Zekaer gave his weapon to the drow guard on duty. Weapons can't be taken into General's quarters. As soon as he had stepped into the room General Jhalisa looked up from her work. "Zekaer, report." She commanded. Zekaer bowed his head. "Yes ma'am. There has been no movement from Mythae, the surface drow that were discovered in Winter Dawn have been identified as three escaped slaves, one was captured but the others remained in the safety of the town where we couldn't capture them." Jhalisa sighed as she flicked through the paper pages on her desk. She pulled out a page and held it out to Zekaer. "Fill this out and give it to your commander then you may return to the surface." Zekaer nodded and silently took the paper. Just as he was about to leave Jhalisa smirked and he knew whatever she was going to say wasn't good news for him. "Next time you come in to report I want you to go see your master." Zekaer's eyes widened. In a matter of days he would have to see her again. He quickly left the room, reclaiming his weapon and hurrying away from the General's quarters.

As soon as he had filled out his status report and handed it in he headed straight up to the surface. He sighed in relief as he finally got past the gates out of the drow city and was aboveground once more. Zekaer took the long way home, walking through Winter Dawn. He didn't go that way just to check on the other drow of course. He really did hate having to work for drow even though he now was considered one of them. He wished he could kill every one of them. Zekaer stopped at the bakery, purchasing a pastry before heading off again. As always he got a few cold glares as he walked through town but he was used to it. Winter Dawn was open to all races and it was forbidden to fight on the streets so he had nothing to worry about. Zekaer left Winter Dawn just as the sun began to set, he really just wanted to get home. The woods slowly got darker and colder as Zekaer kept walking but he could see at night as well so it didn't bother him. He was close to home when without warning someone pounced on him from behind.

"Zekky! You're home!" Kyla called out excitedly as she fell back onto the ground. Zekaer turned around to look at her. Her hair and her fox tail were covered in snow and she was smiling her little 'It wasn't my fault' smile. He sighed. "I told you to stay inside until I got home." She frowned with her ears drooping down. "I know but I knew you would be home soon and I just couldn't wait!" She looked at him with big eyes. "I'm sorry Zekky." He sighed again, shaking his head with a slight smile. "Don't do it again. I brought you something while I was out." He said and laughed as she started jumping around with her the tip of her tail wagging in excitement. "Oh oh! What is it?" He held out his hand with the pastry sitting on his palm. Kyla gave a little happy squeal and took the pastry from his hand. "Thank you!" She said before scoffing it down in one go. Zekaer gave a little laugh and ruffled her hair. "Alright, now let's get home before you catch a cold."

Zekaer lit the branches in the fireplace and laid down on the couch, exhausted from work. Kyla went straight to the kitchen to dish out a bowl of soup. Zekaer shut his eyes for a moment while Kyla walked over to him, placing the bowl and a spoon down near him. She smiled and grabbed a blanket, pulling it over him. Zekaer fell asleep in an instant so Kyla was careful not to wake him as she quietly crept back to her own room.

"Zekky!! Wake up!" Kyla shook Zekaer's arm but he just jerked his arm back and rolled over. She sighed walking over to the kitchen. She filled a cup with water then carried it back to where Zekaer was sleeping. "Time to wake up, Zekky." Kyla said with a smirk and she poured the water onto Zekaer's head. "Aaaagghhh!!" Zekaer yelled as he flailed wildly. He hurriedly shoved the blanket off him and sat upright, looking around confusedly. Kyla laughed so hard she dropped the cup. Zekaer glared at her before rubbing one of his eyes with the back of his hand. "What'd you do that for Kyla?" He asked as he yawned. Kyla smiled sweetly. "Because you wouldn't wake up and you promised to take me out today!" He groaned and fell back onto the couch, thinking about the chaos that Kyla would cause without him around to watch her.

