like her shoulders, mid-drift, and waist. He thought it had something to do with the two who were overexerting themselves to mentally restrain her.


Venis chuckled. She hadn't heard Gawain speak French in a very long time, if ever. But it's not the way he said it, it was what he said. And she had only one thing to say in response. {1} "Le chat foutu taquinent." She laughed again. Her body was betraying her at the moment, but no one would ever know if it was her husbands touch or her best friends words causing it.

She was still straining against her restraints. She couldn't see Dre's hand on her holding her down, but she could feel it. She couldn't see Gawain's bands of air, but she could feel them. And she was staining against them. She could see that both of them were starting to feel a little drained. She wondered if Dre had enough left to back up Gawain.


Kakn was below her waist now, he had to turn her again. Dre would have to stop pushing her down. He looked to Dre and back to Venis, back to Dre again and then to Gawain. He started to turn her to her side. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. Dre walked over to Gawain, talons folding over Gawain's shoulder as he touched him. Both men appeared to be getting rather worn out. This made Kahn try to go faster.


She knew something that no one else did. She knew that Kahn was getting just as mentally exhausted as Dre and Gawain were getting physically. She had an idea, a rather clever one if she did say so herself. She figured that nothing she had tried so far would work. She spoke very softly, a far cry from the harsh foulness that had been leaving her mouth so far.

{2} "Vous devenez très somnolent, vos paupières êtes lourd. Vous souhaitez le sommeil. Vous devriez fermer vos yeux maintenant, établir et prendre un somme. Vous vous sentirez que meilleur et lui être terminé tout quand vous vous réveillez. Juste un peu de somme. Vous obtenez très très le sommeil."

She didn't care which one it worked on, she figured if one went down the other two wouldn't be far behind. She so wanted this over. Kahn was working around her thigh with that burning paste. She hated the burn of the garlic, but something had to burn the scars off. Her lower right arm was free, so she tried to swipe at Gawain's leg. She was truly desperate, the burn was worse where he was working than it had been anywhere else. She actually shed a blood tear from the pain.


Kahn was working in a rather delicate area, and he was getting rather exhausted mentally. He wondered if she ever felt this way channeling dark magic. He thought that maybe it wasn't as taxing for her. After all, she was a witch. Her father was a warlock, this type of thing was his specialty. Never before had he wished so badly for his father-in-law to still be around. But they were a couple of hundred years too late for that.

He was on the home stretch. Her long leg. But her talking to them was making him more tired still. He had no idea why. Perhaps it was that lovely voice she was speaking in. It was the voice she used to sing the kids to sleep with when they had been younger. He blinked a few times. He wasn't sure he was going to stay awake much longer. In fact, his head started to fall forward. He snapped awake never missing a word. He would be hearing this chant in his dreams for years to come.


She felt Kahn waning. She was getting to him. She repeated her previous words in an attempt to put him out. She looked to Dre and Gawain to see how they were holding up. They too seemed to be rather tired. Yet the restrictions he had on her were just as strong. She still wasn't able to get free. It was all too frustrating.


Kahn was making good time for how tired he was. But the more she repeated whatever it was she was saying, the harder it was for him to stay awake. Past the knee. He just had to hold on for a little bit longer. He looked up at Dre and Gawain, they were barely holding on as well. One of them was going to have to send the mental link to Tasha to get her and Epiphany back down here with the diamond cross and his wifes soul. He wanted her whole again. Ankle, foot, so close.


She was still trying to get free, although at this point she wasn't completely clear as to why. Then it dawned on her, they were going to put the soul back. They were going to make her a Goddess again. The noise would be back. She would be all helping people again. Protecting the innocent. Spontaneous combustion, yea vampires love that. But for the most part it was the noise and the upset stomach. Two things that she had not been missing since this ordeal had began.


He finished with her toes, he wiped away the last of her scars. He set her foot down and leaned over. He wasn't even going to try for the mental link. He put his hand to his head and spoke calmly. "Someone call to Tasha ... and don't let her go yet." He covered her with a blanket for the sake of decency, not sure what it mattered at this point. Then he placed his hand on her stomach for stability.



