The Chronicler Tells the legend and weaknesses. (Joelle)

[Anonymous]

The Chronicler, Zara, was busy brewing up a special potion for the poisoned soldier sitting across from her. She knew someone was coming here, she knew better than to deny her powers of sensing others from a distance. Her purplish hair hung in front of her face as she handed the poisoned soldier the bowl she had poured the potion into. "Here..." she said in a voice soft enough to be of a mysterious tone. The solider took it eagerly, swallowing the potion quickly. Then he set the potion on the table, feeling the poison from a snakebite wound leaving his system.

Zero walked ahead of Rose, he was heading to an old friend of his father's, Zara the elf witch. He had on that bizarre suit of clothing again, the same mask and everything else, his father had mended the holes that had been made when Zero was fighting the thugs.

[Anonymous]

"Are you  some better?" she asked him as they walked along. She was tempted to add some sort of endearment to that, feeling the way she felt about him, but she kept quiet. If he loved her that way, she wanted to hear it from him first.

She didn't know exactly where they were going, but he had said something about an old friend of his father's who lived along the way. She wondered what this friend would tell them, both about Zero's future and -possibly- about hers.

[Anonymous]

Zero walked into a clearing now, holding back the bush for Rose to come into the clearing as well. There it was, Zara's home. Typical log cabin for an elf witch who lived in the forest. Zero smiled behind the mask and walked up to the house. Zero reached up after reaching the door, knocking a few times before Zara answered the door.


"Ahh, Zero..." "You know me, eh?" "Aye... I wondered weather the prophecy was true or not.... yet I knew a wild wind would blow you to me one day..." "I'm not necessarily here for you, I have some questions..." He said, motioning for Rose to walk in.

Zara nodded, stepping aside and let them walk in. "Now, what is it you wanted to know?" "I wanted to know why it is that being a hybrid between a weredragon and an elf is dangerous for me... before I set out on my quest, my father told me it was dangerous for me to be a hybrid... I wanted to know what it was he meant by that."

Zara sighed, taking out a small box, and dumped the contents into her hand, then dropped what she had had in the box onto the table in front of her. Zero remained quiet as she consulted the 'Magic bones...' He looked over at Rose, making sure she was OK before looking back at Zara.

[Anonymous]

When Zero mentioned danger, Rose took his hand. She couldn't help it. It was as much for her comfort as for his. She was tempted to move closer to him as a sense of nervousness began to rise up in her, her whole body feeling as if it were made of butterflies, never mind her stomach. Who was this woman? She had as much of a desire to know Zero's future as he probably did, but that didn't mean she'd ever felt exactly comfortable around fortune-teller types.

[Anonymous]

Zero, after Rose had taken his hand, squeezed it ever-so-gently. Zara seemed odd, and he wondered why she was a friend of his father's.

Zara, finally, looked up at Zero. "Zero, let me start by saying this: there is something that you, a hybrid, are not capable of doing that full blooded weredragons can do... I speak of protecting onesself."

Zero tilted his head. "Protecting onesself, eh?" "Aye... Your Death, unlike full blooded weredragons or elves, is undeniable. When backed into a desperate situation, full blooded elves and weredragons are able to remain calm. However, you are another matter entirely. Your sword protects your soul..." "Protects my soul...?" "Aye.... when you fall into a situation that may end up with you dead, your weredragon blood will take over... you would be unstoppable. However, there is a danger to this matter as well: every time you transform into a supposed full-fledged weredragon, you will lose a piece of your soul. With repeated transformations you will eventually lose it for your weredragon side will have fully devoured it. You will not be able to differentiate between friend and foe, you will only know how to fight and kill... and you will continue to fight and kill until you are destroyed." Zara said, she had an unusual blank look on her face. Zero merely sighed. "How can I possibly avoid transforming into such a beast?" "Your sword, keep it with you at all costs and do not let go of it. If you lose your hold on your sword while you fight and you come so close to dying, you will be doomed..." "I see..."