Kyla yanked at his arm, pulling him off the couch. Zekaer stumbled as he was pulled off the couch and over to the front door. "Oh come on Kyla, can't you wait just a little longer. I only just woke up!" Kyla let go of his arm, her ears drooping down and she looked at him sadly. "Pleeease." She begged, looking at him with the saddest expression she could manage. "Okay fine, but we aren't leaving until you get your coat on." She giggled, her ears perking up as she ran out of the room. Zekaer picked up his coat which was left dumped near the door. He slipped it on before Kyla sprinted back into the room, now wearing her coat. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!" She said excitedly as she opened the door, running outside. Zekaer smiled as he stepped out into the cold morning air, watching as Kyla played with one of the small heaps of snow. He turned to close the door and just as the door shut a snowball smashed into the back of Zekaer's head. "Aggh! That's freezing cold Kyla!" He frantically shook his head trying to get the snow off. Kyla laughed and ran into the woods. "Oh you're going to pay for that!" Zekaer said as he quickly scooped up some snow and chased after her.

He walked slowly with his hands in his pockets. Kyla was zipping from one side of the path to the other as she checked out all the market stalls. It was still quite early and not many people were usually around the market place at this time so it was a bit of a surprise when a brawl broke out in the middle of the pathway. The guards were uselessly trying to break up the fight. Zekaer watched the fight for a moment before walking over and pulling the two people apart. The guards took their chance and arrested the two. Zekaer nodded to the guards before turning to look for Kyla, only to find she has disappeared. He sighed before slowly starting to walk, looking around the market place for any sign of her. It wasn't long before he noticed a stall owner standing on the path, cursing and yelling as he swung his head around looking for something. Zekaer strolled over to a nearby stall, pretending to be looking at the contents of the stall. The stall owner finally retreated back to his stall, grumbling. Kyla cautiously came out of her hiding place, quickly darting off before the owner saw her. Zekaer muffled a laugh as he followed her, being careful not to lose sight of her again. He finally caught up to her in a quiet empty space behind one of the buildings that edged the end of the market place. "What did you steal this time?" He asked with a slight smile. Kyla was holding a small wooden chest in her arms. "I don't know yet." She said with a giggle, placing the little chest on the ground. Zekaer crouched down to get a closer look. It was a simple small chest but when he tried to open it he noticed the key hole. "Can't open it without the key." He stated and she smiled, pulling out a loop of string that had a tiny key hanging from it. "You mean this?" Zekaer handed Kyla the chest and she fitted the key into the hole. As soon as he heard it click Zekaer flipped the lid up. The chest was filled with coins and small gems. "Ohh! Can we go buy some cookies, Zekky?" Kyla asked and Zekaer smiled, patting her head. "Sure."

Zekaer slowed down, realizing that Kyla had fallen behind. He looked around as he waited for her to catch up. He had the feeling something was off as he noticed one of the Metasi drow watching him from the side of the building they were passing. He glared straight at the drow who backed away into the shadows. "What are you looking at, Zekky?" Kyla asked as she looked in the direction he was but seeing nothing. "Oh, nothing." Zekaer looked down at her and she looked up at him, smiling tiredly. She had finally tired out after running around causing trouble all day. He picked her up, sitting her up on his shoulders before he started walking again. Kyla sat happily on his shoulders, looked around for a while before she started to struggle to stay awake. Kyla began to slowly fall off Zekaer's shoulders as she fell asleep. He stopped and carefully lifted her off his shoulders, holding her as she sleepily looked at him. She just rested her head against him and fell asleep again. He smiled looking down at her before he heard a sound coming from behind him.

He turned his head to look behind him, the drow that had been watching him before was standing there with a smirk. "Oh, isn't this sweet." The drow teased and Zekaer snarled at him. "What do you want?" The drow crossed his arms, sighing. "New orders, we are to leave immediately. I'll fill you in on the way." Zekaer looked back down to Kyla who was sleeping peacefully in his arms. He held her a bit tighter. "I have to take her home first." Zekaer said. "We have to go now, either put the girl on the ground or take her with us." Zekaer was definitely not going to take her along, he would never take her anywhere near danger or the drow cities. He sighed, shaking Kyla awake. She yawned and looked at him confusedly. Zekaer put her down on the ground and she stood there, swaying slightly still half asleep. "You have to go home, I will be back as soon as I can." She frowned, tilting her head to one side. "Where are you going?" Kyla asked still looking tired and confused. "I won't be gone too long." He promised before he turned and followed the drow who had impatiently started walking. "But Zekky..." Kyla said sadly but Zekaer kept walking.