(({1} "You f&^king p^$$# tease." {2} "You're getting very sleepy, your eyelids are heavy. You wish for sleep. You should close your eyes now, lay down and take a nap. You'll feel better and it will all be over when you wake up. Just a little nap. You're getting very very sleepy." Ok, now Venis needs her soul back and then everyone can collectively pass out. So someone ML Tasha and let's put back the soul. LOL))

Tasha was happy that Epiphany took so well to her suggestion. She knew how to play war, but she would be a little rusty at it. "Lemme see here ..." She began to deal the cards.

Once they started playing she remembered how quite fast. It was easier than she thought to pick it back up again. "This was a good idea, and yes, another time under better circumstances would be very fun." The two of them played their fast paced game while Tasha awaited that all important mental link.

Tasha's head came up from her cards and her eyes looked as though they were about to pop out of her head. "Epiphany, we have to get back down there ... now." She dropped her cards on the table and rose from her chair so fast that the chair flew backwards and fell over.

She grabbed her cloak off the back of the chair she had laid it upon. it was one fluid movement as her heels loudly carried her to the door. She wasn't even waiting to see if Epiphany was behind her. She knew they had to be in dire straits if Dre called on his father for strength. Whatever Venis was pulling on them down there it was bad.

She was in the door and headed across the room to the bar as she intentionally ran out of her heels and dropped her cloak. That allowed her to pick up speed. She shouted out to the armed ones in the kitchen before she hit the door at nearly full speed. "Look out, coming through." And she burst through the door into the kitchen. "Door." And one of the Rangers grabbed the door to the basement as he stepped back.

They had given her a clear path with a strait shot to the basement, so there was no need to slow down. She had made the trip up and down the stairs a few times, so she felt safe in her judgment. It was too close to the full moon for this, but she knew she was needed as fast as possible. Her foot hit the end of the floor at what could be considered the top step ... and she jumped.

She hit the floor of the basement crouched down on her hands and feet. Dre looked like he was about to pass out. Lycanthrope strength was a good thing right now. She sprang fourth and grabbed Dre around his waist. She saw what he was doing with Gawain and she reached up and placed her hand on Gawain's arm. This would allow Dre to let go and she would hold him to keep him from hitting the floor.

Venis was speaking to them in French. She listened for a moment and realized what she was saying. Well, most of it anyway. "Venis, shut up trying to put them to sleep. I'm here now, and I have strength to spare. If I have to I will give every ounce of it to Gawain so he can continue whatever he's doing. Sorry fireball, but you're getting that soul back."

She reached out with her leg and pulled a chair closer with her foot. She carefully set Dre into the chair. "Hold on Dre, please, just hold on. It's almost over and then you can rest." She looked up at Gawain. "Take whatever energy you need however you need to take it, Epiphany's on her way and my adrenaline is running rather high right now. We can get through this." She looked to the stairs for Epiphany, as she waited she pulled the dagger from the back of her skirt.

A large smile erupted on Gawain's face at the shouted name of an old friend. That was, indeed, better than a case of Red Minotaur...or whatever that stuff is. The only problem was, everything seemed to be moving too fast, and he felt as if he were suspended in treacle. As he saw Epiphany, and heard her words, he bowed his head, crossed himself with his free hand, and spoke quietly. "Deus, in adiutorium meum intende. Domine, ad adiuvandum me festina. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen." As he spoke these words, he wondered where they had come from, and why was it getting so dark....oh, he thought, I must be losing conciousness. ~Good job, Gatita, Fireball. You too, Scaler. Pif, didn't know ya had it in ya...didn't know I had it in ME, for that matter...eh, sleepytime now.~ Slump. Thump.

[Just kick 'im to the side and pretend he's a rug, guys. ]

She heard Dre, he was calling to his father for strength. "Non, non, non, non, non. Non Krownar." She knew that she was in serious trouble with Dre going that far. She began to struggle again. She wanted free and she wanted free now.

She began to chant to them again on French, repeating her words over and over again. It had been the only thing that had been working. But now that strength that had been waning was now rejuvenated by Krow.


Kahn was holding her hand now, he wanted to be as close to her as he could. They both had heard the noise and saw Tasha landing at the bottom of the stairs in a crouching position. They saw her get Dre into a chair and touch Gawain to help him with energy. Kahn was relieved that she was here.


