9 AND AWAY WE GO

After another moment Azaire followed his brother out of the room and the two headed downstairs to the kitchen, where everyone else waited. Their father and Jared got to show off their workmanship before the packed and ready food was given to Azaire, who went over to an ornate little chest were the his spatial ring was sitting in. He placed all the food along with all his bags and the stuff he was traveling with, as well as his stones, into the ring. And after a little coaxing ended up placing all of Roran's stuff in there as well.

Jared had his own spatial ring, after all he was royalty, so he didn't need to ask for the same assistance. But he still looked over the process with interest. Jared finally getting a chance to interact with Azaire again reached out to hug him, but Azaire stopped him in confusion.

"What are you doing," he asked. Jared froze for a moment as he had not really thought that far ahead since he had assumed this behavior was normal after earlier, but was he mistaken? Then why had Azaire randomly initiated the cuddle last time? 'Ah, humans were so confusing.' With a quick, last moment explanation, he uncertainly replied, "mother?"

Azaire was a little surprised as it had not occurred to him that Jared had seen that. After a moment of thought Azaire accepted the hug as he felt he had caused Jared to feel left out so it was only natural to assure the giant.

Azaziel who watched her son and the giant prince's antics hid a knowing smile, and after that with a kiss on the forehead and hugs all around Robert and Azaziel saw their children and Jared out of the door. With blurry eye's and complex hearts, they wished them luck on their journey.

The trio hurried back over to Master Talya's Beast Sanctuary which was what the special building with so many different environments was formally called. And after Azaire and Jared led the way straight to the Sky Room they were met by the impatient gazes of two agitated women as well as the happy yip of a playful sky hound and five winged pegasi waiting in front of a huge but thin spiraling circle of energy situated in between two long sticks with arcane runes.

For some reason Titania seemed a bit paler but the fierce scowl and aggressively crossed arms told a different story as she glared at them. She hated having her time wasted! If these two were one of her knights....

"An' they say women take their sweet time gettin' ready! You three ladies sure kept us watin'!" Master Talya while annoyed as well was not as aggressive about it as Titania and it was only a moment before her good humor returned.

"Right then! First thing's first I'm going to need to give Skye a shot of medicine that'll get him nice and normal for a while so he can enjoy the travel too. Now Azaire I need ya to coax and comfort him so he stays still for his shot."

As she said so Talya pilled out a needle as big as half a forearm and everyone in the room even Titania turned a bit paler.

'Gods I hate needles!'

Everyone in the room, besides master Talya, was thinking some variation of this, as Azaire nodded, and picked up Skye.....who gave Azaire a pitiful look.

Why did it seem like Skye knew what was up! But Azaire had been doing these types of things for a long time, and he already knew what to do.

Azaire gulped as he held out his arm forcing himself not to shake a bit or show weakness or fear during the process as master Talya without further ado plunged the needle in Azaire's arm who used all his focus and training not to cry out or complain, and just barely stopped the flinch his body itched to do.

With that done master Talya pushed down the depressor and as the needle was empty and nothing was ejected she pulled it out, took out a napkin with sterilization chi in it and wiped the area before waving her hand over his arm and mending the wound with a burst of healing energy.

After that she put actual green fluid into the needle and approached Skye who was still siting mournfully in Azaire's other arm, but after seeing Azaire's brave display how could the puppy not be brave too for Azaire's sake?

So without causing any trouble besides a pitiful whimper from beginning to end the sky hound obediently took his shot.

Titania and Jared's heart went out to the two pitiful figures of Azaire and Skye, and using this as a perfect excuse Jared gave the two a comforting hug as he cuddled them for a bit before pulling Skye inside his soul space beast bonds could rest in for complete safety and security.

He didn't like putting Skye there, as then he couldn't cuddle the sky hound but Jared knew Skye more then earned the rest and besides it wouldn't be easy to secure Skye on the saddle of one of the pegasi.

"There you are Skye rest for a while now," Jared said as he patted his solar plexus and made his way to a pegasi.

"You seriously named your sky hound beast bond Skye," Titania questioned the prince of giants her voice filled with obvious exasperation. Prince Jared being the eternal optimist he was didn't notice the sarcasm as he proudly proclaimed,

"Sure did! Isn't it clever? Such a majestic name is fitting right?" Azaire who had already mounted his chosen pegasi and was carefully stroking it's mane nodded in approval as he agreed.

"Nice name." Master Talya who had withheld her opinion since she'd first learned the prince's name for the sky hound continued to keep quiet on her opinion and just shrugged when Titania looked at her for backup.

"Whatever," Titania said with a sigh as she was the last one to leap up onto a pegasi. "Well then lads and lassies we'd better be off! Away we go eh'?" Master Talya set her pegasi to walk steadily into the swirling blue circle that was obviously a portal and disappeared.

Without much ado the others followed and when they came out on the other side they found themselves at the beginning edge of what seemed to be a vast and hot desert with fierce sandy winds that blew specs of stinging sand into your eye if you didn't lean your head down a bit.

"This is the edge of the human country's southern border! Are we going to another country?" This was Titania who asked as out of the three juniors she was the only one who traveled constantly despite her royal title.

"Hmmm....oh yeah. Didn't I say? We'll be headed to the dwarven mountain country first!"