The Realm

She landed on the floor in a heap. "Owww...." Was all she could muster for a few minutes before regaining her senses. She was not quite home yet. Oh no, she was in someone's cabin this time. Yet again there was evidence of life.

After a few minutes worth of struggle Mezzo had managed to stand on her own two feet. This time she took a look at the cabin right side up. Lots of books, paperwork, and paperweights were scattered around the room. She scanned it some more and her eyes fell on a basket filled with eggs. Giant spotted eggs.

She nodded to herself. It would be a good idea to get out of this cabin while she still could. Yes. That would be a VERY good idea. With the greatest haste she could managed she skittered out of the room.

And she only found that she had collided with something very green and very not human. Oh course now she was face first on the ground. It seemed that she would be kissing the ground a lot more in days to come.

*Are you all right... Miss?* A female voice projected in her head.

"Uh.... Fine. Fine!" She mumbled as she got up and brushed herself off. This was odd. Very odd.

*Are... you sure?*

Mezzo took a deep breath. "Yes." Wait a second, "What flower is that? It smells like a cross between a tropical rose and a water blossom of sorts."

*I doubt I would look good in something that exotic. They're just simple little flowers that were freshly grown in my garden this year.*

'Nothing that loved flowers could be that dangerous.' Was Mezzo's reasoning as she turned around. She saw something she had only seen in dreams. A small four legged dragon stood before her, and red flowers were tied to each of its horns. It looked up at her with large back eyes that seemed to question her.

"Mmm. Now that I have a better look at you I think you don't do yourself justice. You would look lovely with tropical roses tied to your horns. That would be the sweetest thing."

*Thank you!* The dragon blushed. *I hate to be rude, but I never caught your name and I'm sure you haven't caught mine. It's Ashureii.*

Mezzo nearly smacked herself in the face right there. "How rude of me... my name is Mezzo De' Linaeve or just plain Mezzo if you want to make things easy for yourself. It's quite the pleasure to meet you Ashureii. You are the first real dragon I've ever met." 

*Oh my. It's nice to meet you as well.* The dragon was not sure of what to do next. It was rather odd that she was talking to someone without bolting. It had been a while... a long while since she had spoken with something remotely human. *If you've never seen a dragon then why are you here?*

Now it was Mezzo's turn to be embarrassed. "That's a funny story... you see I fell through this window and ended up here."

*... Seriously?* That would be silly if it were true.

"Ah... yeah." Suddenly, with out a warning Mezzo's hair popped out of her bun. She looked up the the sky and shook her head. Was Buddha mocking her today?

Ashureii blinked at the young woman's hair. All through out it she noticed that their were vines and other assorted greenery. Did this woman love gardens or was she one herself? Ashureii watched very closely as the woman pulled the strands of hair together, each one seemed to flow naturally. 

Mezzo finished her bun and smiled at the dragon. "Could you perhaps direct me to someone who can get me out of here? I don't exactly think I belong here."

*Uh... right. I can lead you to someone. Just follow me.* Ashureii, who appeared to be a bundle of nerves began to trot away from the cabin and headed to a large patch of a forest.

With admiration and a tad bit of jealousy Mezzo obediently followed her new tour guide. 

And the continued to walk for a while.

"So you say that you came here completely by accident." The red headed Indy said as she held back a tree limb.

"Yes. That's the jist of things." Mezzo said as she passed by Indy, thanking her.

"That's odd. I thought I had had the spells updated to prevent that from happening. Because of poachers and all."

*Well, it IS possible that they missed something. You didn't hire the BEST spell casters.* The red Pierre said as he leapt over a few downed twigs. *This place is a mess.*

Automatically Mezzo said, "This is good for the forest. The rubbish fuels the plants as it decays. This forest isn't as bad as some of the ones I've been forced to run around in."

*You seem to know a lot about plant life,* Pierre said. 

Mezzo was not sure if that was a complement or just a statement, but she thanked him anyway.

"I should be able to get you home. It won't be that much trouble, or at least I hope. I can't help but wonder how you managed to transport yourself, you say you didn't use magic personally?" Indy absent mindedly brushed hair locks behind her ears.

"I highly doubt I could use magic if I had any. Chemical equations make more sense than magic." 

*You must have been taught well.* Pierre remarked as he helped Ashureii untangle her tail from a stray vine.

"My near failing grades would beg to differ. Ow--" A thorny vine had managed to tangle itself in Mezzo bun. "Aw sugar taffy. Could someone help me?"

"No problem."

"Gahh. Thank you."

Indyana cracked her neck for the fifth time in the last hour. Her spells were not working as well as she had hoped. Well, she could teleport Mezzo, but only across the room. Everyone was getting tired and fast. "You know you could stay here for the night, since I can't seem to send you anywhere."

Mezzo insisted that Indy try one more time. "I've been away from my friend long enough. She must be going out of her mind."

Indy sighed and preformed the spell one last time. 

Of course absolutely nothing happened. With a "humpf" Indy landed in her desk chair. "How on earth could this happen?"

*Well. I think it's safe to let her sleep in the cabin. Athena was kind enough to bring blankets for her ahead of time.* Pierre nodded to a stack of white blankets. 