Epiphany had not been too far behind her. She had the cross. "Non, Non." Tasha had yelled at her to shut up, those were her words, shut up. If Venis had her powers she would have reminded Tasha of her manners. Then she saw the blade in Tasha's hand

Tasha reached out and cut her chest and Epiphany stepped up. But there was hope, she was hesitating. Was there someone in the room who was actually going to not do as they were asked? But alas, Epiphany touched the cross to the blood on her chest.

She felt like something was grabbing her by the mid-section and pulling her up. It didn't take long for the blood to come in contact with the cross and the cut to pull the blood from the cross. Her back arched as the soul re-entered her body. Visions of her mother flashed in her head.

The diamond cooled to the touch and Venis fell back upon the bed. She had been levitating above the bed by several inches with her back arched and her hands and feet being all that was touching the bed. When she collapsed back onto the bed she appeared unconscious for a moment.

Her flesh warmed to the touch again and her heart began to beat. With a forced gasp she drew breath and her eyes blinked open. She turned her head to the right and saw Epiphany. "Merci' ... Thank you. I will clean your diamond for you in just a moment." She sat up and looked to her husband.

When she turned her head to the right again she saw that her son was on the floor with Tasha by his side. "Oh dear God, no." She grabbed the blanket that Kahn had placed over her and slid from the bed. She closed the space between herself and Tasha and Dre rather quickly.

It was then that she saw Gawain. At that point she was nearly in a state of panic. She clung to the blanket as she checked each for a pulse. They both had weak pulses. "Kahn." She was more scared for them now than she had ever been before.


Kahn slid from the bed and crawled the few steps to his wifes side. "They will be fine, they just need some serious rest. As do I. But I fear that I do have some bad news my love. I must leave your side. The children need me at home. They said it was an emergency, otherwise I would stay. I hate to leave you, but you stay here and recuperate. I will return as fast as I can or I will see you when you get home. I love you Venis Jordianthan."

With that he ran his fingers into her hair to place a hand upon the back of her head. He pulled her into the most passionate kiss they had ever shared. He hated to leave her now. If he had the choice he would be staying with her. He would be with her, making love to her all night and day. Were it anything other than the kids that was calling him from her it would have waited.


She returned his kiss in kind. She was hurt that he had to go, but she understood. After all, the children needed him. She loved all their children and knew that if they needed him then he would have to go. She would not prevent him from leaving if it risked the welfare of the children. She broke the kiss and whispered to him. "I love you too Kahn Jordianthan. And if you do not hurry back, I will have to hurry home."


He released her and tried to rise. He was wobbly to say the least. He had crawled to his wife, but to crawl from the basement would not do. He called to his men who were at the top of the stairs. Two of them would come down and help him up. Leaning on them for support he left the basement.


Venis could no longer hold back her tears. Tasha held out an arm to her and she turned into her to cry on her shoulder for a moment. after a few mild tears she wiped her face clean and got up from the floor. "Seleen, Manny." Both would bound down the steps on command.

She walked over and picked up her outfit that Dre had made her. It was a metal bikini. She wore it under her clothes for when she combusted. It prevented her being nude. The metal was the rarest metal they had ever found. It had a melting point so high that it remained when her clothes did not. She put it on and smiled. Perfect fit. She loved the feel of the cold metal on her flesh.

She walked over to a garment bag and pulled out a red dress, it had spaghetti straps and was flowing and breezy. She put the dress on and made sure she had it cinched tight.

She added to the outfit a pair of red strapy stiletto sandals. She pulled her floor length red hair back and let it fall behind her. She would brush it out later. She grabbed a pre-moistened cloth from the box to wash Epiphany's cross for her. She washed it and then returned it. "There you go, good as new."

She then addressed Manny and Seleen. "Seleen, I would like for you to help Tasha get Dre to his room. She can stay with him to monitor his health. Manny, I would like this room emptied of our belongings. We have been in the way down here long enough. I will be taking Gawain to his room."

Seleen went over to Tasha and Dre. The two of them lifted his physical form from the floor, he seemed like dead weight in their arms. They headed for the stairs. Venis addressed Epiphany again. "We will of course pay for the damages." Then she went over and picked up Gawain. Laying him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes she herself headed for the steps. "Let's get the hell out of this damned basement."