Zekaer looked at the round gem in his hand. It was as big as his palm and covered in blood. He used his coat sleeve to wipe a bit of the blood off. The gem was a murky brown colour and looked alot like a polished rock to Zekaer. "Why did we go through the trouble of getting this gem anyway?" Zekaer asked clearly annoyed. The drow, who had been walking in front of him, stopped and looked back at him. "Because we were ordered to." He said flatly. Zekaer scowled at him. "Aren't you the most obedient little scum?" Zekaer said, disgusted at the loyalty this drow had for his worthless kind. The drow looked a bit shocked at first but soon glared at him. "I should kill you right now." He snapped back, continuing to give him a cold glare. "Why don't you? Too afraid of your master? How pathetic." Zekaer taunted with a smirk. "It would be more worth while to kill your little half-human pet first." The drow replied. Zekaer immediately shoved the gem in his pocket, his smirk widening. "What was that?" The drow laughed before replying. "Did I hit a nerve Zekky?" Zekaer lunged at him, forcing him against a nearby tree. The drow let out a choked cry as Zekaer held his neck tightly. "If you don't shut up, I'll just tear your throat out." Zekaer gripped his throat even tighter before letting him go. The drow sunk to the ground, coughing and gasping as he held his throat. Zekaer started walking again, leaving the drow to stare at him before getting up, following Zekaer but keeping his distance.

As they got closer to where Kyla had been left, Zekaer began to slow his pace. He wasn't needed for his routine report so he was going to give the drow the gem and head home. Just before Zekaer was about to stop to hand over the gem Kyla jumped up from her spot where she had been waiting for him and ran over. "What in the nine hells are you doing here?" Zekaer practically yelled at her, worried that she might have been waiting for him in the cold. Kyla looked up at him, her eyes brimmed with tears and her ears pinned back. "I-i'm sorry, I didn't want to go home s-o I waited here for you..." She explained quietly on the verge of crying. "But I was gone all night! You couldn't have been out here in the woods, alone on a night like that!" He said in disbelief. Kyla nodded before she started crying, she hated when Zekaer was upset with her. Zekaer sighed, running his hand through his hair in frustration. "Don't ever do that again." He said, crouching down and hugging her tightly. Kyla hugged him back, rubbing the tears from her eyes. Zekaer suddenly became aware of the drow who was watching them silently. Zekaer stood up and slipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve the gem, only to find it was gone. "Where did it go...?" He questioned no one in particular as he looked around on the ground, figuring he must have dropped it. "Are you looking for this?" Kyla asked, holding up the gem. "Yes, how did you get it?" Kyla smiled before looking at the gem fascinatingly. "I got it from your pocket." She stated. Zekaer sighed before noticing something strange. The gem wasn't just brown anymore, it now had streaks of forest green swirled through it. "Hand over the gem now, I have to go report in." The drow said, sounding uninterested but Zekaer could tell he had seen the change as well and wanted a closer look at the gem. Kyla's face lit up with recognition. "The Feydia, that's what they called it." Kyla said to herself and held out the gem for the drow to take. As soon as the drow took the gem from her he felt a warm tingling sensation spread up his arm. He looked down at the gem in shock as he felt a small burst of strength surge through him. Zekaer looked at the drow confusedly but after a moment the drow grasped the gem tightly and ran off.