'It wouldn't do any more harm to stay for one night at the Bishen Realm.' Mezzo thought. 'Maybe I can read up on the Bishen as well, maybe adopt one? Oh... don't kid yourself you don't stand a chance against the other adopters. Do you?' Her eyebrows arched as she looked at Indy and asked, "Would it be too much to ask for some information on the Bishen?"

"Oh--of course! We're always happy to have new adopters, and I think you would make an interesting one to say the least." Indy fished in her desk a few minutes and then produced a thick leather bound book. She handed it to the blushing Mezzo.

"If there's anything else you need just call for Pierre or me."

"Thank you so much," Mezzo whispered as everyone left the cabin. When she was positive that they were all gone she gave a relaxed little sigh. 

"At least I have a little reading material before I go to sleep...."

Mezzo's back cracked as she stretched. Argh. That couch was not the most comfortable thing to sleep on. Still, it was better than nothing. Now, she had wanted to do something as soon as she got up that morning. What was it?

The door swung open as someone jingled in. Obscured by an unusual looking house plant was the struggling Indy. With a puff she flopped the giant mass of plant and plastic pot to the ground. The woman rubbed her face a bit.

"Excuse me?" Mezzo whispered.

Indy blinked a few extra times. "Oh! Hello! I forgot you where still here. I'm going to contact a friend of mine to send you home. She will not be here until late afternoon, so you have the whole day to yourself.... I think that's it."

"Um... I'm a bit interested in adoption... maybe." 

"Oh? Egg or Abandonling?"

"Abandonling."

"Ah, you like Ashureii. I'm not sure if she's ready for adoption or not." Indy looked at her desk, which was stacked with applications. "You can ask Ashureii what she wants."

Mezzo straightened up, and brushed stray hairs back into her bun. "How do I go about finding her in this place?"

"Go to the lake, and I'm sure that Athena can tell you where she's hidden." 

Mezzo bowed a bit as she left the room and thanked Indy. 

Indy shook her head. If those two did get together they would be a strange pair.  

It was hard for Ashureii to focus as the empty feeling seemed to tear her apart. She was bitter, but she still wanted to have faith in people. After all the years she was now alone, and there was no one to catch her when she fell. Oh, she wanted to find a new bondmate, but she was frightened of being left alone again. Who would not have been?

She looked into the mirrors dirty surface. Why would anyone burry something as beautiful as this? What had it done to deserve it?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sweet yet powerful voice of a woman. The woman from last night, Mezzo. "Hello, Ashureii. It seems you've found something that someone's forgotten about."

The Bishen nearly jumped out of her skin. How did this woman find her? At first she stutter but then gained back her ground. *W-w-hy ar-re you here? How did you find me?*

"I'm sorry," Mezzo took a few steps back. "I didn't meant to upset you. I just wanted to speak to you about your new bondmate."

*Why? Has Indy suggested someone and did not want to break the news to me in person.* Ashureii emitted a low hissing sound. 

"No. It's just that I want to be your bondmate."

Ashureii would have made a smart remark, but she was too stunned at the directness. That was the thing she never had expected anyone to say. *How can I trust you? You may leave like Khari did!*

"Trust me when I say I know what it's like to be lost and alone." A sad smile spread across Mezzo's face. 

*Fine. If Indy okays it you can be my bondmate.*

It was Mezzo's turn to be utterly shocked. It should not have been so easy to get her to agree. Should it have been? "Okay. Let's head over to that cabin and... if it's all right with you can we take the mirror."

Ashureii would have arched her eyebrows if she had had any. *All right,* carefully she picked the object up in her mouth and slowly made her way to the cabin. 

This would be interesting.

"So now that everything is approved, I am allowed to send them home?" A silver haired young man asked Indyana. He seemed to be annoyed, but that may have just been his strange English sounding accent.

"Yes. Everything is green." 

"Then enough with this nonsense!" The man said before anyone could object.

The room seemed to be suddenly fading from existence. The walls looked like they were melting and spinning at the same time. It was a dizzying effect that suddenly stopped as the two creatures being teleported hit solid ground. Both fell forward, and barely caught themselves.

Mezzo was examining the floor. It was their wood! Their wood!

"You're a figment of my imagination! Ladedadaedadeee." 

Oh, and that was her housemate Eris. She came stomping in the kitchen to fling open a cabinet. After pulling out a can of soup she swiveled to see Mezzo. She nearly hit the roof.

"Mez! My goodness you're alive and--What is that?"

*I was just about the ask the same question. Mezzo, who or what is that strange yelling thing and why is an elf following her like a puppy dog?* Ashureii, who was really scared mindless was hiding behind her bondmate.

Mezzo sighed. Oh yes this was going to be a lot of work. 

"This is not happening," said Eris in distress. 

"I'll.... explain everything... tomorrow." Mezzo sighed. She needed a very long bath and lots of chocolate to fix this mess.

Background, buttons and bars came from KAGARIBIGENTOH. The storyline (as bad as it is) and characters (>_> shut up you.) created and copyright © by Geraldine (Kari Muffin) Nonnewitz. The Bishen and Indy are copyright © to Indy and comes from the Bishen Realm.