[Anonymous]

Rose had gone pale as Zara spoke. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear any more. But she would never have admitted that to anyone, and even more than that, she never would have left him. No matter what the cost, she just couldn't. It was too much of an honor, too much of a relief, to be with him. But she still didn't see what role she had in preventing the terrible thing Zara said from happening, or even if she had any role at all.

"Can you please tell me my future, too?" she asked. "I am his first follower and something of a recruit for him. If something like what you say should happen, would there be anything I can do to help?"

[Anonymous]

Zero looked at Rose as she spoke, did she really care that much?

"You...?" Zara began. "You yourself have a touch of destiny about you... yes, the only thing I can ask of you... is to make sure that while Zero is in battle that he does not let go of his sword." Was all she said.

"Is there any... special magic item you have to keep that part of me locked up?" Zero asked.

Zara sighed. "What type of sheath does your sword have?"

Zero tilted his head a bit. "Umm, an ordinary leather one?"

"Oh, that simply will not do..." Zara said as she stood, walking into a different room, coming out with two items, both wrapped seperately in cloths. "this is your new sheath." she said, handing him the longer one. "And this..." She continued, handing him the shorter one. "Is a dragon fang dagger... made out of the fang of Zoola herself. The sheath, once your sword ids inside, will give your sword remarkable powers. The sheath allows your sword to slay 100 demonic dragons, and fifty normal dragons, in one sweep. The dagger has a healing ability, if you can see the messengers from the underworld, you or anyone who can even hold or see the messengers will be able to heal you or anyone else with it..." Zara said. "Are there any more questions?" Zara asked. "I have none unless Rose has any..."

[Anonymous]

"Um...when you said I had a touch of destiny, what exactly does that mean? I will make sure he does not let go of his sword while in battle, but certainly there must be more to it than that," said Rose. "I've never been told I had any destiny before, let alone a touch of it," she confided.

[Anonymous]

Zara merely chuckled. "Zero... take off your mask..." She said softly.

Zero hesitated, then tapped the side of his mask in the same places his father had while he was wounded. Then he removed his mask.

Zara smiled, saying "Now, look at him, Rose, and Zero, you look at her as well..." Zero turned his head to look at Rose.

"Now, Rose, what do you see when you look at him?" Zara asked.

[Anonymous]

"I see a sweet, kind, helpful individual who is very brave and stands up for what he believes in. I see all the qualities I would like in a possible husband or lover. I see my whole world, the person and cause I have devoted my life to..." she whispered. "And I see all the love and caring I was denied as a child, not from my parents, but from others, being poured on me in abundance now.  I fear that already I can never return that love enough. And if that's not enough, he's as pure on the outside as he is within." It felt good to admit this, like a weight had just been lifted from her shoulders. But what would he say in return? Rose might have been a pretty girl, but it didn't mean she was stupid. She still felt unworthy of him, and, in a sense, that she would be truly blessed if he felt the same way.

[Anonymous]

Zero smiled as she said all this.

Zara nodded. "What you see before you, Rose, that is your destiny." She said softly.

Zero leaned in toward Rose, gently catching her lips in a sweet, sensitive kiss.

Zara smiled at them. "Now, I'm not a matchmaker, only you are responsible for your own destinies... now go, and remember well what you've learned here..." Zara said as Zero pulled away from the kiss gently.

[Anonymous]

Rose's heart pounded in her ears as Zero kissed her gently on the lips. She wouldn't have been surprised if he and Zara had been able to hear it Then she smiled and leaned her head against him for a minute, trying to stop the feeling that she might faint. Zero didn't need that, even if, in this case, it did mean she was happy. She started to reach into the sack she still carried around, but then remembered she had spent the few coins she owned at the inn.

"Thank you very much, from both of us. You won't be needing any repayment?" she asked, hesitating a little as she prepared to leave.

[Anonymous]

Zero smiled, "If you do want any repayment, I'll be paying..." he said to Zara.

Zara nodded, "Only 5 gold..." she said softly, Zero nodded, placing the five gold pievces on the table. Then he stood, wrapping his arms gently around Rose's waist. "Better get going, Love..." Zero said sweetly.

Zara walked out of the room, saying only "Good luck with your journey..." as she walked out.