Zekaer plopped down on the couch with a sigh, Kyla soon sitting down next to him. Neither of them had gotten to sleep since Zekaer had been assigned to fetch the gem and Kyla had stayed up waiting for him. "Kyla, you mentioned 'The Feydia' earlier... What is that?" He asked as Kyla yawned. "The Feydia is the name of that gem you had." She replied. Zekaer was silent for a moment. "How do you know it's name?" Kyla lifted his arm and scooched closer, putting his arm down over her shoulders. "Heard it from someone." Zekaer looked down at her, she looked back at him with a tired smile. "Who from?" She rested her head against him, closing her eyes as she yawned again. "I don't remember." Kyla answered, already half asleep. Zekaer smiled, gently patting her head. "Come on, we had better go to bed." Kyla snuggled against him, keeping her eyes closed. "Nooo." She mumbled sleepily. He sighed, still smiling as he hugged her close. "I swear my one weakness is your cuteness." Kyla smiled, giggling a bit. "Good." She said before dozing off. Zekaer gently stroked her hair before his tiredness caught up to him and he slowly fell asleep.

She was always so full of life and was constantly looking on the bright side of things just like her mother. However she didn't look anything like her mother or her older brother so she must have gotten her looks from her father. "Azura! Mama said she wants us home by noon so we have to go now!" Zekaer smiled and opened his eyes. His little sister leaned over him looking down with a smile as the afternoon sun shone down through the tree leaves, lighting up her hair and making it seem a golden colour. Zekaer took a hold of a dangling lock of her hair. "You're hair looks beautiful." She laughed, pulling her hair to one side. "Doesn't it always? Now get up. We have to get home!" He sighed, sitting up and looking down the hill at the busy little town below. He watched his sister walk down the hill before he got up and followed her. Just as Zekaer reached the bottom of the hill she grabbed his hand, impatiently pulling him along. She let go of him just as they neared the house. Their mother was standing outside waiting for them with her calm gentle smile.

Zekaer smiled, looking up at the clouds for a moment "Azura, come on!" His sister called out for him. "Alright, alright." He looked back down only to find their house a smoking pile of rubble and his mother and sister were no longer there. The sun became blocked out by dark clouds. He frantically looked around only to find the entire town had been reduced to rubble or burned to ash and there were only dead bodies laying scattered around. Zekaer began to run around the remains of his home town in panic, searching for his mother and sister. He found his mother's body laying near the wreckage that used to be the tavern she had worked at ever since Zekaer had taken over the role of ambassador. He turned away, running for the trees that grew beside the creek as his eyes filled with tears. Countless times he had played games with his sister and that was their special little spot. Sure enough his little sister was there. She laid curled in a ball beside the creek. He rolled her onto her back before he started crying. She was covered in her own blood and out of her hand fell the a small blue gem that was now stained with blood. He had found that gem in the creek and given it to her with the promise to one day make it into a necklace for her. He cradled her body, crying and hopelessly begging for her to wake up. "Alaire...I'm so sorry.." He whispered, holding his dead sister tightly.

Zekaer woke up from his dream shaking, he leaned forward and covered his face as he tried to calm himself. "Alaire..." He whispered quietly to himself. "Morning Zekky!" Kyla called out cheerfully. He didn't say anything, he simply slipped off the black cord necklace that usually remained hanging from his neck under his clothes. He held the little blue gem that was firmly tied to the cord between his fingers. Kyla slowly walked over, kneeling down in front of him. "I know how much you want your old life back Zekky. I wish you could have it back." Zekaer looked at her and she gave a small smile. He remembered today he had to report in and give details about how the assignment went. He got up with a sigh, slipping the cord back over his head and hiding the little gem under his shirt. "I'll be home by dark." He said before grabbing a bit of bread off the kitchen bench and walking out the door. "Bye..." Kyla said even though he had already left the house. She watched as he walked into the woods.

Before Zekaer had even walked through the gate a young drow runner came up to him. "You're needed by the General!" Zekaer nodded and followed the drow runner to the General's quarters. 'This can't be anything good...' He thought as he gave up his weapon and was escorted by one of the guards into the room. Jhalisa stood leaning back against her desk. "Straight to business. We need that little girl of yours." She stated before Zekaer had a chance to say anything. Zekaer was shocked at first. "How did you find out about her..." He broke off as he noticed the drow he had completed the assignment with standing in the corner. The guard caught a hold of Zekaer's arm as he went to attack the drow. "I wont ever let any of you near her!" He yelled. Another guard rushed in and grabbed Zekaer's other arm as he fought the first guard, trying to get at the drow who stood quietly. Jhalisa waited patiently for Zekaer to calm down a bit. "Now Zekaer, you have two choices. You either go fetch the girl and bring her here and she wont be harmed or we send Vik here to get her and she may be brought here missing a limb or two." She said calmly, gesturing toward the drow in the corner as she said the name Vik. She waited again as Zekaer fought in-vain to free himself from the guards. "Better pick quick, Vik would rather like to get pay back for yesterday." Zekaer glared at Jhalisa. He knew he really didn't have a choice. "I'll do it." He said, shoving the guards off of him as soon as they loosened their grip and immediately leaving the room.

Zekaer ran straight home, figuring out what he was going to do as he made his way through the woods. There was no way he was going to hand Kyla over to them. He wasn't even sure why they wanted her, but they did. Zekaer ran even faster as he started to get closer to where his home was. "Kyla!" He called out as he he finally reached the house and hurried inside. "Kyla?" He called out again, already fearing the worst as he noticed she wasn't in the main room. Kyla came out of her room, looking at Zekaer confusedly. "Zekky? Aren't you supposed to be working?" She asked. Zekaer grabbed her hand, pulling her over to the door. "We've got to go." He hadn't even gotten out of the door when he saw the group of three drow coming out of the woods before them. He muttered a curse, looking to the woods at the side of the house only to find there was a drow to each side as well. They were surrounded and outnumbered. "Thanks for leading the way, Zekky." Vik said with a smirk as he walked out of the woods. Zekaer now realized his panic and anger had caused him to leave his weapon behind. He was now weaponless and frustrated that he had not seen their plan, obviously they knew not to trust him and instead sent a tracking squad to follow him home. He had led them straight to Kyla. 

As hopeless as it was, Zekaer didn't plan on going down without a fight. He went to move forward but Kyla held onto his arm tightly. "Kyla, let go." Kyla shook her head, holding on even tighter. "Noo, I don't want you to get hurt." Zekaer looked back at the drow as they began to move closer. He gritted his teeth, pushing Kyla behind him. Zekaer tried his best to think of what to do, going inside would be pointless, he couldn't fight with Kyla clinging to him and he didn't even have a weapon. The drow attacked all at once. Zekaer pushed Kyla back further before doing his best to defend. Zekaer managed to knock out one drow and severly injure Vik before the remaining drow managed to force him to the ground. It took three of the drow to hold him there while Vik went inside the house. It took a moment before the drow returned dragging little Kyla behind him. As Vik came out the drow hauled Zekaer to his feet, keeping a tight grip on him. "Alright, we'll have to come back for Zayren because we need all three of you to keep Zekaer in chec-" Vik yelped in pain as Kyla bit him as hard as she could and in a moment of shock he loosened his grip enough for her to break free. "Run Kyla!" Zekaer said but she didn't run away. She ran straight to Zekaer, hugging him. "Come here you little brat!" Vik called out. Kyla hid behind Zekaer, still tightly holding onto him. As soon as Vik came close to get Kyla, Zekaer snarled at him. "Vik she won't leave Zekaer, just leave her be for now. If she tries to run then grab her." One of the drow said and Vik glared at Zekaer before starting to walk back towards the woods.

Kyla looked at the gateway to Metasi and looked up at Zekaer. "Zekky... I'm scared..." He looked down at her. "Don't be scared. I won't let anything bad happen to you." He said and she smiled a bit, staying close to Zekaer as they were taken into the city.